Unsung Astros pitching prospect has real chance to rocket up organizational rankings

When Houston Astros fans think about the team's farm system, a few names come up almost immediately. Xavier Neyens was just picked in the first round, which makes him fresh on everyone's minds, with Brice Matthews, Walker Janek, and Kevin Alvarez also getting a lot of attention. However, Astros pitching prospect Ryan Forcucci may be as exciting, if not more, than anyone in Houston's minor league ranks.

At first glance, Forcucci doesn't really stand out. Not only was he "just" a slightly overslot third-round pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, but he hurt his elbow that spring and required Tommy John surgery. As of the end of the 2025 season, Forcucci hasn't even pitched as a professional yet.

However, a closer look at Forcucci's profile suggests that he is a prime breakout candidate, assuming he is completely healthy at the start of the 2026 season.

Ryan Forcucci is a prospect Astros fans need to keep a close eye on in 2026

It is true that Forcucci was "only" a third-round pick and is currently on the mend, but that is only part of the story. Before his elbow injury, he featured a fastball that sat in the mid-90s and could reach a tick higher and a slider that got a lot of swing and miss. For many talent evaluators, Forcucci had a good chance of being a first-round pick and even getting picked highly with a strong spring.

We'll never know how high Forcucci would have been picked, but it is clear that the Astros liked what they saw from him enough to use a high-ish pick on him and pay him close to $1 million. Assuming Forcucci's stuff resembles what it did before his injury, he could shoot through the minor leagues, especially with his experience as a college starter.

Of course, this does require that Forcucci come back strong, and there is no guarantee of that. Houston is being very cautious with Forcucci in holding him out for all of 2025. That could mean that they are making sure he has plenty of time to get right or that his recovery isn't going according to plan. Unfortunately, we won't know where Forcucci stands until he actually pitches.