Oops! All Astros: Samuel Capellan

We’re reviewing all 316 players to appear in 2022 at any level of the Houston Astros.

Samuel Capellan is a five-foot-11, 155 lb. middle infielder. Born on January 5, 2005, the right-handed hitting and throwing native of Santo Domingo, DR signed his first professional contract with the Astros on June 21, 2021, but didn’t make his first appearance until the 2022 campaign.

In his first look at professional baseball, Capellan led off and collected a pair of singles and a walk with a run scored and another batted in as the DSL Blue Red Sox handed them an 11-4 loss on June 6. After five games and five days, he was hitting .357.

Although Capellan wasn’t listed as having suffered an injury of any sort, he didn’t appear in another game after June 10 for nearly a month, suggesting that he was, in fact, laid up. Soon after his return, on July 8, he put up his first career three-hit game, with a double and two singles in a 5-2 win over the DSL KC Glass.

After starting his career 10-for-24 over his first eight games, Capellan went on an extended cold streak that saw him finish the year by collecting eight more hits in 47 at bats. Despite that, his .254 batting average was encouraging enough, and he drew walks in nearly 13 percent of his plate appearances. On the base paths, he stole nine bases in 11 attempts.

On the defensive side of the equation, Capellan played 77 innings at second base, fielding at a .938 clip. He also played 15 innings at shortstop, with a mark of .857. Capellan showed enough to merit another look at the rookie level, but as of this writing still hasn’t reached the age of majority. His ostensible major league debut would be around 2028 if he stays at more-or-less an average rate of progression.