He’s practically become the face of the Corpus Christi Hooks the last couple years. But, after 223 games and well over 800 at-bats for the Houston Astros’ Double-A Texas League affiliate, outfielder Stephen Wrenn will finally ascend to AAA in 2020. How long, though, will a stacked major league roster keep him there?

Wrenn, drafted in 2016 by Houston in the sixth round out of Georgia, is a tall, speedy player who has seen enough time in all three outfield positions to enable him to perhaps see the rays of MLB daylight as a utility, bench specialist. But, how soon?

With his recent Spring Training non-roster invite (his second straight), he may find out.

Georgia, The Whole Day Through

Stephen Wilson Wrenn was born in 1994 in Marietta, Georgia, one of Atlanta’s largest suburbs. He attended that town’s Walton High School, and played ball as a 6’1″, 166-pound Raider, as did former Astros’ MiLB pitcher Scott MacRae in 2005 (for Corpus and Round Rock).

As a two-way scholar-athlete for the Raiders, Wrenn was ranked No. 36 in the ESPN High School top 60, and No. 53 among Baseball America top 100 high school prospects for the 2013 MLB Draft.

Wrenn batted .422 as a sophomore and had a strikeout an inning in his 64 frames on the mound.

He hit .404, with a team-high 25 stolen bases as a junior, plus pitched to 5-2 record with a 2.82 ERA, and showing his outfield-arm projection, a team-best 60 strikeouts in 44.2 innings pitched.

Wrenn earned 2012 East Cobb Offensive Player of the Year in the summer baseball league and eagerly told Georgiadogs.com, “I can’t wait to join the [University of] Georgia baseball family and compete for a College World Series title,” upon his early signing commitment in late 2012.

Despite his UGA commit, the Atlanta Braves took a hometown flyer on Wrenn and spent a 28th-round pick on him in the 2013 draft.

“Stephen is an impact [freshman] who can step in and play the outfield,” said then-Georgia head baseball coach David Perno. “He has great tools, and is one of the fastest players in his class who will be one to watch in the pro draft.”

A right-handed batter, Wrenn is particularly gifted at speeding out of the box after contact.

Bring on the Bulldogs… and Self-Awareness

Center fielder Wrenn was one of only two Bulldogs to start all 54 games in 2015, his sophomore year. It was that summer that he headed back north to the Cape Cod League, with their wooden bats, and played for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox. He played on the Bourne Braves in the CCL in the summer of 2014, following his freshman year.

For the Y-D Red Sox, Wrenn swatted a solid .273 in 153 plate appearances but over-swung to the tune of 32 Ks. His seven walks help explain his piddly .322 OBP. He did steal nine of 11 bases, though. That may have been the summer Wrenn finally accepted his diamond role: Speed guy, not slugger.

In fact, jumping ahead to May 2019, and Jayne Hansen’s interview with the now 6’2″ and 200-pounder, from her What the Heck Bobby site, some reflection revealed Wrenn’s resolve:

“Definitely. You go out and you want to hit the ball higher and harder, but at the end of the day, I’m not going to be a guy who’s hitting four hole. For a little bit, I just tried to absolutely kill balls and hit homers but [I’ve been] learning that speed’s got to be my game, having a good approach. Can’t just sell out trying to hit the ball as far as I can.”

A three-year starter for the ‘Dogs, Wrenn started 162 games in center field and turned in a .292 combined batting average with 13 doubles, eight triples, 13 home runs, 74 RBIs, and 56 stolen bases. He racked up 463 putouts, 10 assists, and only three errors for a UGA career fielding percentage of .994.

In his final season as a Georgia junior, Wrenn hit .297 with six doubles, four triples, five home runs, 26 RBIs and 12 stolen bases (out of 16 attempts), numbers that got Houston’s attention for the 2016 June draft.

The Astros made him the 187th overall pick and gave him a $257,000 signing bonus.

Stair-stepping his way through the organization, Wrenn landed at AA Corpus Christi about a quarter of the way into the 2018 season. In just under two years with the Hooks, he sewed together a .248 average in 970 plate appearances with a .327 OBP and a .388 slugging percentage.

His 68 steals (82% success rate) was second only to Houston’s Myles Straw for the organizational lead during that span. More consistent contact will be job #1 for Wrenn moving forward, in Spring Training and at Round Rock. His 247 strikeouts against only 87 walks yielded a 2.84 K/BB ratio.

Short of Employing Grease and a Crowbar, How Can Wrenn Fit?

For the Astros, Stephen Wrenn looks to be a slightly shorter but still athletic and quick reserve-outfielder Jake Marisnick type. With Jake now looking at more playing time with the New York Mets (after a December trade bringing two prospects to Houston, including pitcher Blake Taylor), Wrenn inches up the depth chart.

Unfortunately, though, outfield and combo shortstop Straw now benefits near-term from Marisnick’s trip east. Possibly the fastest man in the majors, the right-handed Straw will now be, for the 2020 Astros, in the pinch-running, reserve outfielder role filled by Marisnick for over five years.

Wrenn, however, projects well in center (157 games) as well as right field (188), the two fields he played most rising through the system.

Speaking of Straw, who was tutored two years ago by Astros’ All-Star Jose Altuve on how to lift the ball more, Wrenn is being similarly coached, according to the Corpus Christi Hooks’ batting coach Tim LaMonte, from May 2019:

“Wrenn might be the funniest guy on the team. He keeps the guys light, and has a great, calm demeanor that allows him to not have extended periods of struggle.” And, then, this non-sequitur: “We are working on him being able to elevate the ball a tad.”

“He’s Very Smart”

Hooks’ manager Omar Lopez gets the final word on Wrenn, from Hansen’s 2019 interview: “Wrenn can run. He can catch. He can throw. He can hit. He’s very smart.

“But, he’s got the tendency to think too much and be over-analytical, and that creates a lack of confidence and doubts. Now [he’s] more mature. Now he knows what type of player he can be. He’s more mature, and he’s in a good place now.”

Maybe so, but Wrenn has got to think Minute Maid Park is a better place.

Spending Spring in Florida

Lauded left-handed prospect Kyle Tucker will get a chance to increase his outfield playing time this season, while all three starting outfielders (George Springer, Michael Brantley, Josh Reddick) face free agency next October. Springer may be extended (having reached a $21 million deal with the team for 2020), while Houston’s been rumored to be desirous of shipping Reddick and his large wheelbarrow of salary elsewhere.

Wrenn will be joining fellow AAA Round Rock Express outfielders (and fellow non-roster invitees) Ronnie Dawson, Drew Ferguson, and Chas McCormick for Spring Training at the Astros’ FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches, sharing facilities with their 2019 World Series opponents (and champs) Washington Nationals.