2009 Arizona Fall League

[Guest]

What level of the minors is the AFL comparable to?

 

There's really no easy answer to that question as teams can send players from I believe high A- AAA. They also send a lot of guys that are trying to make the 40 man roster. It's usually more of a hitters league. Sam Fuld, for example, tore the league up maybe last year.

 

I'd say it was most like AA because there are a lot of talented but raw players mixed in with experienced but lower ceiling guys.

 

It's generally considered somewhere between AA and AAA. Each team gets the choice of sending one player from high-A, the rest are from AA and AAA and none of the players can have more than 1 year of service in the big leagues (excluding Rule 5 selections like Donnie Veal).

[Guest]

Kevin Goldstein[/url]"]Just keeps on hitting

 

Starlin Castro, SS, Cubs (AFL: Mesa)

Tuesday's stats: 3-for-5, 3 RBI, R

Clearly the biggest breakout this year in the Cubs system, Castro earned a surprising assignment to High-A Daytona to begin the season as a 19-year-old, but even more surprising was the fact that he hit .302/.340/.391 there and won MVP honors at the league's All-Star game. He followed that with a .288/.347/.396 line in 31 games for Double-A Tennessee, all while showing solid, if not plus defensive ability. He needs to add something to his offensive game other than batting average to move into elite status, but to be able to complete at these levels—including the Arizona Fall League as a teenager—is very impressive.

[Guest]

10/15: Mesa lost 12-5 Box Score

 

DH J. Vitters 2/4, CS (2)

SS S. Castro 0/0, R, BB - came in as a defensive replacement in the 8th inning

 

OVERALL:

 

Starlin Castro 4/10, 1 2B, 1 BB, 0 K

Welington Castillo 1/4, 0 BB, 2 K

Josh Vitters 5/8, 1 2B, 0 BB, 0 K, 0/2 SB, 1 E

John Gaub 1 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 1-0 GO-FO, 9.00 ERA

Blake Parker 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 0-1 GO-FO, 0.00 ERA

James Russell 2 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 1 HR, 3-1 GO-FO, 9.00 ERA

[Guest]

Andrew Cashner will start for the Solar Sox tomorrow.

[Guest]

BP's "Others of Note" in their minor league roundup for games on Wednesday:

 

Kevin Goldstein[/url]"]Donald Veal, LHP, Pirates (AFL), 2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 3 K: The Rule 5 pick is going back to starting; he touched 94 and threw 14 of 18 pitches for strikes.

Josh Vitters, 3B, Cubs (AFL), 3-for-4, 2B: Slowed by injury in the second half, but he's still one of the more impressive bats around.

[Guest]

Chicago Tribune[/url]"]Patience is a virtue? Don't tell that to highly rated Cubs prospect Josh Vitters.

 

Making his Arizona Fall League debut Wednesday night for the Mesa Solar Sox, the 20-year-old third baseman ended a seven-pitch at-bat by scalding a line shot directly at Phoenix Desert Dogs shortstop Shawn O'Malley for the first out of the second inning.

 

Vitters saw only four pitches in his next three at-bats -- yet wound up with three hits. He one-hopped the left-field wall on an 0-1 delivery for a leadoff double in the fourth, punched a first-pitch single through the left side leading off the sixth and moved a runner to third with another first-pitch single with one out in the eighth.

 

On the down side, Vitters was caught stealing in the eighth and committed a throwing error that led to a run in the fifth as the Desert Dogs beat Mesa 4-2.

 

After a 3-for-5 debut the day before, teammate Starlin Castro cooled off. The shortstop drilled a double down the right-field line in the first inning, but that was his only hit in a 1-for-5 night. Catcher Wellington Castillo went 1-for-4 with a hard second-inning single off the wall in left.

 

http://www.chicagotribune.com/media/photo/2009-10/49880337.jpg

[Guest]

Bah, Andrew Cashner gave up 1 HR all season long but then he gives up a 3-run shot in his first inning in the AFL.

 

Cashner's 1st:

 

Ruben Tejada struck out (foul tip).

Daniel Descalso singles to CF.

Mitchell Moreland walks (Cashner got ahead 0-2).

Ike Davis struck out swinging.

Brandon Laird HRed to right field.

Colin Curtis grounds out, 4-3.

 

1 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 HR, 1-0 GO-FO, 28-16 pitches-strikes.

