Astros want to build a farm system like the Royals'

That's nearly twice as many games as the Astros have gotten from their top picks the last 10 years.

“I think we're over the dry spell,” Astros general manager Ed Wade said before the season. “It's part of a process to get good and to stay good. We know what we have to do. We think we're sort of underestimated with regard to the level of prospects we have.”

Only Jason Castro, who was scheduled to be Houston's starting catcher this season before a spring training injury ended his season, and Brian Bogusevic have reached the majors.

Bogusevic was drafted as a pitcher but reached the majors as an outfielder.

But Nelson is starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel, even as the Astros' minor league affiliates, including the RedHawks, have struggled to produce wins.

“Team-performance wise, I don't think this has been what we would've expected this year,” Nelson said. “But when you look at individual players, you see some good progress.

“Unfortunately for Oklahoma City, that is mainly at the level starting at Double-A on down. We've pretty much indicated that we're in a rebuilding mode. The last four drafts have shown the influence of our change, but it takes time to move up through the system.”