Three Surprise Players Who've Dominated at Astros Spring Training

Spring Training is well underway, and with so many Astros participating in the World Baseball Classic, even more prospects than usual are getting the chance to show their stuff in the Grapefruit League. We’ve seen some everyday regulars struggle and career minor leaguers excel. 

This list will take a look at the surprise players who have dominated spring training. You won’t find Korey Lee on this list (even though he’s carrying a 1.093 OPS) as he was a first round pick and is widely considered their catcher of the future. Justin Dirden isn’t on the list either. We’ve talked at great length of Dirden and he’s got a real shot at cracking the Opening Day roster. He’d hit at every level and has rocketed through the Astros system. Matt Gage doesn't crack the list either, after great debut in 2022 and a spotlight piece already.

This list will look at three guys that have emerged from seemingly out of nowhere and have excelled this Spring. They won’t crack the big league roster for Opening Day, but they’ll be worth following to see what the future holds for them. 

Grae Kessinger

Grae Kessinger was a 26th round draft pick back in 2016, but went to school at Ole Miss before entering the draft in 2019, when the Astros snatched him in the second round. 

Kessinger had an .804 OPS in college, a little low for a second round pick, but the struggle really kicked in during his professional career. In three minor league seasons, Kessinger is hitting .215 with a .658 OPS. 

He has 230 strikeouts to his game opposed to 125 walks. And in 269 games, Kessinger has committed 27 errors. 

So of course Kessinger has had a fantastic Spring Training. Kessinger has 4 hits in 11 games, but three have gone for extra bases (two home runs and a double). Perhaps more impressively, he’s worked four walks to only three strikeouts. 

That amounts to a slash line of .222/.364./.611. The .222 batting average admittedly isn’t high, but his hits have done damage and he’s getting on base at better than a 36% clip. The .975 OPS is impressive, and hopefully Kessinger’s great showing this Spring gives him confidence moving forward in his career to take the next step. 

Rylan Bannon

Rylan Bannon made his big league debut last season, going 2-15 in only five games. He struck out five times and worked no walks and collected no extra-base hits. 

The Astros claimed him off waivers this offseason from the Chicago Cubs. He had spent time with the Cubs, Dodgers, Braves and Orioles all in 2022, but as of yet hasn’t been able to stick with a club. Maybe the 2023 Spring Training will be what solidifies Bannon as an Astro for the future.

Bannon is 6-20 this spring for a clean .300 batting average. He’s got two doubles and one home run, and has also stolen two bases. His .941 OPS looks very nice.

Bannon was claimed by Houston as a utility infielder, and as Mauricio Dubon continues to struggle at the plate (.192 avg and .453 OPS this Spring), perhaps we see Bannon with the big league club at some point in 2023.