Aug 20, 2022; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of the hat and glove of Houston Astros right fielder Kyle Tucker (not pictured) against the Atlanta Braves in the eleventh inning at Truist Park. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Not every first-round pick works out. Not every third-day draft selection is a throwaway pick.
Every Major League team, including the Houston Astros, knows it. It's why every selection in each of the draft's 20 rounds can be important.
Last year the Astros selected a pitcher from CSU Bakersfield, Ryan Verdugo. To ensure the draft-eligible junior didn't return to college, Houston paid him a $172,500 bonus, slightly above the $150,000 slot for the pick.
The Astros didn't put him into the system after his selection in July, opting to give him some time after three years of college baseball, along with one summer in the Cape Cod Baseball League, one of the premier summer leagues for college players.
But, he's already drawing attention from those publications that evaluate minor league talent. Recently, Baseball America posted its Top 30 prospects for every team. After that, the publication posted the 10 players that just missed Houston's Top 30.
Verdugo, who hasn't played a pro game, was ranked No. 34, behind pitcher Bryce Maher, outfielder Nehomar Ochoa Jr. and pitcher Rafael Gonzalez.
So, what does the publication like about Verdugo? One thing stood out.
"Verdugo mixes five different pitch shapes, but his primary offerings are his low-90s four-seam fastball and low-80s sweeper," per Baseball America.
Pitch shape can be an interesting piece of puzzle a pitcher doesn't have top-end velocity. He's been clocked as high as 95 mph in college, but he regularly hits the low 90s. The velocity difference gives his pitch shape some bite.
That was part of what put him on the map with MLB scouts during his junior season.
Verdugo had a terrific 2024 with CSUB, which led to him moving into the third day of the draft as a junior. His 2.72 ERA was seventh in program history as he earned all-Big West second-team honors. In doing so he was in the Top 5 in the Big West in ERA, innings pitched (89.1), strikeouts (83) and opponent batting average (.208).
Along the way, he became the program's first pitcher to hold an opponent hitless, as he tossed seven innings of no-hit baseball against UC San Diego. He also had a 10-strikeout game and threw back-to-back games of seven or more shutout innings, along with an eight-inning shutout.
With 169 career strikeouts he finished with the ninth-most in program history.
He built on his solid 2023, during which he went 4-7 in 75 innings with a 6.12 ERA. He pitched a seven-inning shutout that season.
Verdugo was a closer in his freshman season, as he finished with three saves in 19 games with one start. He closed the season with a 4.54 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 33.2 innings.