 

Starlin Castro already singled to CF with one out in the bottom of the first.

[Guest]

Cashner's 2nd:

 

Single to 3B.

6-4 ground out.

Fly out to LF.

Fly out to RF.

 

2 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 HR, 2-2 GO-FO, 38-22 pitches-strikes. That is Cash's final line.

 

Castro: 1/1, single, SB (single was on the 2nd pitch of the AB)

Vitters 0/1, fly out to CF (on 3rd pitch of AB)

[Guest]

10/16: Mesa lost 7-3 Box Score

 

SS S. Castro 3/4, SB (1)

3B J. Vitters 0/3, BB

SP A. Cashner 2 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 HR, 2-2 GO-FO, 38-22 pitches-strikes

 

OVERALL:

 

Starlin Castro 7/14, 1 2B, 1 BB, 0 K, 1/1 SB - .500/.533/.571/1.105

Welington Castillo 1/4, 0 BB, 2 K - .250/.250/.250/.500

Josh Vitters 5/11, 1 2B, 1 BB, 0 K, 0/2 SB, 1 E - .455/.500/.545/.945

Andrew Cashner 2 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 HR, 2-2 GO-FO, 13.50 EA

John Gaub 1 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 1-0 GO-FO, 9.00 ERA

Blake Parker 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 0-1 GO-FO, 0.00 ERA

James Russell 2 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 1 HR, 3-1 GO-FO, 9.00 ERA

[davell]

Keith Law or someone else, can't remember, was tweeting Cashner's FB velocity during the 1st inning. He was mostly 94-95, but got up to 98 once.

[Guest]

Keith Law or someone else, can't remember, was tweeting Cashner's FB velocity during the 1st inning. He was mostly 94-95, but got up to 98 once.

 

Keith Law[/url]"]Cashner's first 10 fastballs: 96 96 96 98 95 94 94 94 95 93. Did give up a 3-run HR on a 96 mph later in the inning. #cubs

[NCCubFan]

Mitchell Moreland walks (Cashner got ahead 0-2).

He's Keith Moreland's son, isn't he?

[Guest]

Chicago Tribune[/url]"]"I thought I threw the ball well except for one pitch," said Cashner, whom Baseball America ranks as the Cubs' No. 3 prospect. "I just need to keep working and learning from my mistakes."

 

One mistake, he acknowledged, was grooving a 3-2 fastball to Laird, who went opposite field to right for a three-run homer in the first.

 

"I left it up in the middle of the plate," said Cashner, the Cubs' first-round pick in 2008 out of TCU. "He hit it well, but it might not have been out at a lot of parks."

 

Cashner, who was removed after two innings and 38 pitches, was on a strict regimen all season at high Class A Daytona and Double-A Tennessee.

 

"I'm on a 40-pitch limit here," he said. "I didn't throw more than 85 pitches all summer. I was on a 65-pitch limit until the All-Star break."

 

Part of that may have been because Cashner was healing after straining an oblique in spring training. Part of that also may have been that, as TCU's closer in 2007, he was not stretched out. And the Cubs are taking no chances with this elite prospect.

 

...

 

Third baseman Josh Vitters dived to his right and knocked down a ball ticketed for the left-field corner off the bat of the Yankees' Austin Romine leading off the second. Vitters' play kept Romine to a single.

 

The next batter, Tyler Henley of the Cardinals, smashed the first pitch through the middle, but fleet shortstop Starlin Castro snared it behind the bag and backhanded it to second baseman Ryan Mount for a forceout.

 

If Vitters and Castro hadn't made those sterling plays, Cashner would have been looking at a man on first, no outs and a run home. Instead, three pitches later he was out of the inning unscathed.

 

Castro delivered three singles in four at-bats and raised his average to .500. He also stole a base. Vitters went 0-for-3 but still is batting .455.

 

But the story Friday was Cashner, who threw 100 1/3 innings last summer and yielded just one home run.

 

"It has been a long season," he said. "I thought I had a good year."

 

Cubs fans are looking for many more.

[Guest]

Chicago Tribune[/url]"]"I thought I threw the ball well except for one pitch," said Cashner, whom Baseball America ranks as the Cubs' No. 3 prospect. "I just need to keep working and learning from my mistakes."

 

One mistake, he acknowledged, was grooving a 3-2 fastball to Laird, who went opposite field to right for a three-run homer in the first.

