Astros Season Superlatives: Corpus Christi Hooks Edition

The All-Stars

We’ll begin by honoring the 2016 Texas League All-Stars: Alex Bregman, Brendan McCurry, Derek Fisher, Brian Holmes, David Paulino, Teoscar Hernandez, Keegan Yuhl, and J.D. Davis. Of these eight, only J.D. Davis was on the Corpus Christi roster at the end of the season.

Bregman, Hernandez, and Paulino all began their seasons in Corpus Christi before brief stints with the Triple AAA club en-route to Houston. The Astros had a lot of talent on their roster at the beginning of the 2016 campaign, but injuries and impressive minor league performances gave these three an opportunity to become everyday players with the big league club.

Rookie of the Year (Offense) – Ramon Laureano

This award goes to the hitter who made their Double-A debut this year with the Hooks. The 2016 winner: Laureano.

Laureano was assigned to the Hooks from the Lancaster Jethawks on July 21st and appeared in 36 contests in 2016 with an impressive .323/.432/.548 slash line. A 16th round pick of the Astros in 2014, Laureano has come alive this season after steadily improving as he moved up the ladder from rookie ball (.189 average, .529 OPS), to A-ball (.265 average, .737 OPS), to a combined .319/.428/.528 (.955 OPS) slash line between Lancaster and Corpus Christi this year.

Laureano rotated around the outfield with the Hooks this year and seemed primed for a mid-season jump to Fresno next year, perhaps following in the path of Hernandez who followed a mid-season promotion with a lengthy stint with the big league club. The Astros are in need of outfielders that can hit for average and Laureano might just fit the bill.

Rookie of the Year (Pitching) – Ryan Thompson

This award goes to the pitcher who made their Double-A debut this year with the Hooks. The 2016 winner: Ryan Thompson.

Thompson is a native of Turner, Oregon who was drafted by the Astros in the 23rd round of the 2014 draft. The righty made his Double-A debut on June 21st throwing two scoreless innings with three strikeouts against the San Antonio Missions. Thompson continued to mow down Double-A hitting, posting a 1.80 ERA with a .221 batting average against him in 23 appearances with the Hooks.

No Hooks pitcher with at least 40 innings under his belt with Corpus Christi had a lower ERA than Thompson, including David Paulino who made his major league debut in September. Thompson had a solid 1.05 WHIP and did not allow a home run with the Hooks.

Hitter of the Year – J.D. Davis

This award goes to the the best offensive player. The 2016 winner: J.D. Davis.

A third round pick in 2014, Davis posted an impressive first season in Double-A leading the Hooks in just about every statistical category:

• Games Played (126)
• Runs (61)
• Hits (130)
• Doubles (34)
• Home Runs (23)
• RBI (81)
• Total Bases (235)

Next on the list in total bases was outfielder Derek Fisher with 160, 75 bases behind Davis. Davis was an extra base machine this season (58), finishing second in the Texas League to Matt Champman of the Midland Rockhounds (59). He also picked up extra bases on 44.6% of his hits.

Davis more than earned a promotion to the Fresno Grizzlies this season, but a logjam of talented prospects at third base (plus the transitions of Alex Bregman and Yulieski Gurriel) make the road to Houston a difficult one for those manning the hot corner. There is a chance Davis begins next season in Corpus Christi again, but it won’t be for lack of production.

Pitcher of the Year – David Paulino

This award goes to the best pitcher. The 2016 winner: David Paulino.

Acquired in a deadline deal in 2013 that sent Jose Veras to the Tigers in exchange for Paulino and outfielder Danry Vasquez. Vasquez was released mid-season after allegedly being involved in a domestic violence incident, while Paulino made his major league debut in a spot start against the Cleveland Indians on September 8th.

Paulino absolutely dominated minor league hitting and was well deserving of the call to the big leagues. His 1.83 ERA, .910 WHIP, and .204 batting average against him were among the best marks on a pitching rotation that included top pitchers and prospects Joseph Musgrove, Evan Grills, Francis Martes, Keegan Yuhl, and Edison Frias.

Paulino’s control made him deadly at all levels this season. He spent time in Corpus Christi, Fresno, and made a few rehab starts with the Gulf Coast League Astros. While in Corpus Paulino posted a walk rate of just 1.55 batters per nine innings while striking out 10.13 hitters per nine innings. As good as the Hooks staff was this year, they collectively held a 3.49 ERA. Paulino was the best arm in Corpus Christi, hands down.

Player on the Rise – Rogelio Armenteros

This award goes to the prospect most likely to make a name for himself in 2017. This year’s winner: Rogelio Armenteros.

Armenteros only pitched in three games for the Hooks in 2016, posting a 1.96 ERA in just over 18 innings. His body of work this year between Quad Cities, Lancaster, and Corpus Christi that should have him on the Houston Astros’ radar. You won’t find him on the Astros current Top 30 prospect list currently, but the 22-year-old Cuban native is the strikeout leader among all pitchers in Houston’s deep farm system. That’s right. Armenteros amassed 140 punch outs in 2016, nine more than the Astros’ #1 prospect (#30 in the MLB Top 100), Francis Martes.

Perhaps Armenteros’ biggest advantage is his ability to get ahead in counts and put batters away when he needed the big out. Across the three minor league levels, he pitched in this year Armenteros when pitching with runners in scoring position held a batting average against of .222, .174, .071 in Quad Cities, Lancaster, and Corpus Christi, respectively. In his one postseason start, he threw an effective five innings, allowing just one run on six hits. He’s likely to return to Corpus to begin the 2017 season, but the sky is the limit for this hard-throwing right righty.

Most Valuable Player – Alex Bregman

Awarding the team MVP seems to be a formality at this point, but it does lend the opportunity to revisit the meteoric rise of this year’s 2016 Corpus Christi Team MVP: Alex Bregman.

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• First-Round Pick Drew Gilbert Already Called Up to Single-A

Bregman was the second overall pick of the Astros in 2015, a compensatory pick awarded to the team after the failed signing of pitcher Brady Aiken. Aiken would ultimately undergo Tommy John surgery before being drafted 13 picks after Bregman by the Cleveland Indians, 15th overall. Aiken is 2-5 with a 5.83 ERA in the minors this season. Bregman, on the other hand, held a .300/.388/.503 slash line split between Corpus Christi and Fresno.

In 62 games with the Hooks, the young infielder had a .975 OPS with 14 home runs, 46 RBI, 42 walks, and 26 strikeouts. He blasted another long ball in the Double-A All-Star game before his promotion to Triple A. Bregman was the best hitter in Double-A, and even better in clutch situations. Bregman had a .353 average with two outs with the Hooks and 1.025 OPS with runners in scoring position.

Bregman’s minor league successes led to fruition in the big leagues in 2016. After a rocky start, Bregman hit .305 with eight home runs and 32 RBI in his final 19 major league games before a hamstring injury that may ultimately end his season. Those that were fortunate enough to see the young shortstop play in person at Whataburger field knew he was really only on loan from the major league team.

Next: Alex Bregman Done for the Season

Bregman has the talent to become a cornerstone of the Astros lineup for years to come. Not only was he one of the best players in the minors, but he has already cemented himself as one of the best young players in baseball – as well as this year’s Corpus Christi Team MVP.

**Statistics courtesy of MiLB.com and Baseball Reference **