Predicting when Astros prospect Jacob Melton will make his major league debut in 2025

Opening Day is just days away and the Houston Astros are putting the finishing touches on the roster that they'll break camp with. Houston will have one top prospect on the major league roster when the Mets come to Daikin Park after Cam Smith was informed that he'll be making the squad.

While Smith is set to have his MLB dreams come true, fellow top prospect Jacob Melton already has his Opening Day fate sealed weeks ago. The Astros No. 3 overall prospect, according to MLB.com, was optioned to minor league camp at the beginning of March, as per Brian McTaggart of MLB.com.

While there were thoughts that Melton could potentially be the answer in the outfield following the Kyle Tucker trade this winter, the Astros obviously wanted to see more from the 24-year-old outfielder, and for good reason.

There were already some concerns surrounding Melton entering spring training after a some notable struggles in Triple-A Sugar Land last season. He fared decently well in Double-A Corpus Christi, with a 108 wRC+ and .749 OPS, but after his promotion to Triple-A he only managed a 78 wRC+ and .718 OPS.

So when will Melton make his debut?

It's not uncommon for top prospects to be optioned for a few months in order to get regular at-bats and really get their footing underneath them.

Should Melton be able to display some of the .450+ SLG and 20+ HR power he'd shown across High-A and Double-A in 2023, the Astros could feel more inclined to give him his shot in the show. Given the current state of the Houston's outfield, the opportunity could be there in the near future.

Trial and error might be the best way to describe the approach the Astros are taking in the outfield to start 2025. Jose Altuve is making the move to left field with 12 of his 14 spring training appearances coming at that position. Smith's path to big league playing time appears to be in the corner outfield as opposed to his natural third base position. As for many of the internal candidates, the remaining outfield options in the mix all have legitimate questions surrounding them as well.

Jake Meyers and Chas McCormick are hardly sure fire options at the dish. Meyers is a glove first center fielder that managed just an 86 wRC+ and .646 OPS last season, and McCormick only mustered a measly 66 wRC+ and .576 OPS.

So, if Altuve's defensive shift is more of a hinderance than a help, Smith and Dezenzo experience some growing pains, and Meyers and McCormick continue to be uninspiring at the dish, perhaps a May or June call-up is in the cards for Melton if he finds his footing in Triple-A early.

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