Top Astros prospect looking to leave injury issues behind with strong AFL stint

The Houston Astros have multiple prospects from the 2024 MLB Draft looking to stamp some value on their name in the Arizona Fall League. One of those players is Houston’s first-round selection from 2024, catcher Walker Janek. Another intriguing player to watch in the AFL, despite his lower 2024 draft position, is 23-year-old outfielder Joseph Sullivan.

Sullivan attracted praise from Baseball America right out of the gate in 2024, but injuries have complicated his development. Sullivan didn’t expect to be playing in the AFL at all this fall, but a series of fortunate events landed him an important opportunity.

Astros prospect Joseph Sullivan has the chance to increase his stock in the Arizona Fall League

Sullivan, the No. 223 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, is working with some notable athletic genes. He’s the grandson of Pat Sullivan, a former NFL quarterback and the winner of the 1971 Heisman Trophy while at Auburn. 

While shoulder issues have bothered Sullivan thus far in his young career, he had an impressive first full pro season this year, hitting .220/.395/.403 with 17 home runs in 106 games between High-A and Double-A. He also stole 42 bases across both levels, showcasing his elite speed and instincts.

Before finding out that he would be playing in the AFL, Sullivan was planning to work on his arm strength this fall and, in general, focus on staying healthy. However, Houston’s decision to promote prospect Zach Cole to the majors near the end of the season opened up a spot in the AFL for Sullivan.

“(Sullivan) was working through some swing changes during his introduction to Double-A Corpus Christi when he got the news that his October would be spent in the Arizona Fall League, taking Cole’s spot in the prospect league that runs through Nov. 15,” MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart recently reported.

“I found out about a week and a half before I was supposed to come out (to Corpus Christi),” Sullivan said, per McTaggart. “It's a blessing to come and fill in for Zach and it’s a blessing to see him up there and doing well. I’m just grateful for the opportunity for sure.”

Sullivan also added some more insight about his mindset entering the AFL. “Honestly, when I went up to Double-A I was going through some swing changes toward the end of the season and kind of have a bitter taste in my mouth with how it ended,” Sullivan said, per McTaggart. “I just want to come out here and compete, and just go into the off-season feeling good and not really be thinking about anything else but other than just playing.”

Plenty of eyes in the Astros organization will be on Sullivan between now and mid-November. He’s currently the No. 6 prospect in Houston’s farm system, and he’ll be joined by two other top-10 Astros prospects on the AFL Scottsdale Scorpions: Janek (No. 4) and Anderson Brito (No. 7).

A breakout fall from any of these three would be refreshing news for a franchise that is still reeling from its first missed playoffs since 2016. While not all of the Astros’ stars from their World Series runs are out of the picture, it’s clear that Houston is entering a new era, and they’ll need a couple of their top prospects to turn into new stars to establish another winning epoch for the rest of the 2020s and beyond.

Sullivan, with his gritty mentality on the basepaths and some untapped power potential, could very well turn into an important big-league asset for the Astros in the next year or two.