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The Houston Astros know what they like in the MLB Draft and lately it has been college hitters. The recently called up Brice Matthews certainly shows that there are benefits to the strategy. As for fellow first round pick Walker Janek, it is still up in the air despite his strong start to his pro career.
However, the Astros went slightly off script with the #21 overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft. They still went with a bat, but instead went with a high school slugger in third baseman Xavier Neyens. After a pretty wild first round overall, Neyens actually fits right in line with Houston likes to see out of their prospects.
Astros dip into high school ranks with first round pick Xavier Neyens
Neyens is definitely a kid you can dream on. He already has at least plus power and some scouts saw little difference between Neyens and #4 overall pick Ethan Holliday in terms of ceiling. The hit tool will be worth watching, but Neyens should be able to stick at third as he has a cannon of an arm.
What this pick tells us is that the Astros aren't looking for an fixes via the draft in the short-term. Adding Neyens gives Houston a long-term, high ceiling project to develop at a normal pace while the big league team does their thing.
Houston will have to hope that this pick makes an impact, because they do not pick again until #95 overall. With a small draft bonus pool and few picks, they really have to hope that Neyens works out and comes close to reaching his lofty ceiling.