After Whitcomb finished second in slugging (.606) and third in homers (eight in 34 games) in the Cape Cod League in 2019, the Astros made him the final player taken in the shortened five-round 2020 Draft. The NCAA Division II UC San Diego product mashed 42 homers and stole 50 bases in his first two pro seasons, then tied for the Minor League lead with 35 long balls in his third. He's making more contact and posting the best numbers of his career in 2024, though aggressiveness and strikeouts are still concerns.
Whitcomb employs a grip-it-and-rip-it approach, looking to drive every pitch he gets in the air to his pull side as far as possible. A right-handed hitter, he produces plus raw power and some of the highest exit velocities in Houston's system. He also chases pitches and swings and misses at alarming rates, casting doubt as to whether he'll get to enough of his pop against big league pitching.
While Whitcomb exhibits fringy speed out of the batter's box, he's a solid runner once he gets going and looks to make things happen on the bases. He has split time between shortstop, second base and third base as a pro and is best suited for second with his average arm and quick hands. He's an average defender at the keystone, fringy at shortstop and erratic at third base.
Whitcomb starred at NCAA Division II UC San Diego and proved himself with wood bats and against tougher competition by finishing second in slugging (.606) and third in homers (eight in 34 games) in the Cape Cod League in 2019. The last player taken in the shortened five-round 2020 Draft, he slammed 42 homers and stole 50 bases in his first two pro seasons but also hit .219 with 165 strikeouts in Double-A last year. He has challenged for the Minor League home run lead while reaching Triple-A in 2023, though whiffs remain an issue.
Whitcomb's approach is very simple and very aggressive, as he looks to crush every pitch he sees in the air to his pull side. He has plus raw power and hits the ball harder than most Astros farmhands, but questions persist about his ability to handle big league pitching. He swings and misses frequently, even against fastballs, and he chases offspeed pitches out of the zone at an alarming rate.
More of a fringy runner out of the batter's box, Whitcomb shows solid speed once he gets underway and has a knack for stealing bases. He has shuttled between shortstop, second base and third base in pro ball and fits best at the keystone with his average arm and quick hands. He's a fringy defender at short, average at second and erratic at the hot corner.
As a star at NCAA Division II UC San Diego, Whitcomb proved himself with wood bats against tougher competition by placing second in slugging (.606) and third in homers (eight in 34 games) in the Cape Cod League in 2019. The last player taken in the truncated 2020 Draft, he signed for $56,000 in the fifth round. In his pro debut last year, he hit .293/.363/.530 in 99 games between Low-A and High-A, led the system with 30 steals and ranked third with 23 homers.
There's nothing subtle at the plate with Whitcomb, who aggressively looks to launch balls to his pull side and produces some of the highest exit velocities among Houston farmhands. He has a sound right-handed swing and good feel for the barrel, but his approach also leads to swing-and-miss issues that more advanced pitchers may exploit. Though he displays just fringy speed out of the batter's box, he's a solid runner once he gets going and has a nose for stealing bases.
Whitcomb's defensive home remains in question after he shuttled between shortstop, third base and second base in 2021. He has an average arm and below-average range at short, and the game speeds up on him at the hot corner. He fits best at second base, where his quick hands are an asset on double plays.
Whitcomb starred at NCAA Division II UC San Diego and proved himself to scouts during a 2019 trip to the Cape Cod League, where he finished second in slugging (.606) and third in homers (eight in 34 games) facing premier competition with wood bats. The final player selected in the shortened 2020 Draft, he signed for $56,000 in the fifth round. He has been one of the system's most productive hitters during his pro debut this year and needed just seven weeks to earn a promotion to High-A.
Whitcomb employs an aggressive, pull-heavy approach and generates some of the best exit velocities in the system. He has a sound right-handed swing and good feel for the barrel but hunts home runs, resulting in swing-and-miss issues that may be exploited by more advanced pitchers. As he improves his ability to loft balls in the air, he could produce 20 homers on an annual basis.
A fringy runner out of the batter's box, Whitcomb displays solid speed once he gets going and has some basestealing acumen. He played shortstop in college and has seen the majority of his action there in 2021 while also getting time at third and second base. He's a subpar defender at short and projects best at the keystone with his average quickness and arm strength.
Note: xHR tells how many of this player's home runs would have been out of other stadiums. The "Adjusted" view here accounts for different wall heights, distances and environmental effects using Statcast Park Factor data.
Standard
Year
HR
2024
0
1
1
1
1
1
2
1
1
0
1
0
1
1
2
2
0
0
2
1
2
1
2
2
1
0
1
0
2
1
1
Player
0
1
1
1
1
1
2
1
1
0
1
0
1
1
2
2
0
0
2
1
2
1
2
2
1
0
1
0
2
1
1
Note: xHR tells how many of this player's home runs would have been out of other stadiums. The "Standard" view here accounts for different wall heights and distances but excludes environmental effects. It is based purely on the observed trajectory of the hit.
! Note: Shifts are through the 2022 season, Shaded starting from the 2023 season, Shift: three or more infielders are on the same side of second base, Shade: positioned outside of their typical responsible slices of the field. Learn more about how positioning is defined here