Stats: 20 G, 17 GS, 2.92 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 38 BB, 112 K, 83.1 IP
Why He’s Ready: Arguably the top pitching prospect in a thin Houston system, Bryce Mayer has come a long way in a short time since going in the 14th round of the 2024 draft. After a shaky Triple-A debut on Aug. 8, he has allowed six hits and one earned run over 11.1 innings in his two most recent outings, and he increasingly looks like a finished product.
Projected Role: The Astros have often eased their young starters into the big leagues in a relief role, and with a mid-90s fastball and two solid breaking balls, he has a repertoire that could potentially play up in shorter stints.
Then again, considering how Cristian Javier (4 GS, 5.68 ERA, 19.0 IP), Peter Lambert (4 GS, 6.98 ERA, 19.1 IP) and Ethan Pecko (2 GS, 7.88 ERA, 8.0 IP) have pitched in August, a shot at the rotation is also not out of the question.