It was just three years ago we were looking forward to a new regime managing the players of the Houston Astros. Following a rapid decline from the Astros high of a World Series appearance in October of 2005, owner Drayton McClain cleaned house by firing General Manager Tim Purpura and attempting to install Astros President Tal Smith as GM. Instead the Astros hired former Phillie GM Ed Wade to fill the Astros General Manager spot. Upon entering the picture Wade was expected to make whatever changes were necessary to improve the Astros both at the major league level and at the minor league level. He pulled off a number of trades, further thinning the already thin Astros farm system in the process. He also offered arbitration to the two players whose signing by another team would give the Astros a draft selection in the supplemental first round thus providing Wade further opportunities to restock the once vaunted farm system. Trever Miller’s signing with Tampa Bay gave the Astros the 38th pick in the draft. Mark Loretta however chose to accept arbitration and return to the Astros. Another change Wade made was to bring in Bobby Heck as director of amateur scouting. Heck was previously involved with the Brewers very well thought off minor league scouting system. Together these two are expected to return the Astros minor league system to the top of the developmental heap.
The questionable nature of last year’s draft has been discussed ad-nauseum in the Bus Ride Discussion Forum, the TZ, and elsewhere so we’ll just say that last year under former GM Purpura the Astros had to wait until the third round to select their first draftee. This year, however, looks more like the 2005 draft when the Astros had seven selection in the first five rounds. This year the Astros, thanks to a dismal 2007 season, had the 10th selection in the draft and the 10th selection in each regular round thereafter. They also had a selection, as mentioned, in the supplemental first round. Additionally they had a selection in the supplemental third round thanks to not signing last year’s first pick Derek Dietrich. In total that’s seven selections in the first five rounds. As a sign of how seriously the Astros are taking this draft, Heck has said he personally scouted the potential first and second round picks. With the exception of the 2004 draft the drafts from 1999-2005 appear to have been terrible with little talent making its way to the majors or being used in a significant trade. Wade and the Astros know they cannot afford another dismal draft.
To begin their reclamation project Heck went on record before the draft that he will be looking for up-the-middle players in the draft, especially early. They cetainly held to that as they selected 45 of the 52 players from up-the-middle positions. Specifically they drafted 7 catchers, 1 first baseman, 3 second basemen, 3 shortstops, 1 third baseman, 0 leftfielders, 7 centerfielders, 3 rightfielders, 2 unspecified outfielders, 12 righthanded pitchers, and 13 lefthanded pitchers.
The following is a chart of the draftees including their current signed status. Each player’s name is linked to his writeup. The writeups are located following the closing summary of this article. We hope that this makes it easy to find each player quickly and to view any player’s writeup with a minimum of effort.
| Rd | Draftee | Signed | Pos | B/T | H | W | DOB | School |
| 1 | Castro, Jason | Yes | C | L/R | 6’03 | 210 | 06-18-87 | Stanford |
| 1S | Lyles, Jordan | Yes | RHP | R/R | 6’04 | 185 | 10-19-90 | Hartsville HS (SC) |
| 2 | Austin, Joseph | Yes | CF | L/L | 5’11 | 170 | 08-10-90 | North Atlanta HS (GA) |
| 3 | Davidson, Charles | No | OF | L/R | 6’05 | 222 | 01-14-90 | Milton HS (GA) |
| 3S | Seaton, Ross | Yes | RHP | L/R | 6’04 | 190 | 09-18-89 | Second Baptist School (TX) |
