Astros’ prospect James Hicks was named as the Pitcher of the Year in the Arizona Fall League.

The 24-year-old right-hander was absolutely brilliant in four appearances (two starts), hurling 14 innings of shutout baseball with a 0.57 WHIP and a 19/2 K/BB ratio. Hicks became just the third pitcher in the AFL since 2005 to throw 14 or more scoreless innings. It’s a stark contrast from the results that the Astros got out of Hicks at Double-A Corpus Christi in 2025 where he posted a 5.59 ERA, 1.52 WHIP and a 46/14 K/BB ratio over 46 2/3 frames.