Grading and reacting to all of the Astros' 2026 MLB Draft picks (with updates)

Day One of the 2026 MLB Draft is in the books and the Houston Astros have been very busy after having five picks on the first day, including four within the top-100. There was a lot of speculation as to what direction the Astros could go with basically an extra first-round pick thanks to Hunter Brown's Cy Young finish, and the resulting draft bonus pool increase.

So far, it is still kind of unclear as to what Houston's class will actually look like. Between a couple of picks that went against industry consensus a bit, as well as an uncertain bonus pool situation, the Astros appear to be one of the teams to watch closely the most on the second day of the draft.

Complete list of Astros' 2026 draft picks with grades

Before you send your angry emails, these are instant grades and nothing more. We will have a better sense as to what the overall vision is after rounds 5-10 to start Day Two and that could will absolutely impact the final grades. This is just a quick glance and reaction. Nothing more.

First Round (17) - Logan Hughes, OF
Grade: B

College hitters who know how to make contact were the most popular demographic early in the 2026 Draft and Logan Hughes certainly qualifies. Hughes should hit for average and power, and his patient approach at the plate bodes well for his chances of handling what professional pitchers are going to throw at him. However, Hughes doesn't seem to have much in the way of defensive value and it feels like Houston could have gotten him with their next pick if they were that in love with his bat. Not a bad pick at all, but we need to see what the signing bonus is here before passing full judgment.

First Round - PPI (28) - Jack Radel, RHP
Grade: B

Again, Jack Radel is an odd pick where the Astros made it, which makes one wonder if Astros have saved some slot money with one or both of their first two picks. Radel performed well at Notre Dame and has three pitches that flash plus at times in his fastball, slider, and cutter. His calling card is his pitchability and that will be helpful in the low minors. However, the lack of a true plus pitch (for now) limits his ceiling a good bit. That said, Radel wouldn't have been available with their next pick, so we need to see the money here as well.

Second Round (57) - Wes Mendes, LHP
Grade: A-

Okay, Wes Mendes in this spot makes a lot of sense and the value is pretty good as well. Not only did Mendes play for a good team in a tough college conference, but he has one of the better changeups in the entire draft class and it allows the rest of his diverse arsenal to play up. Getting a college lefty with that sort of combination of pitchability and stuff at 57 is a win.

Third Round (93) - Keon Johnson, SS
Grade: B-

And we are back to the weird picks again. Yes, contact hitters were prized in this draft class and Keon Johnson has good bat to ball skill for a high school bat. However, he doesn't have much in the way of standout tools beyond a strong arm. He doesn't really hit for power, and his lack of speed raises at least some questions as to whether Johnson would even stick at short. This is an odd pick and a questionable one if the bonus he gets is over slot.

Fourth Round (121) - Kam Durnin, SS
Grade: B

Dana Brown and Co. went off script here with the pick they gained after Framber Valdez left as well, but this one is more understandable. Kam Durnin played shortstop on a quality Mizzou team and put up back-to-back 1.000+ OPS seasons in college. While he will need to make some swing changes to handle professional pitching, there are some good fundamentals to work with here.

Fourth Round - Comp Pick (133) - Beau Peterson, IF
Grade: A-

Okay, now we are starting to see the vision for the Astros' draft strategy. Peterson almost certainly will be an over-slot signing as a well-rounded prep bat that should hit for both average and power. There are some questions as to whether or not he will be able to stick at third base long-term, but he definitely has the arm for the position and the bat will play in an outfield corner or on the right side of the infield if it comes to it. If Dana Brown can scoop up another decent over-slot pick or two on Day Two, this Astros draft class looks promising.

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