New Houston Astros general manager Randy Flores is drawing attention for his previous work building the St. Louis Cardinals' farm system. A review of his draft record shows that JJ Wetherholt, selected in the first round of the 2024 draft, stands out as arguably the most successful first-round pick during Flores' tenure overseeing the Cardinals' drafts.
Flores, who was named Astros GM recently, spent several years in the Cardinals' front office where he played a key role in developing their minor league pipeline. The 2024 selection of Wetherholt is seen as a notable success story from that period.
The analysis was reported by Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle on November 1, 2026.
