Apr 30, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher AJ Blubaugh (69) delivers a pitch against the Detroit Tigers during the first inning at Daikin Park. / Erik Williams-Imagn Images

The Houston Astros have thrust themselves back into first place in the AL West after a much-needed nice stretch of games.

They are squarely in the race for a playoff spot, which could once again mean they will be buyers come the MLB trade deadline.

While the Astros are a team on the rise, there are still plenty of holes they have to address with the need for more left-handed hitting and an answer at second base.

Here are a couple of Houston prospects that could be on the move with their organizational rankings from MLB Pipeline.

Blubaugh made his MLB debut earlier this year, but only made one outing before getting sent back down. Overall, this has been a tough season for the pitcher with a 6.06 ERA over 38.2 innings at the Triple-A level.

Still, the right-hander forces a large number of strikeouts and has intriguing stuff with a couple of different pitches.

The 24-year-old can certainly be developed into a solid starter.

In all honesty, the Astros would probably be better off calling Whitcomb up to help their own offense right now.

He is another righty, but packs a much-needed punch with a bat in his hands.

The 26-year-old utility man has a whopping 17 home runs in 52 games this season. That would put him on pace for over 50 in a full 162-game campaign.

He's reaching an age where it doesn't make sense to stash him any longer, so they might as well get something for him if they aren't going to use him.

Fleury may not one of the top five Houston pitching prospects in the rankings, but he has made himself one of the more intriguing this year with some strong performances.

The 23-year-old has a 2.25 ERA with a 0.938 WHIP and 34 strikeouts in 32 innings at Double-A so far in this campaign.

He's currently dealing with an injury, but he could be a solid piece if he gets healthy before the deadline.

His ceiling may not be super high, but he has all the makings of a solid starter.

Cole has an intriguing power/speed combo that someone should be able to develop.

He had a great 2023 campaign that saw him hit 19 home runs and swipe 37 bases in just 111 games.

He is just scratching the surface of his potential at the plate, so he could be intriguing outfielder for a team that can spend time to develop him.