Three Corpus Christi Hooks Named Texas League All-Stars

Three Corpus Christi Hooks, Rhett Kouba, Ryan Gusto, and Joey Loperfido were named to the Texas League Postseason All-Star Team. Kouba headlines the trio, also being named the Texas League Pitcher of the Year.

Kouba made 23 appearances for the Hooks, 21 of them starts. He finished 7-5 with a 3.27 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, and 118 strikeouts in 110 innings. Both his ERA and WHIP were best in the Texas League.

His efforts garnered an August promotion to AAA Sugar Land where he wasn't quite as effective, posting a 4.50 ERA, but nonetheless, he made great strides from 2022 and was very deserving of the award.

Kouba is currently the Astros #9 prospect according to MLB and #23 on Baseball America.

Had Ryan Gusto arrived in AA sooner, he may very well have given Kouba a run for his money for the award. Gusto was promoted to Corpus Christi in June after struggling a bit with Asheville, but he was fantastic at the AA level.

Gusto threw 14 times, making eight starts. He finished his AA season with a 5-2 record, 2.93 ERA, and a 1.01 WHIP. Gusto twice won Texas League Pitcher of the Week.

He does not appear on either the MLB or the Baseball America rankings of the Astros Top-30 prospects.

Loperfido was the lone position player named to the team. Though the utility man made 32 starts at AA as either a first or second baseman, he was named to the team as an outfielder.

Loperfido, ranked the Astros #3 prospect by Baseball America and #6 by MLB, is the most highly touted of the trio. He played 84 games at AA this year, hitting .296 with a .940 OPS. He finished with 20 doubles, 20 stolen bases, and 19 home runs.

His offensive excellence combined with his defensive versatility resulted in Loperfido being named the Astros Prospect of the Year by Baseball America.