Astros Prospects: Looking at the top five starters in the system

#2: Francis Martes

Another prospect that the Astros acquired from outside the organization, Martes has the best stuff of the group. Should Musgrove not have the season he had, Martes would have been the pitcher of the year. He was acquired in the Jarred Cosart trade that netted the Astros Jake Marisnick, Colin Moran, and a pick that ended up being Daz Cameron in the 2015 draft. That’s a pretty good haul for a pitcher with control problems and betting habits, just kidding.

Martes is an imposing presence on the mound, not because he is as tall as Musgrove, but because he can throw in the high 90’s and drop in an 80ish mph curveball that will throw hitters off. He has the makings of being an ace pitcher with further development.

The sixth top Astros prospect does have control issues, but he was able to limit the walks to 28 in 101 plus innings in 2015. Like Musgrove, he went through Quad Cities, Lancaster, and Corpus Christi. He pitched well in Lancaster (4-1, 2.31 ERA), but struggled in his time with the Hooks (1-0, 4.91 ERA). To be fair, he only pitched in 14 2/3 innings with the Hooks.

Overall, Martes had a 8-3 record/ 2.04 ERA/ 98 strikeouts in 101 2/3 innings. He could be an ace for the Astros soon, but will probably spend 2016 between Double-A and Triple-A.

Next: The #1 Astros Prospect Starting Pitcher