Astros Minors: The Corpus Christi Hooks Are Playoff Ready

Pitching and Defense

Two weeks ago Dean Deetz was pitching in Lancaster. In his last game as a Jethawk, the 22-year-old right-hander out of Northeastern Oklahoma A&M received a no-decision while allowing three earned runs in three innings.

Since that start, Deetz has pitched 12 innings for the Hooks with a spotless 0.00 ERA and 17 strikeouts. Opposing Double-A batters are hitting just .175 against him (7 hits in 12 innings)  and have reached via the walk just twice, leaving Deetz with a .750 WHIP.

Trent Thornton, another relatively new addition to the Corpus Christi rotation, pitched well in an eight inning, eight hit victory over Frisco. The fifth round selection of the Astros in 2015, Thornton has carried a 5.91 SO/BB rate and a 3.45 ERA in 39 appearances between Tri-Cities, Lancaster, and Corpus Christi.

Thornton has been efficient and effective since his promotion to AA with the best walk rate (less than one free pass per nine innings) on the team.

Next: The Stros Strike Back with a Win in Arlington

The most dominant relief performance of the week came from Jacob Dorris. Who notched five strikeouts in two innings of work, picking up the save on Wednesday. Dorris was a Texas A&M Corpus Christi product has 16 punch outs in nine and two-thirds innings pitched in Double-A, a rate of 14.9 strikeouts per nine innings. He also holds a .830 WHIP and a 1.86 ERA. Even with the recent promotions, the Hooks have plenty of young, talented arms to carry them through the playoffs.

***Statistics from MiLB.com and Baseball Reference***