After going bat-first with Logan Hughes in the first round, the Astros pivoted to pitching with their next pick, taking Notre Dame right-hander Jack Radel in the second round.
Radel, a 6-foot-5, 250-pound South Dakota native, went largely overlooked in high school recruiting and ended up honoring his commitment to Notre Dame instead of signing pro out of prep. He stepped directly into the Fighting Irish rotation as a freshman and got better every year that followed: a 4.58 ERA as a freshman gave way to 3.58 as a sophomore, then 3.29 with a 1.03 WHIP this spring, when he struck out 116 batters and walked only 22 across 87 2/3 innings as a junior.
That final jump lined up with real stuff gains. Radel’s velocity ticked up and he introduced a cutter to his arsenal this year, adding a swing-and-miss weapon he didn’t previously have. His four-seamer now sits in the 93-95 range and can reach 98, and he holds that velocity late into starts rather than fading. The slider has sharpened into a legitimate weapon in the mid-80s, the cutter in the upper 80s draws frequent chases, he throws his curveball for strikes, and he’ll turn to a changeup specifically to combat left-handed hitters.
None of his pitches grades as an elite, standalone weapon, and the shapes themselves are considered unremarkable by pro scouting standards. What carries the profile instead is everything around the stuff: advanced feel for pitching, aggressiveness in the strike zone, and a delivery, a high arm slot paired with strong extension, that creates deception hitters don’t pick up easily. It adds up to a pitcher scouts consider a safe bet to reach the majors and stick as a durable, middle-of-the-rotation starter.
Had he lasted into the first round, Radel would have carried a notable distinction: no Notre Dame pitcher has gone that early since Aaron Heilman in 2001. Instead, he joins Houston in the second round, giving the Astros a bat and an arm out of their first two picks in this year’s draft.
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