Astros Prospects Take Over a Fall League Night: Nick Monistere and Nehomar Ochoa Jr. Go Deep in Scottsdale

For one night in Scottsdale, the Arizona Fall League looked like an Astros farm system showcase.

In the Scorpions' 9-6 win over Mesa on Tuesday, Oct. 20, all three of Scottsdale's home runs came from Houston prospects, the AFL noted on X. Nehomar Ochoa Jr. hit the first one, a solo shot in the second inning that put the Scorpions ahead (AFL video). Nick Monistere hit the other two: a go-ahead homer (AFL video) and later a three-run blast. He drove in four runs.

Monistere: two homers, one night

Monistere's night stood out because of how little power he'd shown this summer. He hit two home runs in 54 minor league games in 2026, so he matched his season total in one game.

Baseball America tracked both homers. The first went 389 feet off the bat at 105.3 mph on a 3-1 fastball, and the second went 439 feet at 107.9 mph on a slider that stayed up. Those are hard-hit balls from a player whose season line was .183 in 186 at-bats, per BA.

Houston took Monistere in the fourth round of the 2025 draft out of Southern Miss, where he was the 2025 Sun Belt Player of the Year. His first full season was a split one. He hit .250/.392/.413 with 15 steals in 25 games at Single-A Fayetteville, then had a rough time at High-A Asheville after returning in late July from an injury, which MLB.com's Brian McTaggart described as a sports hernia that required surgery.

McTaggart also noted Monistere's versatility. He has played shortstop, second base and third base with some outfield and first base mixed in, and he even pitched as a college freshman. MLB Pipeline's Astros AFL overview is blunt about what he needs: his approach is aggressive and his contact has been inconsistent, though his exit velocities stand out. The Fall League is a chance to show the hard contact can come more often.

So far it has. Through Oct. 24, the 22-year-old is 7-for-23 (.304/.346/.609) in nine AFL games, with a double, two homers, five RBIs and a steal, per MLB's official stats. The 11 strikeouts in 23 at-bats show the contact question isn't settled.

Ochoa: the better prospect, still finding his swing

MLB Pipeline calls Ochoa the best Astros prospect in this year's Fall League. He was an 11th-round pick in 2023 out of a Houston-area high school, and Houston paid him $300,000 to sign, roughly double the slot value, per Pipeline.

His 2026 numbers explain the interest. Across two Class A levels at age 20, he hit .287/.349/.500 with 11 homers and 29 steals in 64 games. A broken right ring finger from a headfirst slide in early July interrupted his season, and the AFL is a chance to make up some of those lost at-bats. Pipeline describes a 6-foot-4, 230-pound right fielder with plus raw power and a plus arm, whose development hinges on making more contact against pitches that aren't fastballs.

His AFL line through Oct. 24 is uneven: 10-for-47 (.213) with a double, two triples and one homer in 13 games. But he has drawn eight walks for a .362 on-base percentage and is 6-for-6 stealing bases. The power and speed are there, and the batting average should come with more reps.

Why it matters

Our take: Fall League numbers come in small samples, and nobody should overreact to one night. Still, for an organization looking for impact bats, it's encouraging to see two Class A hitters drive the ball against older, more advanced pitching. Ochoa is the higher-ceiling prospect. Monistere's path is more likely as a versatile utility player, and his Oct. 20 game was a reminder that there's real thump in the bat when he connects.

Scottsdale's regular-season schedule runs through Nov. 11. We'll keep checking in on Houston's group in Scottsdale, which also includes Waner Luciano.

Around the MLB

• The Rangers are trying Sebastian Walcott in the outfield. Texas has its top prospect taking pregame outfield drills in the Fall League, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reported. The 20-year-old has played only shortstop and third base in games so far, and he hit .322/.398/.586 with nine homers in 37 Double-A games this year after an internal brace procedure on his elbow. (MLB Trade Rumors)
• The Sporting News named its Rookies of the Year. In voting by players, Detroit's Kevin McGonigle won in the AL after hitting 18 homers with an .806 OPS, and Cincinnati's Sal Stewart won in the NL with 32 homers and 111 RBIs. The same awards slate named Yordan Alvarez the AL Comeback Player of the Year. (Sporting News)

Sources: Arizona Fall League on X (1), (2), (3), Baseball America, MLB.com (McTaggart on Monistere), MLB Pipeline (Astros AFL overview), MLB.com AFL stats (MLB Stats API), MLB Trade Rumors (Walcott), Sporting News.

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