Astros’ first round pick made bold comparison between himself and pair of All-Stars

To succeed in the game of baseball, you need talent as well as a fervent belief in that talent. There's been no shortage of talented players that have shrank from the big stage and couldn't perform. To some degree, you have to be confident in your abilities to succeed in the major leagues. Fortunately, Houston Astros' first round pick Xavier Neyens is not lacking in such confidence.

In Neyens, the Astros saw a young player with tremendous raw power, a cannon for an arm, and as much upside at the plate as anyone in the 2025 MLB Draft. While the Astros typically target college players early in the draft under general manager Dana Brown, Neyens' talent was too good to pass up.

As it turns out, Neyens has modeled his game after two players that should have Astros fans excited. In comments to the media after being drafted, Neyens said he has modeled his game after Bryce Harper and Corey Seager.

Astros first-round pick Xavier Neyens modeled his game after Bryce Harper and Corey Seager

Aspiring to be Harper or Seager is a lofty goal, and time will tell if he can even approach what those two players have become. It is important, however, to note that Neyens wasn't saying he's as good as those players, but rather he sees those two All-Stars as similar in style, and suggested that they're who he looks to for inspiration.

Nevertheless, throwing out names like Harper and Seager in the same conversation with your own takes some gumption. Both Seager and Harper won Rookie of the Year and have combined for 13 All-Star appearances. Harper has won two MVP awards, and Seager has two top-3 MVP finishes. Astros fans would happily take that.

Neyens comes with a ton of risk regardless of how much talent he possesses. However, if Neyens is correct in his own assessment, and can approach what superstars like Harper and Seager can do, the Astros may have found something special.

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