Astros make 1st pick, select prep ace Alex Santos No. 72 overall
After going more than two rounds without a pick, the Houston Astros selected Alex Santos with the 72nd overall selection in the 2020 MLB Draft.
Santos is a right-handed pitcher out of Mount St. Michael Academy in New York.
The Astros were shut out of the first two rounds of the draft as part of their punishment for stealing signs during the 2017 season. They received the No. 72 selection as compensation for losing Gerrit Cole to the New York Yankees in free agency this past winter.
Houston's selection of Santos marked the team's first draft pick under new general manager James Click.
Santos didn't get into a game during the shortened 2020 season, but there's plenty of data on him available from last summer. He throws from a three-quarter arm slot and is a bit raw, but Santos appears destined for a starting role thanks to his impressive athleticism and recent physical maturation.
While scouts may not have been able to get a look at him lately, Santos' father owns a baseball training facility equipped with Rapsodo machines, so the young pitcher has been throwing bullpens during the pandemic.
Bio
Age: 18
Position: RHP
Height/Weight: 6-foot-3, 185 lbs
Bats/Throws: R/R
School: Mount St. Michael Academy
NCAA commit: Maryland
Tools
- Fastball (92-93 mph)
- Slider (55-grade)
- Changeup (50-grade)
Why you're going to love this guy
- Effortless delivery
- Projectable frame
- Made USA Baseball's 40-man 18U roster
Things he'll need to overcome
- Scouts relying mostly on projectability over actual results
Take a look ...
(Video source: Perfect Game)