Space City Prospects: Zach Cole's Power Surge at Triple-A, Caden Powell Heats Up at High-A
By Drew Mitchell ·
Space City Prospects covers the last 7 days of action for the Astros farm system.
Cole Finds His Stroke at Sugar Land
Zach Cole (AAA, CF, Rank: 13) went 7-for-23 with three home runs, two doubles, and six RBI across his plate appearances at Sugar Land this week, his most productive stretch at Triple-A all season. The power has always been in there: he carries a 55 power grade with documented strong exit velocity, and his last 30 days at Sugar Land show five home runs and 13 RBI with a 14.5 percent walk rate over 76 plate appearances. The week pushed his combined season total to 11 home runs and 31 RBI across 289 plate appearances at three levels, and the damage he does when he makes contact is genuine enough to keep the conversation going about what role he can carve out.
The problem, as it has always been, is getting to that contact. Cole's contact rate sits at 59.6 percent for the season and 63.8 percent over his last 30 days, and the strikeout rate has hovered near 38 to 40 percent at every stop he has made in professional ball. He is a 30 hit tool with a 60 arm and 60 speed, and the gap between those tools has defined his profile since he pushed into the upper levels. At 26, the realistic path is a left-handed bench bat who can defend center, use the whole grass, and punish a fastball when he gets one; weeks like this one keep that door open. The curveball and offspeed vulnerability have not gone away, and the 2026 major league line of .157 across 53 plate appearances with a 39.6 percent strikeout rate is a reminder of how quickly the floor can appear. But three home runs in a week at Triple-A, with a 14.5 percent walk rate over the last month, makes a productive argument for continued opportunity.
Powell's Power Month Keeps Building in Asheville
Caden Powell (A+, OF, Rank: 25) drove in seven runs on six hits, including two home runs and a double, across 22 plate appearances at Asheville this week. It sits inside the best stretch of his season: over his last 30 days he has six home runs and 19 RBI in 92 plate appearances, running his season total to 18 home runs and 69 RBI across 474 plate appearances at High-A. The 18 home runs are already a career best, coming off a 2025 Low-A campaign where he posted 10 in 346 plate appearances. The jump in power output is real, and a 50 power grade may be underselling what he has done this month.
The tradeoff is that Powell's approach has gotten more aggressive alongside the power gains. His swing rate over the last 30 days sits at 52.5 percent, which is aggressive for the level, and his walk rate has dipped to 4.3 percent in that window compared to 12.0 percent for the full season. He is a 40 hit tool with a 55 speed grade and enough athleticism to profile at multiple spots, and the scouting projection of an up-down versatile contributor is still where the ceiling sits given the contact limitations. But 18 home runs and 30 stolen bases in the same season at High-A at age 22 is a pairing that deserves attention. The question is whether he can get back to the more patient approach from earlier in the season or whether the current aggressive mode leaves him exposed as he moves to Double-A. For now, the counting stats are doing a lot of heavy lifting.
Quick Hits
- Miguel Ullola (MLB, RHP, Rank: 14) · was recalled by Houston on September 6, adding another arm to the big-league bullpen for the stretch run. He posted a 4.21 ERA with 90 strikeouts across 66.1 innings at Sugar Land this season before the call, then owns a 3.86 ERA across his first seven major league innings over five appearances. The swing-and-miss ability that made him an interesting reliever candidate at Triple-A has translated in small doses; September will give him a longer look.
- Javier Perez (A+, RHP, Rank: 35) · turned in six innings of one-run ball at Asheville, scattering four hits, walking one, and striking out six on 38-of-74 pitches for strikes, generating 13 whiffs in the process. The outing fits a strong last-30 stretch: a 3.26 ERA over 19.1 innings at High-A with a 31.0 percent strikeout rate and a 52.4 percent strike rate. He has a 55 command grade and a fastball that operates 93-95 mph, and the combined season line of 132 strikeouts across 110 innings with a 5.8 percent walk rate makes a credible case for a back-end rotation profile down the road. The changeup at 45 remains the developmental piece to watch as he approaches Double-A.
- James Hicks (AA, RHP, Rank: 30) · posted 6.1 innings of two-run ball against Corpus Christi opponents, allowing five hits and no walks while striking out seven. The zero-walk outing is notable: Hicks owns a 6.9 percent walk rate for the season and has been at his best when his sinker commands the bottom of the zone and sets up the slider. The season ERA stands at 4.88 across 114.1 innings at Double-A, and the last-30 ERA of 4.84 shows the numbers have been consistent if not spectacular. He is a back-end starter profile who lives and dies by pitch-to-contact efficiency, and 6.1 clean innings without a walk is the kind of outing that keeps the case alive.
- Lucas Spence (AAA, CF, Rank: 20) · drew four walks to go with three hits and a home run across 18 plate appearances at Sugar Land this week, his fourth homer of the season at Triple-A. The 15.0 percent walk rate at Sugar Land for the season is the most visible tool in his game right now; he is a 50 hit, 60 speed, 55 arm profile who earns at-bats through patience more than damage. His contact rate over the last 30 days sits at 65 percent, down from his Double-A levels, and the power at Triple-A has been fringe at best. He has a realistic path as a strong-side platoon or up-down outfielder; the bat just needs to do a little more against Triple-A arms.
- Kevin Alvarez (A, OF, Rank: 3) · had a rough week at Fayetteville, going 1-for-16 with one walk and five strikeouts across 16 plate appearances. The rough stretch stands out because he has been one of the more productive 18-year-olds in the South Atlantic League all season: a .261 average with 11 home runs, 26 doubles, and a 9.9 percent walk rate across 443 plate appearances. A 55 hit and 55 power grade in an athletic frame still make him one of the more interesting teenagers in the system; one bad week does not erase what has been a genuinely encouraging debut full season.
- Xavier Neyens (A+, 3B, Rank: 4) · went 5-for-23 with three doubles and three RBI but also rang up 10 strikeouts this week at Asheville. The strikeout total is a real number, and the last-30-day strikeout rate of 44.8 percent over 87 plate appearances shows this is not a one-week blip. He is a 65 raw power bat who has walked in 24.5 percent of his plate appearances this season and hit 20 home runs across two levels, so the offensive ceiling remains intact; the contact rate of 54.5 percent over the last 30 days just confirms that the hit tool development, sitting at 45 right now, still has a long way to go.