Scouting Report

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

Mayer earned all-conference recognition in both of his seasons at St. Charles (Mo.) CC and Appalachian League Pitcher of the Year honors in the summer of 2021 in between, but he lost all off of 2023 recovering from Tommy John surgery after transferring to Missouri. While he posted a 6.58 ERA in his return to the mound, his pitch data enticed the Astros to take him in the 16th round in 2024 and give him every penny they could ($175,812) without exceeding their bonus pool by more than 5 percent, which would have cost them a future first-rounder. Houston named him its 2025 Minor League Pitcher of the Year after he reached Double-A in his first pro season while logging a 4.11 ERA and 112/27 K/BB ratio in 87 2/3 innings between three stops.

Mayer went from averaging 91 mph with his fastball as a redshirt junior to dealing at 91-94 and touching 96 a year later, missing bats with explosive carry coming out of a low release height. He shapes a pair of solid breaking balls as well: an upper-70s curveball with downer break that works against both lefties and righties, and a sweeping low-80s slider. His mid-80s changeup lags well behind his other offerings but features some nice sink at its best.

The best pitching prospect in the system, Mayer has done a better job of throwing strikes and getting empty swings with his secondary pitches than he did at Missouri. He works from a three-quarters slot with good extension and average control and command. No one finds bargain pitchers better than the Astros, who may have unearthed a mid-rotation starter with the 493rd overall pick in the 2024 Draft.

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

Mayer sandwiched all-conference honors in both of his seasons at St. Charles (Mo.) CC around Appalachian League pitcher of the year accolades in the summer of 2021, but he missed all of 2023 following Tommy John surgery after he transferred to Missouri. Though he posted a 6.58 ERA in his return to the mound last spring, the Astros liked his pitch data enough to take him in the 16th round and give him every dollar they could ($175,812) without forfeiting a future first-rounder for exceeding their bonus pool by more than 5 percent. His name began getting mentioned in trade requests after he made three Single-A appearances in his pro debut.

After averaging 91 mph with his fastball during the spring, Mayer worked at 94-96 mph with explosive carry coming out of a low-release height during his brief introduction to pro ball. He creates good shapes on his secondary pitches as well, highlighted by an upper-70s curveball with downer break. He also has a sweeping 82-85 mph slider and a changeup with similar velocity and some fade and depth when it's on.

Excited about the potential to improve the quality and usage of Mayer's arsenal, Houston plans to develop Mayer as a starter. To make it in the rotation, he'll have to do a better job of landing his secondary pitches in the zone and missing bats when he does than he did at Missouri. He has a strong 6-foot-3 frame that should lend itself to durability and works from a three-quarters arm slot. 

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	03/05/2026	RHP Bryce Mayer assigned to Houston Astros Prospects.
	09/25/2025	Corpus Christi Hooks activated RHP Bryce Mayer.
	08/18/2025	Corpus Christi Hooks transferred RHP Bryce Mayer to the Development List.
	07/01/2025	RHP Bryce Mayer assigned to Corpus Christi Hooks from Asheville Tourists.
	05/05/2025	RHP Bryce Mayer assigned to Asheville Tourists from Fayetteville Woodpeckers.
	03/06/2025	activated RHP Bryce Mayer.
	08/23/2024	RHP Bryce Mayer assigned to Fayetteville Woodpeckers.
	07/27/2024	Houston Astros signed RHP Bryce Mayer.
	03/16/2024	RHP Bryce Mayer assigned to Missouri Tigers.
	02/16/2023	RHP Bryce Mayer assigned to Missouri Tigers.