Scouting Report

Scouting grades: Fastball: 70 | Curveball: 45 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 40 | Overall: 45

The Astros have had a lot of success signing older pitchers on the international market and refining them into big leaguers. If he can add some polish, Ullola could follow that same path after signing for $75,000 out of the Dominican Republic as a 18-year-old in January 2021. He averaged 13.2 strikeouts but also 6.7 walks per nine innings in his first three years as a pro.

Ullola has an electric fastball that he can throw repeatedly and still leave Minor League hitters helpless to do much against it. His four-seamer can sit at 92-95 mph and reach 97 with a flat approach angle and exceptional carry up in the zone, though he often has to dial back his velocity in an attempt to throw strikes. His next-best pitch is a short slider that stands out more for its power (peaking in the upper 80s) than its shape.

Ullola also sports an improving mid-80s changeup and a fringy low-80s curveball, though he doesn't trust either offering. He has a quick arm but lacks a smooth delivery, so he has no history of throwing strikes despite working out of the stretch all the time. There's a low probability that he makes it as a big league starter, but his fastball is special, and Bryan Abreu had similar early career control issues before becoming a key part of Houston's bullpen.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 70 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 40 | Control: 35 | Overall: 40

The Astros have made a habit of signing older international pitchers to modest bonuses and turning them into big leaguers. They have another candidate in Ullola, who signed for $75,000 out of the Dominican Republic at age 18 in January 2021. He fanned 120 batters in 72 Single-A innings last year, finishing second in strikeout rate (15.0 per nine innings) among all Minor Leaguers with at least that many frames. 

Reminiscent of when Cristian Javier was advancing through the system, Ullola can throw his fastball over and over again and batters are helpless to do anything with it. He sits at 93-95 mph and reached 98 with a four-seamer that features a flat approach angle and tremendous carry. His second-best offering is a short slider that stands out more for its ability to climb into the upper 80s than its shape. 

Ullola's low-80s curveball and mid-80s changeup don't have as much upside and he doesn't trust them as much as his fastball and slider. He has a quick arm but doesn't have a smooth delivery, and he has trouble finding the strike zone even while working out of the stretch on a full-time basis. He needs a lot more polish and comes with considerable reliever risk, but it's difficult not to fall in love with his electric fastball.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 65 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 40 | Overall: 40 

The Astros have had a lot of success signing older international pitchers to modest bonuses. Their latest candidate is Ullola, who turned pro for $75,000 as an 18-year-old in January 2021. He came to the United States at the end of his pro debut that summer and has dominated Single-A hitters this season while relying mostly on his fastball. 

Ullola sits at 93-95 mph and touches 98 mph with a heater that may be more notable for its flat approach angle and its carry than its velocity. Reminiscent of Cristian Javier when Javier was climbing through the system, he can throw fastballs two-thirds of the time and hitters still can't touch it. His second-best offering is a short slider more impressive for its upper-80s velo than its movement.  

Ullola also has a low-80s curveball with more power than depth and rarely uses his hard changeup. He operates out of the stretch and still has difficulty providing strikes. His lack of finesse adds to his considerable reliever risk, but it's easy to dream on his electric fastball.  

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	04/02/2024	RHP Miguel Ullola assigned to Corpus Christi Hooks from Asheville Tourists.
	03/07/2024	Houston Astros Prospects activated RHP Miguel Ullola.
	02/25/2024	RHP Miguel Ullola assigned to Houston Astros.
	09/22/2023	Mesa Solar Sox activated RHP Miguel Ullola.
	04/03/2023	RHP Miguel Ullola assigned to Asheville Tourists from Fayetteville Woodpeckers.
	05/01/2022	Fayetteville Woodpeckers activated RHP Miguel Ullola from the 60-day injured list.
	04/14/2022	Fayetteville Woodpeckers placed RHP Miguel Ullola on the 60-day injured list.
	04/05/2022	RHP Miguel Ullola assigned to Fayetteville Woodpeckers from FCL Astros.
	09/06/2021	RHP Miguel Ullola assigned to FCL Astros from DSL Astros.
	02/25/2021	P Miguel Ullola assigned to DSL Astros .
	01/15/2021	Houston Astros signed free agent RHP Miguel Ullola to a minor league contract.