| 4 | Steele, Thomas | Yes | CF | R/R | 6’03 | 215 | 09-21-86 | U Arizona |
| 5 | Duncan, David | Yes | LHP | L/L | 6’09 | 230 | 06-01-86 | Georgia Tech |
| 6 | Shuck, Jack | Yes | CF | L/L | 5’11 | 185 | 06-18-87 | Ohio St U |
| 7 | Gaston, Jonathan | Yes | RF | L/R | 6’00 | 210 | 11-13-86 | U Arizona |
| 8 | Dydalewicz, Brad | Yes | LHP | L/L | 6’01 | 180 | 03-24-90 | Lake Travis HS (TX) |
| 9 | Cruz, Luis | Yes | LHP | L/L | 5’09 | 170 | 09-10-90 | Academia Santa Monica |
| 10 | Holloway, Jarred | Yes | LHP | R/L | 6’03 | 230 | 08-28-88 | St Petersburg JC |
| 11 | Priday, Jacob | Yes | RF | R/R | 6’01 | 215 | 10-02-85 | U Missouri Columbia |
| 12 | Hulett, Jeff | Yes | SS | R/R | 6’00 | 185 | 11-16-87 | Okaloosa Walton CC |
| 13 | Godfrey, Kyle | Yes | RHP | R/R | 6’04 | 200 | 02-06-86 | Hiwassee JC |
| 14 | Hicks, Christopher | Yes | RHP | R/R | 6’04 | 205 | 02-17-87 | Georgia Tech |
| 15 | Disher, Phil | Yes | 1B | R/R | 6’02 | 215 | 06-17-85 | U South Carolina Columbia |
| 16 | Poytress, Joshua | No | LHP | R/L | 6’01 | – | 07-20-90 | Fowler HS (CA) |
| 17 | Simunic, Andrew | Yes | 2B | R/R | 6’00 | 170 | 08-07-85 | U Tennessee |
| 18 | Flores, David | Yes | 3B | R/R | 6’02 | 220 | 10-13-86 | Cal St Sacramento |
| 19 | Mowdy, Ashton | Yes | RHP | R/R | 6’00 | 185 | 06-21-86 | Eastern Oklahoma St JC |
| 20 | Robin, Shea | No | C | R/R | 5’11 | 185 | 12-11-85 | Vanderbilt U |
| 21 | Jones, Rodarrick | No | CF | R/R | 6’00 | 190 | 07-31-90 | St John HS (LA) |
| 22 | Jackson, Terrence | No | LHP | R/L | 6’03 | 185 | 09-24-88 | North Central Texas Col |
| 23 | Huchingson, Daniel | No | LHP | L/L | 6’05 | 180 | 04-14-89 | U Arkansas Ft Smith |
| 24 | Meier, Danny | Yes | OF | R/R | 6’03 | 205 | 10-28-85 | U Portland |
| 25 | Hacker, Michael | Yes | LHP | L/L | 5’09 | 175 | 11-06-85 | Cosumnes River Col |
| 26 | Wolf, Shane | Yes | LHP | L/L | 6’03 | 225 | 09-10-86 | Ithaca Col |
| 27 | Pettus, Nathaniel | Yes | RHP | R/R | 6’01 | 200 | 10-09-88 | Eastern Oklahoma St Col |
| 28 | Grimmett, Zachary | Yes | RHP | R/R | 6’03 | 185 | 02-05-90 | Beggs HS (OK) |
| 29 | Jackson, Christopher | Yes | SS | R/R | 5’11 | 185 | 12-30-86 | Virginia Commonwealth U |
| 30 | Diaz, Michael | Yes | 2B | L/R | 5’10 | 160 | 04-11-87 | Southern Connecticut St U |
| 31 | Rummel, Philip | Yes | RHP | R/R | 6’05 | 235 | 06-26-85 | Kutztown U |
| 32 | Vollmuth, Bryan | No | SS | R/R | 6’03 | 195 | 12-23-89 | Biloxi HS (MS) |
| 33 | Armstrong, Shawn | No | RHP | R/R | 6’02 | – | 09-11-90 | West Craven HS (NC) |
| 34 | Jankowski, Jordan | No | C | R/R | 6’01 | 210 | 05-17-89 | Peters Township HS (PA) |
| 35 | Garcia, Rene | Yes | C | R/R | 6’00 | 172 | 03-21-90 | Colegio Sagrada Familia |
| 36 | Wood, Austin | No | RHP | R/R | 6’04 | 205 | 07-11-90 | Niceville HS (FL) |
| 37 | Rivers, Kirkland | Yes | LHP | L/L | 6’01 | 195 | 01-06-86 | Texas A&M U |
| 38 | Castellanos, Kristofer | No | LHP | L/L | 6’03 | 185 | 07-01-90 | Newsome HS (FL) |
| 39 | Van Winkle, Tyson | No | C | R/R | 6’00 | 190 | 02-02-88 | Gonzaga U |
| 40 | Lawson, Scott | No | 2B | L/R | 5’10 | 185 | 08-12-87 | Grayson County Col |
| 41 | McClendon, Tony | No | CF | R/R | 6’02 | 180 | 09-01-90 | Damien HS (CA) |
| 42 | Danbury, Ryan | No | CF | R/R | 6’02 | 170 | 08-31-87 | North Florida CC |
| 43 | Green, Austin | No | C | R/R | 6’01 | 180 | 02-22-90 | Patrick Henry HS (CA) |
| 44 | Sparks, Edmond | No | C | R/R | 5’11 | 200 | 02-17-89 | Chipola JC |
| 45 | Garvin, Grayson | No | LHP | L/L | 6’05 | – | 10-27-89 | Wesleyan HS (GA) |
| 46 | Modica, Mike | No | LHP | L/L | 6’00 | 175 | 12-16-86 | George Mason U |
| 47 | Metroka, Nathan | Yes | RF | R/R | 6’02 | 220 | 08-30-86 | Compton CC |
| 48 | Meszaros, Daniel | Yes | RHP | R/R | 5’10 | 175 | 09-06-85 | Col of Charleston |
| 49 | Lehr, Chase | Yes | RHP | R/R | 6’02 | 185 | 10-09-87 | Glendale CC |
