Top Astros Prospect Pedro León Undergoes Surgery; Will Miss Spring Training

Pedro León undergoes surgery and will miss Spring Training

Pedro León, the Astros" #4 prospect, has undergone surgery to repair a sports hernia and will miss Spring Training. He will be out for six to eight weeks.

There was some thought that León could make a push at the big league roster, in part due to his versatility and in part due to the struggles of Jake Meyers last season. He actually has a similar profile to Meyers: some pop, issues making consistent contact, elite defense and a burner on the basepaths.

Across 132 games in AAA, León has hit .215 with a .752 OPS. On the plus side, he hit 17 home runs, 29 doubles and stole 42 bases. He brings versatility on the defensive end and has played all three outfield spots, shortstop and third base in the minors.

On the negative side, he has a prodigious swing and miss profile, the kind Joey Gallo would blush at. In 187 minor league games, León has walked 110 times and struck out an astounding 237 times. Additionally, while he has played many spots, center field is the only one in which he has excelled.

In 575.1 innings in center field, he mad zero errors. As a shortstop, León racked up 11 in only 430.2 innings. He likely would not provide any utility capabilities at the next level.

One thing Pedro León brings to the table: an absolutely other-wordly arm. He received an 80-grade arm on his MLB scouting profile, the highest a player can receive. León has a howitzer cannon for a right arm.

His game-changing arm, top-notch center field defense and ability on the base paths could have allowed the prospect to carve out a Jake Marisnick type role on the big league club. Without a chance to prove himself against big league pitching in Spring Training, it's likely León spends the season in Sugar Land, and we may see him surpassed by names like Colin Barber and Ryan Clifford next time the Astros' prospect rankings come around.