“Honest Admission” Why Astros Are Aggressively Promoting Prospects Under GM Dana Brown

ARLINGTON — During Dana Brown’s four years as Atlanta’s vice president of scouting, the Braves fast-tracked several prospects from draft selection to major league debut. His first draft class in 2019 featured outfielder Michael Harris II and infielder Vaughn Grissom, while the shortened 2020 draft included college pitchers Spencer Strider and Bryce Elder.

By Brown’s final season with Atlanta in 2022, all four players had made it to the majors. Strider debuted in late 2021 after rising through four levels of the Braves’ system that year. Elder progressed three levels and began 2022 in the Braves’ starting rotation, while both Harris and Grissom made their major league debuts directly from Double-A in 2022.

Given this history, it’s no surprise that aggressive promotions have characterized Brown’s second year as the Astros’ GM. This trend continued this week with the call-up of infielder Zach Dezenzo after just 11 games at Triple-A in an effort to boost a struggling offense, highlighting Brown’s readiness to accelerate young talent to the majors when the opportunity arises.

“I’ve always emphasized the importance of aggressive promotions,” Brown stated Tuesday at Globe Life Field. “It greatly benefits the player and enhances our minor league system. Sometimes players feel distant from the big leagues and think they have to progress slowly, year by year, level by level.

“When players see others being called up to the majors, it carries significant weight for our young talents enduring long bus rides and short flights in Triple-A. It’s crucial for them to understand that if they perform well, they have a real shot at reaching the big leagues.”

Certainly, the need for reinforcements has driven these decisions. The Astros brought Spencer Arrighetti into the rotation in April with five veteran starters on the injured list and called up outfielder Joey Loperfido later that month to inject some energy into a struggling start. Jake Bloss was also promoted from Double-A to provide additional rotation depth with three starts. Dezenzo joined a Houston offense that had been stagnant since the All-Star break.

Arrighetti and Loperfido, who were drafted in 2021 and named the Astros’ minor league pitcher and player of the year last season, each made their majors debuts with less than a full season of Triple-A experience. Bloss, who was traded to Toronto along with Loperfido for Yusei Kikuchi last month, was drafted in 2023 and had just eight starts above A-ball before his debut. Dezenzo, drafted in 2022, had 46 at-bats above Double-A before joining the majors.

“There’s been some underperformance from certain players, along with injuries,” said Astros manager Joe Espada. “Every organization goes through periods like this. There are times when you need to speed up the development of some players. However, you can’t rush it unless you believe they are ready. We need to ensure these players are prepared for the major league level.”

Espada highlighted that when evaluating a prospect’s readiness, they consider factors such as strike-zone awareness, baserunning, and defense. Loperfido, for instance, had played 71 games over two seasons in Triple-A and spent spring training in the major league camp, allowing the Astros to assess his progress before his first of three call-ups leading up to the Kikuchi trade.

Dezenzo faced a wrist injury this spring and missed the first two months of the season. He achieved a .306/.386/.517 batting line in 166 plate appearances before his call-up, with only 53 of those coming in Triple-A. His rapid promotion was similar to that of Bloss, who had a remarkable 1.61 ERA in eight Double-A starts before his call-up, illustrating how much faith Brown places in upper-level experience.

Brown highlighted factors like “domination of the league” and the player’s age when considering promotions through the minor leagues, noting, “you can always challenge them.” While calling up a player to a contending major league team presents a different dynamic, in the cases of Bloss and Dezenzo, there were few strong internal options available to strengthen a roster from a system that received low ratings from outside evaluations.

“I remember in Atlanta, we promoted many young players, and it worked well; I believe we do a good job here too,” Brown said after Dezenzo’s promotion. “We prepare these guys well, so I felt confident in this decision.”

The Astros aren’t expecting the rookies to bear the team’s burdens. As of Wednesday, they ranked ninth-lowest in rookie position player plate appearances and had the 11th-most innings pitched by rookie pitchers. However, due to injuries and inconsistency, they have turned to younger players to provide energy and production during struggling moments this season.

Dezenzo joined an offense that had averaged just 3.1 runs over its last 18 games before Tuesday and was still missing key player Kyle Tucker due to a shin injury. Houston brought up once-promising prospect Pedro León to replace Loperfido last week, but León had only one hit and five strikeouts in his first three games. Their promotions suggest the potential for more call-ups as the season progresses.

The Astros chose to promote Dezenzo instead of infielder Shay Whitcomb, who has hit 59 home runs over the past two minor league seasons. Both Brown and Espada mentioned that Whitcomb was discussed as an option, leaving the door open for a possible debut later. Houston has struggled with power in Tucker’s absence, ranking among the bottom three in home runs since his injury on June 3.

Justin Verlander is on track for a return to the Astros, who currently have only five healthy starters on their 40-man roster. Brown described Triple-A right-hander Ryan Gusto as a possible contributor “if we encounter a hiccup in the rotation” down the line, noting Gusto’s 3.88 ERA in 21 Triple-A outings. Both Gusto and Whitcomb are considered “a phone call away.”

Promoting either player aligns with the approach of the second-year GM. None of the prospects called up during this challenging season arrived as finished products, requiring Espada and his coaching staff to balance their development with the pursuit of victories—an essential task for a team in contention.

“They’re talented players,” slugger Yordan Alvarez said through an interpreter. “This team relies on a lot of young talent, which can create some pressure. But we aim to build their confidence. This is a winning culture, and we expect to win, so we work to instill that confidence in them while helping them develop their skills.”