With less than a month before the first official 2026 Spring Training workouts, teams have begun to announce their non-roster invite lists. The Astros were one of the first teams to announce the prospects headed to big league camp, as Houston did so on January 16. Among the list are 2025 breakout prospects Will Bush and Joseph Sullivan, plus Walker Janek and Alimber Santa.
The prospects
Eight position player prospects are among the group: catchers Will Bush, Collin Price, Walker Janek, John Garcia, and Garret Guillemette, plus outfielders Lucas Spence, Kellen Strahm, and Joseph Sullivan.
As we noted in our Astros’ farm review, Will Bush and Joseph Sullivan had excellent seasons. Bush was one of Asheville’s best power hitters from 2025 and made consistent contact. The same could be said for Sullivan, who scuffled in Double-A but performed very well in High-A. Sullivan picked up 28 extra-base hits and stole 34 bases,
Janek, the Astros’ first-round pick from 2024, did fine overall as far as traditional results were concerned. He picked up 35 extra-base hits over 92 games with High-A Asheville. However, Janek posted one of the highest swing-and-miss rates in the South Atlantic League and didn’t walk much.
As for the pitchers, that list includes Alimber Santa, Michael Knorr, and Hudson Leach.
Santa is perhaps the most interesting one of the three. A right-hander with a four-seamer and sinker that can run to 96-97 MPH, coupled with a cutter, a changeup, and a slider. Santa struck out 82 batters over 70 total innings between Double and Triple-A last season.
High groundball pitcher (53.3%), as he ranked as one of the five best in that category among Texas League pitchers last season.
Knorr was a third-round pick out of Coastal Carolina in 2022.
Other notables
Taylor Trammell, who spent time with the Astros in 2025 and signed a split contract earlier this winter, will be on the non-roster invite list.
Additionally, Houston will be bringing in other longtime Minor Leaguers, including former Angels catcher Carlos Perez, Riley Unroe, Jax Biggers, Edwin Diaz (the first baseman), and former second-round pick Sam Carlson. Carlson, who was in the Dodgers’ farm system and sat 93-95 MPH last season, struck out 78 over 59.2 IP with Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Other notables include ex-Rockie Peter Lambert, Cody Bolton, Anthony Maldonado, Christian Roa, Logan VanWey, and Amos Willingham.
Maldonado, who spent 2025 in the Athletics’ organization, had the highest Whiff% (36.7%) among pitchers in the Pacific Coast League last season.
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