Some players get drafted and go through their minor league career with little to no bumps in the road. Others have hurdles with injuries being one of the most common. One of the Houston Astros prospects, Colin Barber, faced his fare share of injuries to this point in his career.
Flashing back to the summer of 2019, Barber was selected by the Astros in the fourth round of the MLB Draft. But high school prospects aren’t always gauranteed to sign.
“I think having the support system I had and great people around me always telling me to follow my dreams and passions made the decision easy and clear,” Barber said about his decision to sign with the Astros.
The Astros tend to follow a similar path post draft for high school selections. They play in rookie ball, following the draft and in the next season, they usually go to Single A. Unfortunately for Barber, this didn’t happen as the Minor League Baseball season in 2020 was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This didn’t stop him from getting work in though.
“In 2020, I was able to go play in an indy ball league in Joliet, Illinois. I only played 20-some-odd games, but I was able to see what worked with my game and what didn’t. After that, I was able to continue my reps thanks to the Astros allowing me to come to the alternate site for a few weeks,” Barber said. “The organization has been great with allowing me to figure myself out and give me countless opportunities, and I can’t thank them enough.”
In 2021, Barber got an aggressive assignment to start the season in High-A Asheville at just 20 years old. He got off to a solid start, posting a .818 OPS with three home runs in 16 games before having a shoulder injury pop up. He ended up having season ending shoulder-surgery that same season.
In 2022, Barber again started the year in Asheville, swinging it well with a .303 batting average, seven home runs and 32 RBI in 56 games before missing time in July. He played in another 10 contests last season, giving him only 82 games played between 2021 and 2022.
“The injuries have taught me valuable lessons in life more so than baseball,” Barber said. “They’ve taught me to not take things for granted, because you never know when something can happen. Also, the lessons are perseverance and perspective.”
This season, Barber has been healthy and has been able to show why he was a fourth-round pick and highly valued by the Astros. The 22 year old has played in 43 games for Double-A Corpus Christi and has a .843 OPS with nine doubles, six home runs and 22 RBI.
“I am just blessed and happy to get to play the game I love,” Barber said. “I can’t thank the Astros enough for continuing to have faith in me and allowing me to show them what I am capable of. The whole organization’s support through my career so far has been a blessing.”
Over the last few years as a professional baseball player, Barber has been able to learn a lot both on and off the field.
“I think what I’ve improved the most on over the last couple years is the mental side of things,” Barber said. “The injuries have taught me valuable lessons and I think that’s allowed me to see a clearer picture of not only baseball but life. … Baseball is my passion and my amazing job, but sometimes I take it for granted. (I have) to remember I’m still playing the same game I’ve been playing since I was 5 years old.”
The Astros have a lot of outfield depth in the minors, and Barber is one of the highest-potential outfielders in the system. If he continues his hot hitting, he could find himself in Triple-A Sugar Land — just one step away from the big leagues. Now healthy, he is proving his worth.
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