No lack of fuel in Astros' tank

Coming into the 2006 season, there was still palpable excitement in the air thanks to the Astros' remarkable run to the '05 World Series. The fact that so many of their prospects, either homegrown or recently and shrewdly acquired, such as outfielder Willy Taveras, infielder Chris Burke and pitcher Ezequiel Astacio, had contributed to that run made things even more promising.

This year, Houston fell just short of a repeat postseason appearance, getting substantial contributions from pitchers from the Minors. Some, such as Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Year Jason Hirsh, and highly regarded Fernando Nieve and Taylor Buchholz, had been very much on the radar screen all along. Others, like Chris Sampson, were somewhat of a surprise.

All should remain in the picture for 2007. And if Minor League success translates into later Major League triumph, Astros fans can brace themselves for yet another serious challenge at playoff time. All six of the Astros' Minor League stateside clubs finished above .500, with a combined percentage of .557. Only one, Rookie level Greeneville in the Appalachian League, failed to make the playoffs. Triple-A Round Rock, Double-A Corpus Christi and Class A Short-Season Tri-City all made it to their respective league finals, with the Hooks winning it all in the Texas League.

Stay tuned to see how tough an act that is to follow.

Five faves

At the start of the season, MLB.com identified five players within each organization that fans might want to keep an eye on. Here's a look at the quintet of Astros and how they fared:

Jason Hirsh, RHP
The 6-foot-8 Hirsh went 13-2 with a 2.10 ERA for Triple-A Round Rock, leading the Pacific Coast League in ERA with numbers that would be impressive anywhere but were especially remarkable in that hitter-friendly circuit. He limited league batters to a .193 average, striking out 118 in 137 1/3 innings while scattering 94 hits. Hirsh, a second-round pick, made his Major League debut down the stretch, going 3-4 with a 6.04 ERA. Look for Hirsh and his mid-90s fastball to factor into the rotation picture for 2007.
Audio: Hirsh at the Futures Game
Audio: Hirsh on getting promoted to the Majors
Video: Hirsh fans four in his MLB debut
Video: Hirsh handles Pittsburgh

Fernando Nieve, RHP
Nieve's Major League debut was delayed from 2005 when he suffered a burst appendix, but he wasted little time moving forward this year, spending just four games at Round Rock before going to Houston and staying there. He showed his versatility by appearing in relief and the rotation, combining for a 4.20 ERA in 40 games, 11 of them starts, and striking out 70 in 96 1/3 innings.
Video: Nieve records a flurry of K's

2006 Organizational Record
LEVEL AAA AA A (Adv) A SS R	LEAGUE PCL TL CAR SAL NYP APP	TEAM Round Rock *Corpus Christi Salem Lexington Tri-City Greeneville TOTAL:	W 85 76 76 75 43 34 389	L 59 63 61 63 31 33 310	PCT .590 .547 .555 .543 .581 .507 .557
* Won Texas League championship

Troy Patton, LHP
The Texas high school standout dropped to the ninth round in the 2004 draft because of questions about his signability, as he had an offer from the University of Texas, but he went pro and the Astros reaped the benefits. His 139 strikeouts between Class A Advanced Salem and Double-A Corpus Christi ranked second in the Minor League system. He posted a 2.93 ERA in 19 starts for the Avalanche, going 4-0 with an 0.72 ERA in July to earn the promotion, then registered a 4.37 for the Hooks to help lead them into the playoffs. Coming off of a 2005 season where he delivered a 2.18 ERA with 132 strikeouts in 120 innings, he is deservedly one of the top pitching prospects in a deep system.
Audio: Patton goes six without a hit

Josh Anderson, OF
A return trip to the Texas League after a successful 2005 campaign there didn't send Anderson into any kind of tailspin. On the contrary, he continued to put up numbers, raising his average from .283 to .308 and leading Astros' Minor Leaguers -- again -- in steals with 43. He's established himself as the system's top leadoff prospect and won the Texas League All-Star Game MVP award for good measure.
Audio: Anderson doubles home two

Hunter Pence, OF
There is nothing not to love about the 2004 second-round pick, from his powerful bat to absolutely off-the-charts makeup. He put together a .533 slugging percentage at Corpus Christi in 2006, with his 28 homers leading Astros' farmhands and 95 RBIs second best, proving his 31 long balls and 90 RBIs between Class A Lexington and Class A Advanced Salem in 2005 was no fluke. Pence barely got a day off in 2006, appearing in the Texas League All-Star Game (and Home Run Derby) and the Futures Game before heading off to the Arizona Fall League and earning a roster spot in its inaugural Rising Stars Showcase game.
Audio: Pence appears on "Around the Minors"
Audio: Pence blasts a game-winner
Video: Pence at the Futures Game

Cinderella story

Chance Douglass, RHP
Douglass earned this spotlight when he appeared to come out of nowhere to post a 2.90 ERA in 168 innings at Salem in 2005. This year he continued to put up good numbers after a promotion to Double-A Corpus Christi, where he went 7-8 with a 3.52 ERA and had two complete game shutouts.
Audio: Douglass picks up his eighth K

Breakout year

Some players were pegged as breakout candidates before the season began. Did they live up to expectations?

