Houston Astros Draft Recap: Day Two

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Aug 2, 2013; Minneapolis, MN, USA; A general view of a Houston Astros hat and glove in the dugout during a game against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

The Houston Astros are having a heckuva time during the 2015 MLB Draft. The team had an outstanding day one, when they were able to draft three top-10 talents – SS Alex Bregman, OF Kyle Tucker, and OF Daz Cameron – in the first round, with the second, fifth, and 37th picks overall. That’s quite impressive. The Astros capped their first day of drafting by taking RHP Thomas Eshelman in the second round. Two of those picks are collegiate athletes, Bregman and Eshelman, while Tucker and Cameron are elite high school talents.

On the second day of the draft, the Astros continued to add to their haul. Houston made eight picks, of which only one was not drafted out of college. Also, the Astros turned their attention to pitching, taking five hurlers out of those eight selections. The biggest challenge for the team now is to ink these young men to contracts.

Here’s a brief rundown to get you caught up on yesterday’s action:

Next: Rounds 3 & 4

Jun 15, 2014; Omaha, NE, USA; TCU Horned Frogs pitcher Riley Ferrell (12) came in relief against the Texas Tech Red Raiders during game three of the 2014 College World Series at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports

Round 3

In the third round, the Astros went with RHP Riley Ferrell out of TCU. Ferrell, a 21-year old in his Junior season, is listed at 6′ 2″ and 200lbs. Ferrell, an All-American, helped lead the Horned Frogs to the College World Series. Baseball America had Ferrell listed as 59th in their top-500, before the draft.

This season, Ferrell posted a 2.83 ERA over 28.2 innings, notching 14 saves while giving up 10 hits and nine earned runs, and striking out 45 hitters. His fastball sits 95-98 MPH, and he has a slider that lies somewhere in the mid-80s. He is a reliever, though some scouts think he could be a starter.

Round 4

In the fourth round, the Astros decided to take a backstop. They selected Anthony Hermelyn out of the University of Oklahoma. Hermelyn is a McKinney, Texas native who is in his Junior season, and is listed at 6′ 0″ and 200 lbs. He is 21-years old, and is able to also play first base. He was an All Big-12 selection this season.

This year for the Sooners, Hermelyn slashed .321/.360/.453 with 12 doubles, a triple, six HRs, and 49 RBI over 61 games. He bats and throws right-handed. He was not ranked in Baseball America’s top-500.

Next: Rounds 5 & 6

Jun 21, 2013; Omaha, NE, USA; A ball rests on the infield during the game between the North Carolina Tar Heels and UCLA Bruins in the College World Series at TD Ameritrade Park. Mandatory Credit: Dave Weaver-USA Today Sports

Round 5

In the fifth round, the Astros turned their sights back to pitching, taking RHP Trent Thornton, a Junior out of the University of North Carolina. Like TCU’s Ferrell, Thornton is a reliever.

Jun 18, 2013; Omaha, NE, USA; North Carolina Tarheels pitcher Trent Thornton (31) throws against the LSU Tigers during the College World Series at TD Ameritrade Park. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports

Thornton made 28 appearances this year for the Tar Heels, including four starts. He posted a 5.08 ERA over 62.0 innings, giving up 35 ER on 53 hits and striking out 81 batters.

Round 6

In the 6th round with the 169th pick overall, the Astros selected centerfielder Nestor Muriel. Muriel is a 6′ 2″, 170 lb, 16-year old out of Puerto Rico, where he played in the Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy. He was the only player taken on day two that had not attended college.

Next: Rounds 7 & 8

Apr 17, 2015; Kansas City, MO, USA; A general view of baseballs prior to a game between the Kansas City Royals and the Oakland Athletics at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

Round 7

In the seventh round, the Astros went back to pitching. They selected LHP Michael Freeman, a fifth-year senior out of Oklahoma State University. Freeman is a starter, going 10-3 in 15 starts, including four complete games, for the Cowboys. He posted a remarkable 1.31 ERA and .184 batting average against, giving up 16 earned runs and only 29 walks to 97 strikeouts over 109.2 innings.

Freeman is a looming presence at 6′ 8″, 235 lbs. He earned Big 12 Conference Pitcher of the Year and All-American honors. He was ranked by Baseball America as 257 on their top-500.

Round 8

Houston selected catcher Garrett Stubbs, a Senior, out of the University of Southern California with the 229th overall pick. Stubbs is listed at 5′ 10″, 175 lbs. Stubbs was a finalist for the Johnny Bench Award. He was on Baseball America’s top-500 at number 336.

Stubbs, a left-handed hitter/right-handed thrower, was named the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year. The Trojan threw out 28 of 53 would-be base stealers (52.8%) this year. Over 59 games this season, his batting line looks like this:

.346/.435/.434 with 79 hits, 15 doubles, a triple, a home run, 25 RBI, 20 stolen bases.

Next: Rounds 9 & 10

Jun 21, 2014; Omaha, NE, USA; Mississippi Rebels pitcher Scott Weathersby (40) throws against the Virginia Cavaliers during game twelve of the 2014 College World Series at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports

Round 9

Back to pitching. The Astros took their second LSU Tiger (after SS Alex Bregman) with LHP Zac Person. Person is a reliever in his senior season, who made 30 appearances for the Bayou Bengals, posting a 3.34 ERA over 29.2 innings. He gave up 12 runs (11 earned) on 19 hits, with 34 strikeouts and a .178 batting average against this year. Person was not ranked by Baseball America.

He’s listed at 6′ 1″, 180 lbs.

Round 10

With the final selection on day two, the Astros took RHP Scott Weathersby, a fifth-year senior out of Ole Miss. Weathersby, a team captain with the Rebels, posted a 2.62 ERA in 17 appearances, including four starts. Over 55.0 innings, Weathersby allowed 17 runs (16 earned) on 45 hits, and struck out 51 batters. He held his opponents to a .216 batting average.

Weathersby is 6′ 2″, 185 lbs. He was not on Baseball America’s top-500.

Next: Day 2 Recap

Mar 6, 2015; Jupiter, FL, USA; Houston Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow (right) laughs with television analyst Peter Gammons (center) and Astros manager A.J. Hinch (left) prior to a spring training baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Roger Dean Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

All-in-all, it looks like Jeff Luhnow and company made some more outstanding picks over the course of the second day. These pitchers have a lot of experience at the college level and we could be seeing them in a Houston uniform pretty quickly.

Here’s the day two selection rundown:

Round 3 – RHP Riley Ferrell, TCU

Round 4 – C Anthony Hermelyn, Oklahoma

Round 5 – RHP Trent Thornton, North Carolina

Round 6 – OF Nestor Muriel, Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy

Round 7 – LHP Michael Freeman, Oklahoma State

Round 8 – C Garrett Stubbs, USC

Round 9 – LHP Zac Person, LSU

Round 10 – RHP Scott Weathersby, Ole Miss

Who is your favorite pick from Day 2? Do you think the Astros missed out on anyone? Let us know in the comments section!

Day three of the 2015 MLB Draft starts at 12 pm EST/11 CST.

Next: Re-evaluating Astros Prospects After the First Two Rounds

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