Everytime I read a top
prospect ranking, I'm SHOCKED when the top 25 guys aren't all Astros. "How can this be?!" I think to myself. OK, so maybe I am a little bit biased towards my
hometown team.
2013 seems to be the year of
the Astros. The baseball guru, Jeff Lunhow,
has assembled a farm system that is ready for war. Power arms? 'stros got
that. Big sticks? Houston has 'em. Slick
fielders? Take your pick.
When I was asked to put together a top '13
prospect for 2013 list, I had to sit and really contemplate my choices. It's hard to not fall in love with players
with tons of tools, but you can't overlook the solid
"ballplayers". With that, I'm gonna
shut up and give you the goods starting with #13.
I know what you're thinking, "Vinny V is your #13?!?!". You're dang right he is.
I sit around and read a lot of draft
reports, scouting reports, and home and garden magazines(OK, the last one in that list is
just for me.) Everything I read about
Vinny V says that he has a filthy curve and change with a solid fastball to boot. In 2012, he came back from Tommy John surgery
and gained two mph on his fastball which sat in the low 90's.
Most prospects spend a majority of their time
developing off-speed pitches, but Vinny V has the stuff already. He was #3 in K's in Tri-City(51 strikeouts in 45 2/3 IP) and gave up fewer
hits than the two pitchers ahead of him in strikeouts. Developing command is going to be essential for Velasquez,
but at 20 years of age there is time for that. For him, it's all
about learning how to use his stuff on a consistent basis and staying
healthy. Look for Vinny V to start the season
at LoA(Quad Cities). Depending on his progression with the River Bandits, he could very well skip Lancaster.
This guy could be one of the Astros most
overlooked prospects, so, open your eyes and start looking.
Ceiling: #3 Starting
Pitcher
Floor: Late Inning
Reliever
c2012 Jared Webb. Used with permission.
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