The Houston Astros have had pretty good luck with former LSU stars. Alex Bregman certainly stands out. Ethan Frey could too one day.
Frey is an outfielder in the Astros’ system after he was taken in the fourth round of the 2025 MLB draft. He only played 26 games with Houston’s Class-A team in Fayetteville. But he stood out in a small sample size, carrying forward the momentum he built after a junior season wtiht eh Tigers in which he helped them win a national championship.
Ethan Frey’s Terrific Start
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Houston dropped Frey into Fayetteville on Aug. 5 and he went to work. By the end of the season, he had a slash of .330/.434/.470 with three home runs and 17 RBI. He also had five doubles But, what stood out was his plate discipline. In just 100 at-bats he drew 20 walks and struck out just 25 times.
That was just one of the many things that stood out to Baseball America (subscription required), which named Frey the Astros’ breakout prospect candidate for 2026 in a recent article.
Beyond the standard statline, wrote Geoff Pontes, there are several reasons to like what Frey has done in a short amount of time.
“Frey made lots of contact, running an 80.2% contact rate and an 84.6% zone-contact rate,” Pontes wrote. “He rarely expanded the zone (19.2% chase rate) while staying moderately aggressive in the strike zone.”
Pontes also noted Frey’s exit velocity was in the 90% range, which is considered elite. He topped out at 108.3 mph. It leads him to believe that he can combine power and contact at the Major League level, which is still some time away.
Given his college pedigree, it’s possible that Frey could accelerate quickly. He’s already showed mastery of rookie-level pitching, so a start at High-A Asheville seems likely. If he’s able to show he can produce there, a promotion to Double-A Corpus Christi is possible in 2026. The Majors could come calling as soon as 2027, if things go just right.
Houston drafted Frey based on his bat. He was LSU’s primary designated hitter in 2025, during which he finished the season with a .331 batting average, including 15 doubles, one triple, 13 homers, 50 RBI and 43 runs. During the postseason he was named to the NCAA regional all-tournament team.
Frey pushed the Tigers to a national championship. He scored a team-high six runs in the College World Series and finished with a .391 on-base percentage which included two doubles and four walks. As a high school star in Rosepine, La., he was the state’s top ranked catcher and No. 2 overall player.
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