| 50 | Austin, Jamal | No | CF | R/R | 5’10” | 175 | 08-26-1990 | Harrison HS (GA) |
Prior to this draft new Director of Amateur Scouting Bobby Heck and General Manager Ed Wade talked about the dearth of talent in the Astros farm system and that they intended to take the best available player with each pick. As this draft class put together their spring work many scouts were disappointed that the top level talent did not assert themselves as such. Coming into the draft then there was a general feeling that though this class had depth at certain positions it lacked much in the way of top tier talent. Despite that the Astros believe they came away with a number of prospects who have the talent to be major league caliber players and pitchers. Time as always will tell how well the Wade/Heck inaugural draft went. Too, as we always warn you, give this draft class at least five years before making any kind of evaluation.
Below are the draftee writeups in draft order as linked through the draftee table above.
Stanford catcher Jason Castro entered his 2008 collegiate season full of hope and expectation. He had recently completed a strong offensive summer season in the wood bat Cape Cod League. He finished there with a .341 batting average while also displaying power clubbing 4 home runs and 7 doubles to go along with 24 RBI. For his work he was selected All-League and All-Star. He played first base and outfield rather than catcher because the top collegiate catcher, Buster Posey, was on his team and Castro was coming off and a sophomore season that saw him miss much time due to an elbow injury. Castro then entered his junior year healthy and ready to assume full-time catching duties for the Cardinal.
As a junior Jason put together an exceptional offensive campaign. For the season he hit .376 over 67 games and 279 at-bats. He collected 105 hits including 18 doubles, 3 triples, and 14 homers. He scored 68 runs and drove in 73. He finished with a .613 slugging percentage and a .429 on-base percentage. He also walked 26 times while striking out 42 times. Defensively his pitchers and coaching staff rave about his rapport with the pitchers and ability to work a game. He is described as intelligent and a hard worker. He has shown quickness behind the plate and good lateral movement and an ability to block pitches in the dirt. His arm appears to be average to above average with no signs of injury now. He allowed 9 passed balls and committed 2 errors. For his work this season Castro was named All PAC-10 and as a finalist for the Johnny Bench Award. He was previously selected by the Red Sox in the 43rd round of the 2005 draft. He is the first catcher taken this early, 10th pick in the draft, by the Astros since 1993 when they selected Robbie Wine with the 8th pick.
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1st Round Supplemental: Jordan Lyles
The Astros began a run of four consecutive high school draftees with Lyles. The Astros have a pick here as compensation for losing Trever Miller to the Rays as a type B free-agent. Lyles is the first pitcher taken by the Astros in this draft. Jordan was clearly ready to begin professional baseball as he signed his contract with Houston immediately after his high graduation ceremony. He had committed to the University of South Carolina. He says he signed rather than going to college in order to more quickly move to the major leagues. He was not expected to be drafted this high by many scouts and pundits, but the Astros as well as a few other teams saw him as an early first day selection. His high school coach is former Braves 1994 first round selection Jacob Shumate. Shumate has advised Lyles to not try to hurry his way to the majors, but instead to work hard and process the information and help he gets along with what he learns on the mound.
