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For the Houston Astros, many eyes are not on them when it comes time for the MLB Draft. As punishment for their sign-stealing scandal, they were forced to forfeit their first and second-round picks during the 2020 and 2021 drafts.
Last year, they selected Nebraska Univerity shortstop Brice Mathews with the 28 overall pick. Thanks to their strong finish in 2023, they will be drafting at No. 28 once again.
While that is pretty far down the list, there are a ton of exciting high school and college players in this year's class. There are multiple players that the Astros could key on, but Billy Amick sticks out the most.
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Amick is a third baseman for the University of Tennessee and would be a great choice for Houston. He could be somebody who would be a replacement for Alex Bregman.
Bregman is expected to become a free agent following the completion of the 2024 season. The two sides do not seem to be close on an extension after Houston already extended Jose Altuve's contract in the offseason.
Astros could take an arm with their first pick if he is still there
The Athletic's Keith Law has a knack for early draft predictions. He has been doing it for years and is one of the best in the game. While looking at his latest MLB mock draft, he believes Iowa pitcher Brody Brecht would be a perfect fit for the Astros.
Brecht throws straight gas and was a big reason for Iowa's success. For a team that loves its starting pitchers, he could develop and join the big-league rotation in no time.
However, the chances of him still being there when Houston is on the clock are pretty low. He is a hard-throwing pitcher with a high ceiling and several other teams have been tied to him like the Los Angeles Dodgers.
There are multiple players that could interest Houston's front office, but these two seem to stick out the most. Either player would be a sound pick for the organization moving forward, so it is just a matter of who is still on the board.
Having the 28th pick is tough, but with the talent in this year's class, they will get a great player. It will be interesting to see who is left after the Philadelphia Phillies make their pick ahead of Houston.
