Before watching the Rising Stars Game last night on the MLB Network, I really didn’t know what I was going to see on my trip to Arizona. After seeing a sampling of the talent out there, my bags are packed, & I’m stoked.
The Cincinnati Reds are going to have a tough decision at firstbase. Joey Votto played there for the big club, batting .322 with 25 homers & 84 RBIs, he’s arguably their best hitter. But their best hitting prospect is Miami’s Yonder Alonso. Alonso posted big numbers at Miami, hitting .370 with 24 long balls in only 211 at bats, walking 76 times, while striking out only 35 times. Last night he demonstrated his line drive swing, going 3 for 4, with a double, 2 ribbies, although he did K.
Another hitter in the Reds system, batted cleanup in the game, Chris Heisey, an outfielder, was the 504th player chosen in the 2006 draft. He played at Messiah College, is from Lancaster, PA, and was signed after a tryout. He got the scoring going for the West with a first inning home run off Tommy Mendoza, then later in the game added a double.
19 year old shortstop Starlin Castro of the Chicago Cubs was 2 for 3 in the game, showed great speed, seems to have baseball instincts, and should move Ryan Theriot over to secondbase in the near future.
Speaking of 19 year old shortstops, the Red Sox had Cuban prospect Jose Iglesias in this game and although he looked overmatched it was obvious the talent this kid possesses. He should follow in the footsteps of Nomar Garciaparra & Hanley Ramirez, both out of the Bosox system.
One pitcher who didn’t have it was Atlanta’s Mike Minor, a first rounder out of Vanderbilt, 2/3 IP, 7 hits, 7 runs, & 1 walk, he was hit HARD. The lefty was on Team USA, was the ace of the staff, and allowed only one unearned run in 12 1/3 innings versus Cuba, he was dominant.
Another pitcher who didn’t look good was Daniel Moskos of the Pittsburgh Pirates, taken in the 1st round in 2007, 2/3 IP, 4 runs on 5 hits, he got ROCKED. Moskos is another soft throwing lefthander in the Buccos tradition of Zack Duke, Tom Gorzelanny, & Paul Maholm.
ASU’s Mike Leake showed some STUFF, working one inning, allowing one hit, and striking out three. The Reds drafted this kid in the first round of the 2009 draft. The AFL is his first experience in pro ball, he was 16-1, with a 1.71 ERA, and 162 strikeouts in 142 innings for the Sun Devils this past season.
LA’s own Danny Gutierrez brought his own cheering section, it seemed to help as the kid struckout the side in his one inning on the bump. Danny was selected in the 33rd round of the 2005 draft by the Kansas City Royals. Now this 6’2″ righthander out of Riverside Community College is pitching in the Texas Rangers organization.
There are so many more prospects that I could tell you about, but I have to save something for my trip out west, really looking forward to it, can’t you tell?!?! Oh, BTW, the West Stars beat the East Stars, 8-7 on a late Matt McBride two run dinger, but none of that really matters.
The Arizona Fall League has six teams composed of young up & coming baseball players from all 30 major league teams. Tonight the MLB Network will broadcast the AFL Rising Stars Game at 7:00 PM Chicago time. Stephen Strasburg was supposed to start for the East, but will be replaced by Tommy Mendoza, Strasburg has a strained neck muscle. Mike Minor will be on the hill for the West. One of the Rising Stars is power hitting centerfielder Grant Desme of the Oakland A’s. Desme hit 11 home runs at Kane County before being promoted to A+ Stockton, where he hit another 20 home runs in 2009. Grant has already hit ten more long balls in the Fall, while batting .354.