Lyles was a three sport star and was considered a high level talent in football. He obviously chose baseball, and scouts believe he made the right choice. Jordan can reach the low-90’s with his fastball though he normally sits 88-90 right now. He’s still raw and was not overused in high school and finished his senior season with a 1.86 ERA. Jordan is the youngest Astros draftee this year. He is described as emotionally mature for his age and won’t turn 18 until October of this year.
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2nd Round: Joseph “Jay” Austin
Austin is the first high school position player taken by the Astros in this draft. He was a centerfielder as well as a pitcher in high school. He was also an exceptional football player. He has plenty of arm strength as he regularly threw in the upper 80’s off the mound. With his work defensively as well as offensively Jay became one of the top two high school position players in Georgia this spring. He hit .568 with 15 home runs, 46 RBI, and 26 stolen bases his senior year. He is also considered by many scouts to be the fastest player in the draft. He recorded a 6.2 second time in the 60 yard dash. Already an exceptional defender, Austin profiles as a leadoff type hitter though the Astros will undoubtedly work to improve his swing mechanics. He had committed to the University of Southern California.
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Davidson represents an exception to the rule Heck and Wade laid out of focusing on up-the-middle players in the draft. At this point they determined that the best available player was Davidson even though he is a first baseman/corner outfielder type player. Chase played first base in high school, and the Astros expect to convert him to the outfield. Capable of tape measure shots Davidson’s calling card is his power. He hit .429 his senior year with 11 home runs after reworking his swing over the winter. However, it is quite likely the Astros will tinker with his swing in order to shorten it a bit more. As of this writing he has not signed with the Astros and is committed to the University of Georgia.
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3rd Round Supplemental: Ross Seaton
Seaton is the first Astros draftee to have fallen due to signability concerns. Seaton was regarded by many to be a first round type talent. However, he is considered to have a strong commitment to Tulane University and will likely require a signing bonus well above 3rd round supplemental slot money. Another strong-armed righthander, Seaton throws in the low-90’s and finished his senior season with a ridiculous 0.91 ERA, 112 strikeouts, and just 6 walks in 61 innings pitched. Like 2005 first rounder Brian Bogusevic Ross was recruited by Tulane as a two-way player. Seaton is good with the bat as well. He can hit for average and power. As of this writing Seaton has not yet signed with the Astros. This selection comes via compensation for the Astros failure to sign 2007 third round pick Derek Dietrich.
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4th Round: Thomas “T. J.” Steele
Steele is the second of three centerfielders taken in the first six rounds, and the first college centerfielder. Heck described Steele as a not polished five tool player with some upside remaining. For the Wildcats in his junior year Steele hit .315 over 222 at-bats. He recorded 70 hits including 15 doubles, 4 triples, and 11 homers. He scored 49 runs and batted in 49. He walked 15 times while striking out a bit high 61 times. He had a .568 slugging percentage and a .393 on-base percentage. He was 28 out of 30 on stolen base attempts. Steele was selected All-PAC 10. He was previously drafted by the Astros in 2005.
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Duncan is the first lefthanded pitcher taken in this draft. He is also the tallest Astros draftee this year. Described as a back of the rotation type starter, Duncan’s fastball sits in the upper 80’s. He also throws the usual assortment of off-speed pitches including a splitter. He finished this season at Georgia Tech with a 4.48 ERA. He was 7-3 in 15 games started over 96.1 innings pitched. He gave up 99 hits, 48 earned runs, 32 walks, 17 doubles, and 16 home runs. He struck out 74. His work earned him a spot on the All-ACC Second Team.
