Since I am new to The Bleacher Report, a brief introduction.  During the season, I follow the Astros of the future and invite readers to do so as well with me.  As the major league season winds down this week, I am looking back over nine of the most interesting stories in the Astros farm system during the 2009 campaign.

With two of Houston's top draft picks from 2008 (Jordan Lyles and Ross Seaton) in the rotation, expectations were high for Lexington's pitching coming out of Spring Training. Those expectations were met, especially in the first month. Four of Lexington's five starters ended the month of April with at least three starts and an ERA under 2.00. In addition, one reliever got started on a solid season with the Legends and another was so dominant that he earned himself a call-up all the way to AA Corpus Christi in May. Ironically, Lyles, the starter who struggled the most out of the gate, ended the season as the ace of the staff and the top pitching prospect in the minor league system. 

THE APRIL NUMBERS
The Rotation
Brad Dydalewicz, three starts, 17 innings, 0.00 ERA
Kyle Greenwalt, three starts, 17 innings, 1.06 ERA
Ross Seaton, four starts, 23 2/3 innings, 1.14 ERA
Robert Bono, four starts, 22 innings, 1.64 ERA
Jordan Lyles, four starts, 18 innings, 5.00 ERA

The Bullpen
Henry Villar, six games, 15 1/3 innings, 26 strikeouts, 1.76 ERA
Dan Meszaros, 14 games, nine saves, 12 2/3 innings, 19 strikeouts, 0.71 ERA. After a May call-up, Meszaros spent the remainder of the season in Corpus Christi.