Came across this article about Ross Seaton. Its nice to see the 2008 Draft is already paying dividends at Lexington, along with Dydalewicz (2008), Lyles (2008), Greenwalt and Bono from the (horrible) 2007 Draft. Link
Seaton had another outstanding game on Tuesday. 7 IP, 0 R, 4 H, 3 SO, 2 BB He is now 3-1 on the season with a 1.14 ERA and a 0.80 WHIP over 23.2 IP. He has struck out 15 and walked 5. Brad Dydalewicz is 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA and a 0.71 WHIP over 17 IP. He's struck out 8 and walked 7. He's only given up 5 hits over that stretch.
I think it would be cool to create a general thread to discuss Astros prospects (no jokes, please... we all know there aren't many) and give updates on how they're doing. Castro has been up and down so far this season at Lancaster. I expect him to start getting on base a lot more over the course of the season. Kobe was called up to Corpus Christi, likely to give Castro more ABs since Kobe's numbers weren't very impressive.
When Quintero got hurt, they moved Towles to Houston, the Corpus catcher to Round Rock and Kobe to Corpus.
Thats a good idea, but I figure we can continue to post about the progress the prospects are making here. With the baseball draft coming up in June (I know its a huge inexact science, moreso than the other major sports), I'm sure we can discuss local talent as well as big-time blue-chippers.
Glad to see Ross doing well. Hopefully he'll continue his rapid ascension. Oh yeah, Second Baptist represent as well!
The entire Lexington rotation is something to watch. Jordan Lyles, Seaton, Brad Dydalewicz, Kyle Greenwalt, and Robert Bono all have a lot of talent, and all are under 20.
Yeah, I've been following them on milb.com and on the Lexington Legends website. Dydalewicz was placed on the DL, but the injury hasn't been reported, hopefully its minor.
Please don't flame me for this because I really have no idea about this kid's talent. I have a relative that coaches baseball at a major rival of Second Baptist (Seaton's school) and when I asked him about his chances he shook his head and said he didn't think he had "it". This disappointed me because he was supposed to be the steal of the draft. Again, this is not my opinion because I really dont have one. But I trust this man; hes an astros fan and has a great eye for pitching talent.
Fastball that touches 96, one of the best curves in the system, a changeup, a low sinker combined with maturity, an "unbelievable" work ethic, and "great" aptitude. No offense to your friend, but I don't know what else you want out of a 19 year old.
Thats a little surprising considering that Seaton was valedictorian of his class, is considered a leader among his peers and has all the talent that rocks_fan has already highlighted. Hopefully your friend is way off base about his opinion, maybe it has something to do about being a rival.
I hope he is off base as well, but its not my friend its my uncle and he wouldn't let a grudge sway his opinion. Again, I hope he's wrong, but there has to be something to it considering he has seen this kid pitch in person more times than all of us combined.
I've never seen Seaton, so I can't offer much. Although, seeing a player in person tells you a lot more than reading statisitics. Still, a 19 year old, with no arm problems, in full season ball putting up good numbers is something to be excited about.
Beyond saying that he doesn't think Seaton has "it", did he specify why he felt that way? Was it a mechanical thing, command issues, etc...? If you don't know, maybe you could ask him for some specifics next time you talk to him and share them with us. I'd be interested to know why he said that.
Bono was strong again last night: http://lexington.legends.milb.com/m...id=2009_04_30_romafx_lexafx_1&cid=495&t=g_box
Does anyone have scouting reports on each of these youngsters? It is about time we have some exciting pitching prospects in our system again!
I just hope that we don't rush any of these kids up -- considering the bad state of the farm system in general at this point. Let them develop naturally and they'll pay big dividends down the road.
I don't think they will be rushed, but it would be nice to see them on the big league team by the time they hit 22 or 23 years of age; That would be an ETA of 2012 or 2013.
This is from baseballamerica.com: Ross Seaton Background: Seaton was relatively unheralded at the beginning of his senior year. But then he touched 96 mph in the spring, rocketing up draft boards, and landed as the top pitcher in the Texas prep ranks. He then graduated as his high school's valedictorian and signed for $700,000 as a third-round supplemental pick. He didn't sign until late July and made just three starts in his pro debut. Strengths: Scouts love Seaton's big frame and feel and command of three pitches, even out of a quarterback-like release. He has a smooth and easy delivery that's repeatable, allowing his fastball to sit consistently at 90-94 mph. His slider can be devastating to young hitters, and his changeup is a nice weapon. The Astros liked the way he pitched to contact in instructional league. Weaknesses: Seaton tends to get jumpy off his back side, resulting in hurried, off-target throws. One scout said Seaton needed to use his legs more out of his delivery because, like many young pitchers, he tries to generate most of his velocity from his upper body. An adjustment there would help sharpen the slider, turning it into more of a late breaker. The Future: Given his drive, frame and maturity, Seaton projects to be a No. 2 starter in the majors with a shot to be a top-of-the-rotation figure. He'll likely open at low Class A Lexington, in the same rotation with Jordan Lyles, Houston's supplemental first-round pick. Jordan Lyles Background: The Astros veered off the board in drafting Lyles in 2008 draft. He was not in BA's predraft Top 200, though he was the top prep prospect in South Carolina and briefly flirted with playing college football as a receiver. He signed for $930,000 on the night of his high school graduation, spurning a University of South Carolina scholarship. Strengths: Lyles has a free and easy, classic delivery that the Astros say needs little tweaking. He shelved his cutter once in pro ball, and saw an immediate improvement in his fastball as it jumped from 86-88 mph in the spring to 90-96 all summer. He had good command of it even with the added velocity. His curveball has rotation and shape to it, and he also has shown a feel for a changeup. Weaknesses: Consistency will be paramount as Lyles advances through the system. He has trouble repeating his secondary stuff, especially the curveball. It flattens out at times. He has a tendency to elevate his fastball, and that will get him knocked around higher up in the minors. The Future: Lyles projects to be a solid No. 3 starter at this point, with a shot to be a No. 2. The Astros have plenty of time to nurture him and will tag-team him with Ross Seaton at Lexington to open 2008.
