The Houston Astros’ rising star is considered their top 2023 draft pick

It’s been a long time since the Houston Astros had a pipeline considered one of the best in Major League Baseball.

After undergoing a rebuild that was one of the most intense teardowns in sports history, it allowed them to attract a crop of players to their organization that propelled them to heights never before seen by this franchise.

As the Astros tried to keep their championship window open as long as possible, they began trading away many of their top prospects to bring in MLB players who could immediately help them win.

Fast forward to now, and it appears the organization is trying to pay a lot more attention to the development of its minor leagues, especially after hiring former scout Dana Brown as general manager.

The 2023 draft class appears to have replenished some of that lost talent as three of their picks are already ranked in the Top 15 in their farm system.

Led by first-round pick Brice Matthews, who is listed as their third overall prospect, it is actually their third-rounder, Jake Bloss, who MLB Pipeline considers to be their top draft pick in this cycle.

The right-handed pitcher has been extremely impressive thus far in his career, owning a 2.18 ERA in 18 appearances and 17 starts. He struck out 77 batters in 74.1 innings, while only allowing 30 walks and allowing a .179 batting average to an opponent.

He has already reached the Double-A level in his second professional season and has been even better after his promotion with a 1.88 ERA in seven starts this year.

Bloss has made a rapid rise at age 22, which could be a precursor of things to come regarding the murky situation surrounding Houston’s starters considering Justin Verlander’s age, Framber Valdez’s contract situation and some of the injuries they suffered.

Keep an eye on the right-hander as he continues to move up the Astros pipeline.