 

"I left it up in the middle of the plate," said Cashner, the Cubs' first-round pick in 2008 out of TCU. "He hit it well, but it might not have been out at a lot of parks."

 

Cashner, who was removed after two innings and 38 pitches, was on a strict regimen all season at high Class A Daytona and Double-A Tennessee.

 

"I'm on a 40-pitch limit here," he said. "I didn't throw more than 85 pitches all summer. I was on a 65-pitch limit until the All-Star break."

 

Part of that may have been because Cashner was healing after straining an oblique in spring training. Part of that also may have been that, as TCU's closer in 2007, he was not stretched out. And the Cubs are taking no chances with this elite prospect.

 

...

 

Third baseman Josh Vitters dived to his right and knocked down a ball ticketed for the left-field corner off the bat of the Yankees' Austin Romine leading off the second. Vitters' play kept Romine to a single.

 

The next batter, Tyler Henley of the Cardinals, smashed the first pitch through the middle, but fleet shortstop Starlin Castro snared it behind the bag and backhanded it to second baseman Ryan Mount for a forceout.

 

If Vitters and Castro hadn't made those sterling plays, Cashner would have been looking at a man on first, no outs and a run home. Instead, three pitches later he was out of the inning unscathed.

 

Castro delivered three singles in four at-bats and raised his average to .500. He also stole a base. Vitters went 0-for-3 but still is batting .455.

 

But the story Friday was Cashner, who threw 100 1/3 innings last summer and yielded just one home run.

 

"It has been a long season," he said. "I thought I had a good year."

 

Cubs fans are looking for many more.

I know it is crazy and irrational, but I haven't been this excited about Cub prospects in a long time. I guess we'll know in a year or two if all these guys are for real (i.e, if they keep producing at higher levels).

[Guest]

10/17: Mesa won 6-4 Box Score

 

C W. Castillo 1/3, R, HR (1), 2 RBI, BB, E (1, throw)

RP J. Russell 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K, 1-2 GO-FO

RP J. Gaub 1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 1 HR, 1-1 GO-FO

RP B. Parker 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 1-1 GO-FO

 

OVERALL:

 

Starlin Castro 7/14, 1 2B, 1 BB, 0 K, 1/1 SB - .500/.533/.571/1.105

Welington Castillo 2/7, 1 HR, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 E - .286/.375/.714/1.089

Josh Vitters 5/11, 1 2B, 1 BB, 0 K, 0/2 SB, 1 E - .455/.500/.545/.945

Andrew Cashner 2 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 HR, 2-2 GO-FO, 13.50 EA

John Gaub 2 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, 1 HR, 2-1 GO-FO, 9.00 ERA

Blake Parker 2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, 1-2 GO-FO, 0.00 ERA

James Russell 4 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 1 HR, 4-3 GO-FO, 4.50 ERA

[soonercub]

Nice little read on Sterlin Castro

 

http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20091018&content_id=7487566&vkey=news_chc&fext=.jsp&c_id=chc

[davell]

If he's ready in 2010, I guess Theriot would move over to 2B? Maybe even a platoon with Fontenot possibly? Not really sure how I feel about moving Castro THIS fast, but he's certainly handled everything this year as well or better than anyone could have hoped for.

[Guest]

Andrew Cashner, the Chicago Cubs' first-round pick in 2008, was excellent, working from 93-98 mph -- half of his first ten fastballs were 96 or better -- with a hard slider with very good tilt from 83-88 mph. His arm action is pretty short, although it looked like he had a slight wrist-wrap. He worked quickly and went right after hitters, but his fastball command was only fair, and given his performance this year in the minors I'd still project him as a reliever, but a top-flight one.

[javy knows my name]

If he's ready in 2010, I guess Theriot would move over to 2B? Maybe even a platoon with Fontenot possibly? Not really sure how I feel about moving Castro THIS fast, but he's certainly handled everything this year as well or better than anyone could have hoped for.

They wouldn't move Theriot. They didn't do it for Cedeno and they won't do it for the new guy, either. It would hurt his feelings, or something.

 

It makes a ton of sense, though.

[TruffleShuffle]

vitters/castro today... castro played second.

 

castro:

ground out to 3b on 1-1 count.

ground ball single to cf on first pitch.

ground out to 3b on first pitch.

pop out to 2b... no idea how many pitches, according to gameday, he saw 8 pitches, putting the second and eighth pitches into play for outs and also drawing four balls.

