Astros pitching coach Brent Strom said Tuesday that he is "really high" on Abreu as a prospect, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
When asked who among the team's prospects could be a sleeper, Strom named Abreu. Strom did not include Abreu among the "realistic" candidates for the No. 5 rotation spot out of camp, but he said he thinks Abreu "can be an exceptional major-league starting pitcher" down the line. Abreu debuted last season at the age of 22 and averaged 95.1 mph on his fastball, with a 19.2 percent swinging-strike rate in his small sample (8.2 innings).