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Shuck is the first two-way collegiate player taken by the Astros this year. He was the Buckeyes’ starting centerfielder when he wasn’t starting on the mound. On the mound he started 11 games and threw 65 innings, striking out 76 and finishing with a 4.29 ERA. In the batter’s box Shuck hit .356 in 48 games and 174 at bats. He recorded 62 hits including 5 doubles, 3 triples, and 0 homers. He scored 47 runs, drove in 23, slugged .420, and got on base at a .432 clip. He walked 23 times while striking out just 11 times. He also stole 22 bases in 26 attempts. Shuck earned 3rd Team All-Big Ten honors as both a pitcher and outfielder.
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Gaston is the second Arizona Wildcat taken by the Astros and with T. J. Steele formed 2/3 of the Wildcat outfield. An All-PAC 10 performer Gaston hit .312 in 237 at bats with 74 hits including 13 doubles, 3 triples, 13 homers, and 49 RBI. He finished this season with a .557 slugging percentage and a .400 on-base percentage. Gaston walked 30 times and struck out 49 times. He also stole 16 bases in 20 attempts. Previously drafted by the Giants in 2005 Gaston has good speed and enough arm for rightfield.
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Dydalewicz is the first high school lefthander taken in the draft. He is a University of Arizona commit that dropped to the 8th round on signability concerns. He missed most of his junior year due to knee surgery. He throws low-90’s heat from a low 3/4 angle and during his senior season struck out 105 batters in 54 innings on his way to a 13-1 record and 0.82 ERA. As of this writing he has yet to sign with the Astros.
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Cruz is the second high school lefthander though the first taken from Puerto Rico. His fastball has been clocked in the low-90’s. He was a Bethune-Cookman commit.
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Another lefthander who throws in the low-90’s this time though from a JUCO, Holloway transferred from Mississippi State because he did not expect to get much playing time. Available stats from this year are incomplete, but his coach indicates that Jarred’s main issue is controlling his fastball. His future development will hinge on improvement in that area.
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Priday is your classic power hitting free swinger. He admits that and admits he’s most like hitter like Adam Dunn. He is the all-time Missouri leader in home runs, RBI, and extra base hits. This season Jacob hit .332 in 211 at-bats. He smacked 16 homers, 15 doubles, and 1 triple while recording 70 total hits. He knocked in 65 and scored 47 runs. Priday walked 25 times and struck out 49 times. He was a three-time Academic All-Big 12, four-time All-Big 12, three times on the first-team, and this season a second-team All-Midwest Region honoree.
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Hulett is the first middle infielder taken by Houston in this draft. Jeff transferred from Texas A&M to Okaloosa Walton after his freshman year. This year he played in 46 games and had 174 at-bats. He finished the season with 69 hits, 15 of which were doubles, 2 triples, and 9 home runs. He had 56 RBI and was 20 of 21 in stolen base attempts. His father is former major leaguer Tim Hulett. Jeff had no desire to continue school and was a University of Louisville commit.
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Godfrey had an undistinguished high school career and spent his first two years after high school working in construction and out of baseball. He played in the local softball league during that time. With a friend and on a whim he decided to attend a Braves tryout. He wound up throwing in the 90’s with his short-armed delivery. They encouraged him to go to community college to continue his work on the mound. His freshman year he was named All-Region First Team. This year he was All-TJCCAA Second Team. He finished with a 3.33 ERA and a conference leading 103 strike outs. Kyle was 2-8 and threw 73 innings. He gave up 84 hits, 27 earned runs, and 39 walks. He had committed to Lee University.
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Hicks is the second Yellow Jacket draftee following Duncan. He served as the Georgia Tech closer this year and finished with 9 saves and a 0-3 record. His ERA was a bloated 8.67. He gave up 38 hits, 26 earned runs, and 14 walks with 23 strike outs over 27 innings.
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On the opposite end of the age spectrum from Jordan Lyles, Phil Disher is the Astros oldest draftee. At South Carolina he split his duties between catcher and designated hitter. This year he finished with a .297 average over 236 at-bats. He clubbed 10 doubles, 0 triples, and 19 homers. He knocked in 57. His slugging percentage was .581, and his on-base percentage was .378. Phil was a two-time All-SEC performer.
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Poytress fell to this spot because he strained his elbow this year limiting him to just 100 innings pitched. In his junior year he was 9-1 with a 1.56 ERA and struck out 93 over 67 innings. He was the Fresno Bee Player of the Year in 2007. He was also his high school’s starting quarterback. He is a Fresno State signee.