 

vitters:

deep fly out to cf on 0-1 count.

fly out to cf on first pitch.

pop out to ss on 1-0 pitch.

line out to cf on 1-1 pitch.

 

vitters also has two fielding errors.

[TruffleShuffle]

looking through the rosters of this league, i see that the average age of players in the league is probably about 23 and there are a number of guys who are 25 to 27 years old. it seems to me that the pitchers are slightly older than the hitters on average, maybe by about a year. there are only three guys who were born in 1990 and starlin is older than one, so he's the second youngest player in the league. the guy who's younger than him had a line of .263/.280/.356/.636 with 7 BBs and 72 Ks in the midwest league (low A), so castro is pretty far ahead of him on the developmental curve.

 

i guess what it boils down to is, having a solid AFL competing against highly-regarded prospects who are almost all older than him, many of them older by a few years, would be really impressive for castro.

[Guest]

looking through the rosters of this league, i see that the average age of players in the league is probably about 23 and there are a number of guys who are 25 to 27 years old. it seems to me that the pitchers are slightly older than the hitters on average, maybe by about a year. there are only three guys who were born in 1990 and starlin is older than one, so he's the second youngest player in the league. the guy who's younger than him had a line of .263/.280/.356/.636 with 7 BBs and 72 Ks in the midwest league (low A), so castro is pretty far ahead of him on the developmental curve.

 

i guess what it boils down to is, having a solid AFL competing against highly-regarded prospects who are almost all older than him, many of them older by a few years, would be really impressive for castro.

 

That's Jose Iglesias, right?

[TruffleShuffle]

looking through the rosters of this league, i see that the average age of players in the league is probably about 23 and there are a number of guys who are 25 to 27 years old. it seems to me that the pitchers are slightly older than the hitters on average, maybe by about a year. there are only three guys who were born in 1990 and starlin is older than one, so he's the second youngest player in the league. the guy who's younger than him had a line of .263/.280/.356/.636 with 7 BBs and 72 Ks in the midwest league (low A), so castro is pretty far ahead of him on the developmental curve.

 

i guess what it boils down to is, having a solid AFL competing against highly-regarded prospects who are almost all older than him, many of them older by a few years, would be really impressive for castro.

 

That's Jose Iglesias, right?

 

no iglesias is the other guy born in 1990 but is about 2-3 months older than castro. a.j. jimenez (catcher from the blue jays system) is a month and a week older than castro.

[Guest]

looking through the rosters of this league, i see that the average age of players in the league is probably about 23 and there are a number of guys who are 25 to 27 years old. it seems to me that the pitchers are slightly older than the hitters on average, maybe by about a year. there are only three guys who were born in 1990 and starlin is older than one, so he's the second youngest player in the league. the guy who's younger than him had a line of .263/.280/.356/.636 with 7 BBs and 72 Ks in the midwest league (low A), so castro is pretty far ahead of him on the developmental curve.

 

i guess what it boils down to is, having a solid AFL competing against highly-regarded prospects who are almost all older than him, many of them older by a few years, would be really impressive for castro.

 

That's Jose Iglesias, right?

 

no iglesias is the other guy born in 1990 but is about 2-3 months older than castro. a.j. jimenez (catcher from the blue jays system) is a month and a week older than castro.

 

Gotcha. BP (or BA) had been saying Iglesias was the only player in the AFL younger than Castro. Of course Iglesias has faced some pretty good competition since he's a Cuban defector so he's not really comparable to your usual 19-year old.

[Sever82]

Little tidbit from Bruce Levine's chat on ESPNChicago.com, I thought Castro's first name was Starlin:

 

Brian Kaminski (Mokena, IL)

 

 

Wondering your thoughts on the shortstop prospect Castro? Should we believe in the hype or is this another Cory Patterson, Felix Pie situation?

 

Bruce Levine (1:08 PM)

 

 

Winston Castro is considered a future top shortstop in Major League Baseball. Those sentiments are held by scouts in other organizations that I have talked to about the Cub minor-leaguer. Other teams have called the Cubs and already asked about the availability of Castro in different trade scenarios. He seems to be the real deal. As to making the majors at age 19, it is highly unlikely that the Cubs will bring him to the majors before he has refined some of his offensive skills. They have made that mistake in the past and it has burned them. I know Cubs.com said that he might compete for a job in spring training. I don't believe he is quite ready.