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AFL Astros, Pt. 1: OF Ramon Laureano Hits The Wall

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  • Updated: October 12, 2016

The Arizona Fall League sprouted in 1992, and generally provides an autumn haven for MLB teams’ hot prospects. It’s no different this year, as the Houston Astros have placed eight of their prized organizational players on the Glendale (AZ) Desert Dogs.

TRS will profile each of the Astros’ Desert Dogs players in the coming weeks.

In fact, the Desert Dogs are housing an AFL-high seven Top-100 MLB prospects, including the top-rated pitcher, the Astros’ Francis Martes (MLB #29, Houston’s #1).

The AFL season began October 11, and lasts six weeks, ending November 19, with the Championship Game. A mid-season Fall Stars Game provided an exhibition of the league’s best on November 5. Already, wide-spread coverage of Mets prospect Tim Tebow has dominated AFL action.

The Desert Dogs play in Camelback Ranch-Glendale, a stadium in Phoenix.

Minor League Astros on the Glendale Desert Dogs (AFL)

Read Pt. 2: RHP Francis Martes (#1 Astros Prospect) and His Rotation Fast Track

Read Pt. 5: RHP David Paulino (#4): Dominant Dominican Cyborg

Read Pt. 7: RHP Rogelio Armenteros: The Cuban Rocket

Read Pt. 3: RHP Jacob Dorris: Undrafted Sidearm Closer

IF Nick Tanielu

OF Ramon Laureano (#29)

Read Pt. 4: OF Jason Martin’s (#30) Destiny: Bass or Bourn?

Read Pt. 6: Garrett Stubbs: Tech Geek In a Catcher’s Mask

Related: Astros’ Garrett Stubbs: Craig Biggio 2.0?

Part One: Ramon Laureano, LF

Drafted by Houston in the 16th round in 2014, Laureano is a 22-year-old Dominican native who attended Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College in Miami, OK, once attended by former Houston Oilers WR Ernest Givins (1986-1994).

His junior college sophomore season saw Laureano hitting .429 with 13 HR, 69 RBI, and more walks than strikeouts.

A fearless outfielder, the 5’11”, 185-pound Laureano has already overworked management’s blood pressure, as he’s shown a blatant disregard for walls, and will scale, leap over, and crash into any wall that stands in his way.

Video: Watch Laureano run down a drive from last spring, and slap the wall a high five

The good news for Astros fans and brass is his equal disregard for opposing pitchers, and the pain he routinely puts on their best offerings. Splitting 2016 between the Astros’ Single-A Lancaster JetHawks and Double-A Corpus Christi Hooks, Laureano cracked an impressive .319 in 417 ABs. In fact, his .317 for Lancaster landed him on the California League post-season All-Star team.

This performance was a notable improvement over his 2015 output of .265 with Houston’s full season-A Quad Cities team.

Able to cover all three outfield spots, his speed will be an asset on both sides of the ball. In his three-year pro career, Laureano has stolen 65 of 82 bases, for a 79% success rate, better than the 78% success rate turned in by MLB’s 2016 leading base stealer, former Astro Jonathan Villar (62 of 80).

Video: Watch Laureano blast a 3-run homer to left for Corpus, mid-August

Bobby DeMuro of todaysknuckleball.com has this scouting report on Laureano: “At the plate, he’s very quick to the ball, making it work right now with a compact swing and good bat speed, though he’s not likely to hit for home run power at higher levels.

“He is comfortable using all fields—a trait that, combined with his speed, could make him a significant doubles threat. He’s involved in everything on the field; he’s an aggressive, scrappy, smaller guy, and he has a surprising amount of pop despite his unassuming stature.”

With just 36 games under his belt at Double-A Corpus, it’s possible Laureano could start 2017 back there, but participating in the AFL, and his rapid mastery of the organization’s steps as he’s taken them, it wouldn’t be surprising for him to don the AAA Fresno uniform next spring. Also, look for him to be extended an invitation to the Astros’ Spring Training camp.

AFL POW

After going 8-for-14 (.571) in his four games, Laureano was named the AFL’s first Player of the Week, on October 18. In that week, he tripled twice (leading the AFL), doubled twice, and scored eight runs in that span.

Following the POW announcement, Laureano explained his baseball M.O.: “I set goals. I really want to be an elite player. I’m never nervous because I put so much work in that when it comes to play, it’s about having fun and competing. Whatever you worked on is going to show.”

Through games of October 17, Laureano has played 5 games (18 ABs) for a .444 BA, and is tied for the AFL lead with 14 total bases. He’s in a 3-way tie for second with 3 stolen bases. He’s currently 4th in the league in OPS, with 1.254.

Follow Ramon Laureano and all the “baby Astros” on the Glendale Desert Dogs in the Arizona Fall League.

Brad Kyle

Seen here, meeting Nolan Ryan at Dell Diamond in Round Rock (TX), around the turn of the century.

Brad was born and raised in the shadow of what eventually became Colt Stadium, and then, in '65, the Astrodome.

Brad's a semi-retired entertainer, having been lead singer (and flautist) of high school rock cover band Brimstone (Houston, early '70s).

He currently sings karaoke nightly, and also performs at nursing homes and private parties.

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