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Simunic is the first second baseman taken by the Astros. He hit .297 this season in 192 at-bats. He recorded 57 hits while slugging just .370. His on-base percentage was .379. He walked 23 times and struck out 25 times. He was 20 of 23 in stolen bases. He committed 9 errors. Late in the season he was dismissed from the Volunteers for academic reasons.
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Flores is the first third baseman taken by the Astros this year. He was a 4 year starter and three time All-Conference honoree. This season he hit .366 in 224 at-bats. He recorded 82 hits including 26 doubles and 8 home runs. He drove in 46 while slugging .589. He walked 17 times, struck out 38 times and finished with a .432 on-base percentage. He also committed 10 errors at the hot corner.
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Mowdy brings a 90 mph fastball and power breaking ball to the Astros from Eastern Oklahoma. He was an All-Conference Honorable mention this year. He finished with a 4.13 ERA, a 5-3 record over 17 games 15 of which were starts. He threw 76.1 innings giving up 65 hits, 35 earned runs, and 37 walks. He struck out 79. During the summer of 2007 in the wood bat New York Collegiate League Mowdy was 6-0 with a 1.45 ERA. He was a California State University at Los Angeles signee.
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Robin, from The Woodlands, converted to catcher in college after going to Vanderbilt originally as an infielder. He became a solid defender and was a Johnny Bench semi-finalist this year. He hit .309 in 204 at-bats slugging .480. Robin has decided not sign and instead take on a business opportunity in California.
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Jones is a University of New Orleans signee who the Astros have decided to watch play summer ball before possibly negotiating a contract. He will be playing with the Louisiana All Stars this summer. This spring he hit .584 with 8 homers and 33 RBI. He also plays football but chose to focus only on baseball.
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Jackson is also a centerfielder for the Lions. He has good arm strength. He attends the same school that J. R. Towles and Brad James attended.
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23rd Round: Daniel “Chase” Huchingson
Huchingson was a part-time starter and middle reliever this year. He pitched in 16 games, starting 8. He finished with a 2.57 ERA and a 4-5 record. He threw 49 innings giving up 48 hits, 18 earned runs, 28 walks, and 12 wild pitches to go along with 64 strike outs. His fastball has been clocked in the low-90’s. Consistency is Chase’s biggest issue on the mound.
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Meier played both the infield and the outfield at Portland. He earned All-WCC Honorable Mention this year. He hit .284 in 197 at-bats. He hit 12 doubles and a league lead tying 15 home runs while slugging .574.
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After being chosen in the 2005 draft by the Twins Hacker tore the UCL in his pitching elbow and had Tommy John surgery to fix it. It has taken him more than two years to get back in shape. This year he started 8 games and relieved 8 games. He finished with a 4.62 ERA. He threw 50.2 innings giving up 48 hits, 26 earned runs, 43 walks, 12 wild pitches, and 11 hit bats men. He struck out 38. He throws a two-seam fastball, hard slider, change-up, and curveball. In the 2005 spring season and prior to being injured Hacker posted a 7-1 record with a 1.64 ERA and was the conference’s Pitcher of the Year.
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Wolf was a two-way player at NCAA Division III Ithaca. He was named First-Team All-America by d3baseball.com as a utility player. He not only pitched but played first base and rightfield. He was twice selected to the American Baseball Coaches Association All-Region team, Third-team as a utility player in 2007 and First-team this year as a pitcher. Wolf was also a two-time First-Team Empire 8 All-Star at two positions, DH in 2007 and pitcher and first baseman in 2008. The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association named him the New York Region Division III Player of the Year. Shane was a Second-team selection to the 33-member College Division Academic All-America team as an outfielder. Wolf was the team captain this year. He spent his first two years at the University of Buffalo. He throws in the upper-80’s. This season he compiled a 10-1 record and a 2.80 ERA. He started 12 games, completing 3. He threw 70.2 innings allowing 69 hits, 22 earned runs, and 11 walks while striking out 75.
