Team logo Cap insignia Division Northeast Division Manager Marty Malloy | Current Rookie Current Houston Astros Founded 2009 | |
League Gulf Coast League (1977–1998, 2009–present) Previous leagues Florida Rookie League (1965) Ballpark The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches (2017–) | ||
The Gulf Coast League (GCL) Astros are a minor league baseball team of the Gulf Coast League (GCL), and a Rookie-level affiliate of the Houston Astros. They are located in West Palm Beach, Florida, and play their home games at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches. The team is composed mainly of players who are in their first year of professional baseball either as draftees or non-drafted free agents from the United States, Canada, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, and other countries.
The GCL Astros began play in 1977. However, in 1965, the team first played in the league's direct predecessor, the Florida Rookie League, as the Florida Rookie League Astros. The team suspended operations after the 1998 season, but returned to the GCL in 2009. In 1980 and 1981, the Houston Astros fielded two teams in the Gulf Coast League, named GCL Astros Orange and GCL Astros Blue. Prior to 2017, the team was located in Kissimmee, Florida, and played their home games at Osceola County Stadium.