3 under-the-radar Astros players who are off to great starts in 2023

Outfielder Corey Julks

Julks, 27, was only just selected to the big league roster (making the first Opening Day roster of his career), but has already been tearing the cover off the ball.

In 2021, the right-handed swinging outfielder hit 23 doubles and 14 home runs in just 85 games for the Double-A Corpus Christi Hooks, swinging a hot enough bat to put his name firmly on the radar of the Astros' front office.

He followed this up with an even better offensive showing in 2022. In 130 games for the Triple-A Sugar Land Space Cowboys, Julks hit 31 home runs, scored 100 runs and drove in 89 of his own. He even stole 222 bases along the way, showcasing yet another tool he has at his disposal.

To the surprise of nobody, Michael Brantley's injury opened the door wide open for someone like Julks to step in and get an opportunity.

Through the first 11 games of his big league career, Julks is 13-for-42, which is good for a .310 average. He is striking out a ton (30 percent of plate appearances), but this appears to be a new part of his game. As evidenced by last year's performance, he seems to be sacrificing strikeouts for more home runs, which can work for some but not for all.

While not an everyday player (yet), Julks has hit two home runs and drove in five in the early goings of the season. He is doing everything right to stick around on the big league roster, and with someone like Jake Meyers struggling to get going, Julks could be earning himself a spot on the roster even after Brantley returns from his IL stint.