Houston used the 41st overall pick on Lance McCullers Jr. in the first round of the 2012 MLB draft.
McCullers entered the draft as one of the better high-school pitching prospects in the country. The Astros selected him with the 41st choice, then signed him for a reported $2.5 million bonus, allowing him to begin his professional career in Houston’s minor-league system.
The number can be confusing because “first round” does not always mean a pick in the first 30 selections. The 2012 draft’s opening round included the standard first-round choices plus supplemental selections, so McCullers was a first-round pick despite being 41st overall.
He progressed through the Astros’ affiliates, including the Quad Cities River Bandits and Corpus Christi Hooks, before reaching the majors in 2015. McCullers later became an important Houston starter and helped the organization win World Series titles.