Young Houston Astros Pitcher Named Sleeper Spring Breakout Prospect

After MLB saw how well last year's inaugural Spring Breakout games went, they quickly made sure to bring them back for another go-around.

The Houston Astros' game is fast-approaching as they will be taking on the Washington Nationals on Friday, March 14 at 1:05 p.m. CT.

This will be a special roster constructed to give fans a fun peek at the future of the team and some of the top players in the farm system.

While names like Cam Smith, Brice Matthews and Jacob Melton are going to be watched closely, there are some other intriguing players taking part as well.

MLB prospect analysts Jim Callis, Sam Dykstra and Jonathan Mayo came together to find one prospect on each team that should not be "slept on."

For the Astros, it was right-handed pitcher Jackson Nezuh.

He is the No. 15 overall prospect in Houston's farm and the sixth-ranked pitcher.

"Another bargain pitching find by the Astros, Nezuh went from 14th-rounder out of Louisiana-Lafayette in 2023 to logging a 3.89 ERA and ranking 10th in the Minors with a 30 percent K rate while reaching High-A in his pro debut last year," said the writers.

He was never able to really find a groove throughout his college career, which actually started with the Florida State Seminoles.

For his entire career, he posted a 6.25 ERA over 36 appearances, but did at least have a 9.8 K/9.

His first year as a starting pitcher came in his final season where he posted a 6.00 ERA with a 1.322 WHIP and 10.0 K/9. He also maintained just a 3.3 BB/9, which is something that has translated over to his professional career.

The 23-year-old immediately made a leap as a pro.

He split time between the rotation and bullpen, but has been used more as a starter.

He posted a 3.89 ERA over 120.1 innings of work with a 1.188 WHIP and 11.3 K/9. That is very promising for someone in their first year with the organization considering what he had been in the past.

Nezuh's fastball sits in the mid-90s, but has the ability to touch 97 at times. It also carries up in the zone, which is exactly the type of pitch that Houston loves to work with and could be why he is such a good fit with their system.

He will have the chance to make an impact against a Nationals roster that has some intriguing players of their own on the roster.

Third baseman Brady House is someone who could be in the Majors soon, making him a tough out for Astros pitchers.

Nezuh was not tabbed to join Houston for the rest of spring training, so this will be the first chance to see him since last year.