Forrest Whitley's Rough Start to Spring Training Right Before a Make-or-Break Year is Terrible News for the Astros

Houston Astros top prospect Forrest Whitley has had a terrible start to his professional career. The former first-round pick from the 2016 MLB Draft owns a 4.71 ERA across every level of the minor leagues and is winless across eight appearances at Triple-A.

He came around a bit in the Arizona Fall League, going 3-2 with a 3.60 ERA in six starts against the best prospects in all of baseball, but before Spring Training got postponed, he was not looking like he fully shook off the cobwebs.

In four games (all in relief), the 22-year-old has allowed six hits, five earned runs and three walks in just six innings. His seven strikeouts is somewhat encouraging, but there's clearly something off in every other statistical category.

This is a guy the Astros need to finally come around in 2020. Whitley got his first taste of Triple-A in 2019 and will likely start 2020 at Round Rock, too. It's typically bad business to have one of your top picks in the minors for five or more years. Whitley needs to contribute to the MLB roster this coming season or else this is going to turn into a Mark Appel situation minus the injuries.

And in a year where Justin Verlander is already on the shelf with an injury and there's a lack of clarity surrounding Lance McCullers Jr.'s effectiveness coming off Tommy John surgery, the Astros need their top prospect ready for big-league action, especially since they could also use the bullpen help. He can't be wasting away in the minors for another season.

It's a do-or-die campaign for the right-hander and he's going to have to work out the kinks fast while the MLB is taking a hiatus.