Astros hidden gem just stole the show in the Arizona Fall League

The Houston Astros aren't known for their farm system, though that might all change as some of their youngsters get more exposure. The tail end of the season, No. 19 prospect Zach Cole took the club by storm, filling in for an injured Yordan Alvarez. Now, in the Arizona Fall League, another unheralded youngster is shining bright.

James Hicks has been an afterthought since being drafted in the 13th round back in 2023. The Astros' No. 25 prospect has struggled for two straight years at Double-A Corpus Christi, posting a 5.21 ERA over 48.1 innings in 2024 and a 5.59 mark in 46.2 frames this year.

However, with half of the six-week autumn showcase in the books, Hicks is taking home honors, being named the Pitcher of the Week for his AFL performance.

Astros' prospect James Hicks' Arizona Fall League performance should make him a name to watch in 2026

The 24-year-old right-hander has now logged 11 scoreless innings in what is a very hitter-friendly environment. He's made three appearances (two starts) while striking out 14 batters and allowing just five hits and a single walk.

To put that in context, since 2016, only 13 pitchers have tallied 11 or more scoreless innings, and of that baker's dozen, only two were starting pitchers.

While his stuff doesn't jump off the page, Hicks boasts a five-pitch repertoire that he mixes well and locates in all four quadrants. That's allowed him to keep his walks reasonable while striking out a decent number of batters.

His poor numbers in Double-A are a result of him getting hit hard too often. While not astronomical, his 1.35 HR/9 did some damage in 2025, but it was an obscenely high .368 BABIP that was truly his undoing.

However, he's allowed just a .139 batting average against in Arizona, facing top-tier minor league competition. The sample is obviously small, but it is notable that he's performing that well against high-level hitters.

Should he keep this up at the start of 2026, he could put himself in the conversation of lesser-known prospects with a chance to crash Houston's 2026 roster.

With the big league club having so many hurlers that will be out of action in 2026 while recovering from various arm ailments, having pitching depth in the minors is super important. Hicks' showing this fall might change the perception of him and land him in the quality depth category. That will make him a youngster worth monitoring closely once 2026 is underway.