Opposing scouts are having immediate regret after overlooking obscure Astros prospect

Houston Astros General Manager Dana Brown has to be smiling ear to ear after seeing how well Drew Brutcher is playing at this moment. While that's a name that is foreign to about 95% of Astros fans, it could be one worth keeping an eye on if he continues to hit like he has since the 2025 season began.

Brutcher was a late-spring signing, inking a free agent contract just days before the 2025 season got underway. After spending four full seasons at the University of South Florida, Brutcher went undrafted in 2024 and spent his summer in the Pioneer League.

His showing for the Ogden Raptors last summer caught the attention of Astros scouts. He hit .363/.480/.605 in independent ball and latched on with Houston about two weeks before Opening Day. The 23-year-old was assigned to Low-A to begin his minor-league career, but after 39 games with the Fayetteville Woodpeckers, it may be time to bump him up a level.

Opposing scouts are having immediate regret after overlooking obscure Astros prospect Drew Brutcher

In 166 plate appearances, Brutcher is hitting .340/.422/.451 with nine doubles, two triples, and a home run. He's racked up 20 RBI to boot and is near the top in the Carolina League in batting average and is tied for the most hits (49) with Asbel Gonzalez and Leonel Espinoza.

The next logical step, of course, is to see if Brutcher's talent will translate the next level. After all, he's playing against a lot of players who are two, three, or even sometimes four years younger than he is. The outfielder has proven he can dominate at A-Ball, now it's time to see if he can replicate it at High-A Asheville or even Double-A Corpus Christi.

Having just landed with the organization a couple weeks before the season, Brutcher is nowhere to be found among the Astros' top prospect rankings. If he continues this type of offensive onslaught, however, it's going to be difficult to ignore him much longer.

Every so often this type of surprise emerges — be it a late-round draft pick, undervalued international signee, or in Brutcher's case, a non-drafted free agent. Kudos to the Astros' talent evaluators who kept tabs on Brutcher throughout his Pioneer League campaign last summer. You never know if/ when these types of players will eventually become contributors on the big stage.

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