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A teammate of fellow Astros draftee Ashton Mowdy, Pettus was named First-team All-Conference at first base. In the batter’s box he hit .359 with 17 doubles and 18 home runs. He also served as the Mountaineers closer. He saved 8 games in 21 appearances. He finished the season with a 6-1 record and a 4.07 ERA. He struck out 43 in 42 innings while walking 33 and giving up 29 hits and 19 earned runs.
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Grimmett was a Louisville Slugger Preseason All-American Second Team selection this year. He played along side his twin brother Zach. He also has an athletic twin sister, making the three of them triplets.
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29th Round: Christopher Jackson
During the summer of 2007 Jackson made a name for himself after an All-Star performance in the Cal Ripken Sr. Collegiate Baseball League. He finished in the top 10 in hitting with a .304 average and smacked 7 league leading triples. His 49 hits tied for the league lead. During the 2008 VCU season Jackson hit .302 over 169 at-bats recording 51 hits. He hit 7 doubles, 3 triples, and 2 homers. He walked 11 times and struck out 33 times. He stole 17 bases in 19 attempts. He was a versatile performer splitting time at third base and shortstop. Overall he committed 18 errors.
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Diaz finished his junior season with the Owls with a .416 average. In 173 at-bats he had 72 hits, 12 doubles, 8 triples, and 3 homers. He had 22 walks and 19 strike outs. He stole 39 bases and was thrown out 10 times. He played shortstop and committed 15 errors. Toward the end of the season he suffered a knee contusion and missed the last few games of the year. Diaz earned All-Conference at shortstop. He was a three-time All-Conference pick and two-time All-Region selection. The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association selected him All-American; Daktronics, NCBWA, and ABCA/Rawlings selected him All-Region.
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31st Round: Philip Rummel
Rummel was 7-5 with a 3.11 ERA for the Division II Golden Bears. He threw 75.1 innings allowing 86 hits, 26 earned runs and 16 walks. He struck out 62. For a time in high school Rummel was ready to quit baseball. His father and coach talked him into going with it. When he discovered he was playing well he decided to stay with it and play in college. He earned Second team All-PSAC East honors this year.
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32nd Round: Bryan Vollmuth
Vollmuth is a two-time Sun-Hearld All-South Mississippi Baseball Team selectee. He hit .390 this spring with 6 home runs. Bryan had worked out for the Astros at Minute Maid Park prior to the draft. He is a Southern Mississippi University signee.
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33rd Round: Shawn Armstrong
Armstrong lives up to his name as he is a strong armed kid. His fastball has reached 96 mph, and he usually sits in the low-90’s during games. He developed bicep tendonitis recently in his throwing arm, and the Astros will monitor his progress throughout the summer and then discuss a contract just prior to the August 15 signing deadline. Shawn has indicated he is leaning toward attending college. He is an East Carolina University signee.
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34th Round: Jordan Jankowski
Jankowski is a Miami of Ohio signee currently playing AAU summer ball for the Steel City Wildcats. He is considered a power hitter with a power arm. He reached 91 mph recently. He was reportedly pitched around by opposing pitchers this spring though he finished the high school season with 9 homers and .571 average.
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35th Round: Rene Garcia
Garcia is about as raw a catcher as a high schooler can be. He played very little catcher this spring, but he has a good arm. He also has fair speed. His swing is long and like many young hitters will probably have to alter it pretty soon.
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36th Round: Austin Wood
Raw and powerful high schooler is a trend is this area of the draft for the Astros. Wood throws in the low-90’s but lacks polish. He is playing summer ball to try to increase the value of the Astros contract offer. He wants more than 3rd round money. He is a Florida State University commit.
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37th Round: Kirkland Rivers
Rivers is a relative newcomer to the mound. He transferred Texas A&M from Texarkana Community College where he had only played the outfield. He converted to pitcher during his junior year splitting time between the mound and the outfield. His senior year he spent on the mound. He finished with a 8.37 ERA. He threw in 23.2 innings giving up 36 hits, 22 earned runs, 13 walks, and a .343 batting average against. He struck out 24.
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38th Round: Kristofer Castellanos
Castellanos struck out 87 this year in 49 innings. He allowed 31 hits and finished with a 5-2 record and 3.42 ERA. As a junior he suffered a hand injury though in one game he threw 6 innings, striking out 18. His fastball reached 90 mph. He was an All-Western Conference Second team selection this year. He has signed with Florida State.