Ben Zobrist, SS
We predicted the shortstop would have a breakout year and we were right -- but he ended up doing it for Tampa Bay, dealt with pitching prospect Mitch Talbot in July for veteran outfielder Aubrey Huff. Zobrist hit .327 with 30 RBIs and a .434 on-base average at Corpus Christi in 83 games pre-trade, but with the Devil Rays, he played just a handful of games at Triple-A Durham before being installed as the Major League shortstop, where he appeared in 52 games.
Video: Zobrist homers for Tampa

2006 draft recap

1. Max Sapp, C
The No. 23 pick overall out of high school in Orlando was a two-time Central Florida Player of the Year. He has massive power potential and though there are questions as to whether he will remain behind the plate, the Astros are leaving the left-handed batter there for the time being. Despite his age, they placed Sapp in the competitive Class A Short-Season New York-Penn League, where he hit .229 with one homer and 20 RBIs for Tri-City, earning the start in the league's All-Star game. Sapp was the starting catcher for USA Baseball's Junior National team in 2005.
Audio: Sapp wins a playoff game

2. Sergio Perez, RHP
The Astros viewed the University of Tampa ace as a potential first-rounder, so they were thrilled to see him drop to them in the second round. He showed why, as he went 3-0 with a 2.20 ERA in 11 games at Class A Lexington, allowing nine hits in 16 1/3 innings, striking out 21 and limiting South Atlantic League batters to a .153 average.

3. Nick Moresi, OF
The center fielder from Fresno State is an outstanding defensive outfielder with plus speed and some power potential. However, he underwent two operations for a hamate bone injury, which affected his performance this year, as he hit just .180 with two homers and 21 RBIs in 57 games for Tri-City.
Audio: Moresi beats out an infield hit

4. Chris Johnson, 3B
The Stetson product is a power/speed-potential prospect with good bloodlines, as well, being the son of longtime Boston Red Sox coach/manager Ron Johnson. At Tri-City he batted .212 with a homer, 29 RBIs and seven steals.
Audio: Johnson rips a two-run single

5. Casey Hudspeth, RHP
Drafted out of UCLA, Hudspeth mixes four solid pitches and has a good feel for pitching. At Tri-City, he posted a 3.78 ERA in 15 games, striking out 50 batters in 64 1/3 innings while walking just 19.
Audio: Hudspeth fans his ninth

2005 draft recap

1. Brian Bogusevic, LHP
Bogusevic has had a rough start to his pro career, but his upside is still considered very high. After going 0-2 with a 7.59 ERA in 21 1/3 inning in 2005, he got off to a shaky start at Class A Lexington this year, allowing 15 earned runs in 12 2/3 innings before heading to extended Spring Training to work on mechanics. After a brief stint at Tri-City he returned to the Legends and finished with respectable numbers, going 2-5 with a 4.73 ERA in 17 starts and striking out 60 in 70 1/3 innings while walking just 24. He has a power fastball and good slider.
Audio: Bogusevic whiffs a batter for Lexington

2. Eli Iorg, OF
The son of former Blue Jays star Garth Iorg put up some outstanding power/speed numbers at Lexington this year, hitting just .256 but belting 15 homers and delivering 85 RBIs, which was fourth best among Astros' farmhands. Iorg nabbed 42 stolen bases, just one fewer than system leader Josh Anderson, while being caught only six times. He was recovering from a stress fracture in his foot in 2005, so this marked his first healthy season.
Audio: Iorg smacks his 25th double

3. Ralph Henriquez, C
The son of the Atlanta Braves' roving catching instructor certainly has the pedigree at his position. It's taken him a little while to get his bat up to speed after coming out of high school in Key West, as he hit just .215 in his pro debut in 2005 before posting a .231 mark at Rookie-level Greeneville this season. The switch-hitter added five homers and 37 RBIs in 62 games in the Appy League.
Audio: Henriquez enjoys a two-homer game