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39th Round: Tyson Van Winkle
Van Winkle was injured early in his sophomore year and redshirted 2007. This year he split time between catcher and DH. He hit .298 in 191 at-bats. He recorded 57 hits and a .387 slugging percentage.
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40th Round: Scott Lawson
Lawson hit .468 with six homers, 13 doubles, 40 RBI and 22 stolen bases in just 31 games. His season ended early due to a broken right wrist. That may have affected his draft status. Lawson is a University of Miami signee.
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41st Round: Tony McClendon
In 24 games during his senior year for Damien, McClendon hit .316 in 57 at-bats with 4 doubles, 3 triples, and 5 home runs.
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42nd Round: Ryan Danbury
Danbury is a redshirt freshman. This year he hit .368 in 155 at-bats. He stroked 7 doubles, 2 triples, and 10 homers. He stole 27 bases in 29 attempts and ran a 4.38 40 yard dash. He broke his thumb near the end of this season. His thumb is now healed, and he is playing in the wood bat Shenandoah Valley League.
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43rd Round: Austin Green
Green was selected First team All-Eastern League in San Diego this year as an outfielders. He has a strong arm, reaching the low-90’s, and interestingly used water polo to help his strength and conditioning. He was recruited by the University of Oregon and Long Beach State as a catcher. The University of San Diego wanted him as an outfielder. He is committed to USD.
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44th Round: Edmond Sparks
Last year Sparks was drafted by the Braves in the 23rd round. Instead he attended the University of Georgia. After only one semester he transferred to Chipola Junior College. There he played both third base and catcher. This spring he hit .276 in 156 at-bats with 43 hits, 8 doubles, 0 triples, and 10 home runs. He drove in 41, slugging .519. He walked 9 times and struck out 37 times.
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45th Round: Grayson Garvin
Garvin is described as an emotionally mature pitcher who fell this far due to signability concerns. He is strongly committed to Vanderbilt. His senior season ERA was 0.97. His fastball sits in the upper-80’s to 90 while his off-speed pitches are described as fair for a high schooler.
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46th Round: Mike Modica
This season Modica started 13 games, seeing action in 14 total. He finished the year with a 4-5 record and a 7.09 ERA. He gave up 100 hits and 42 walks in 72.1 innings, but struck out 78. He was previously drafted by the Phillies in 2005. His fastball tops out at 91, and though he throws all 4 pitches his command is his biggest concern. He is currently pitching in the summer wood bat Atlantic Baseball Confederation.
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47th Round: Nathan Metroka
Metroka played third base for Compton this year and was name First team All-Conference. Though he committed 17 errors he hit a conference leading .418, 12 homers, and .765 slugging percentage. He also recorded 11 doubles, 16 walks, 22 strike outs, a .480 on-base percentage, and was 9 of 9 in stolen bases.
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48th Round: Daniel Meszaros
Meszaros was named to the Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American team in 2005. In 2006 he was 9-2 with a 3.22 ERA over 86.2 innings striking out 86. In 2007 he redshirted due to an arm injury. This season he was a part-time starter throwing 52.1 innings. He gave up 77 hits and 34 walks but struck out 62 and finished with a 9.63 ERA. He is currently pitching in the Cape Cod League.
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49th Round: Chase Lehr
As a starter for Glendale Lehr threw 76 innings giving up 24 earned runs, 49 hit, and 50 walks while striking out 65. He ended the season with 2.84 ERA and a 5-2 record. He transferred from Yavapai Community College following his freshman year. He was previously drafted by Kansas City in 2006. His fastball sits 88-92. He is described as having a good work ethic but lacking control especially of his fastball and not being very physical with possible durability concerns.
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50th Round: Jamal Austin
Jamal is similar to second round pick Jay in that both are speedy and defensively sound centerfielders. Jamal ran a 6.61 60. In his junior year Austin his .456 with 22 stolen bases, and in his senior year he hit .421 with 18 stolen bases. His biggest issue is that he lacks patience at the plate. He attended the same high school as major leaugers Corey Patterson and former Astros shortstop Adam Everett. He is signed to attend the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
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