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11/04/2009 3:26 PM ET
AFL Update: Crow struggles in second pro start
Moustakas selected for AFL Rising Stars game
By Frank Novak / Northwest Arkansas Naturals
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 Naturals right-hander Julio Pimentel (far left) takes instruction during the Dominican Winter League, where he is a member of Toros del Este alongside former Naturals left-hander Carlos Sencion.
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SURPRISE, AZ - In his unofficial pro debut last Wednesday, Royals prospect Aaron Crow lamented the location of his pitches and the frequent three-ball counts he found himself working with in the Arizona Fall League game.
"I need to work on getting the ball down and my command of the strike zone," Crow told MLB.com.
While Crow's command was better in his second start Tuesday afternoon, he allowed four runs on six hits over 3 1/3 innings, taking a no-decision in his Surprise Rafters' 6-5 win over the Phoenix Desert Dogs. Crow was able to retire the first two batters he faced before a fielding error and a single opened the floodgates. The Royals' first-round pick in June's draft then allowed the leadoff man to get aboard in the next three innings, including a pair of back-to-back singles to start the second inning.
Crow is likely to get at least another pair of starts, possibly three, before the AFL season wraps up on November 21st. As a member of the Royals' 40-man roster, he'll report in February to Major League Spring Training, where many observers see Crow on the fast track, bypassing the lower level clubs and receiving an opening day roster spot in Northwest Arkansas.
Naturals' outfielder Jarrod Dyson had three hits in Surprise's Tuesday win and with six hits in his past four games seems to be hitting his stride. With the recent surge (6-for-16) he's brought his average up to .293, although he's been caught in three of four stolen base attempts, curious for a player that was successful in 46 of 56 attempts in the regular season between the Naturals and Class-A Burlington (IA).
Amongst other Royals' farmhands with Surprise, Naturals infielder Jeff Bianchi held a four-game hitting streak coming into Wednesday and has a .300 average while seeing action defensively at shortstop in six of his last seven contests. The numbers would suggest that shortstop makes Bianchi a more comfortable hitter at the plate, as he's hitting .343 in the AFL in contests where he is the shortstop as opposed to just .231 in games where he's played second base defensively. Though Bianchi has seen most of his action the past two seasons at short, some scouts see him more of a second baseman in the majors. Bianchi's success against some of the AFL's top prospects may help the Royals in determining whether he gets an assignment to Triple-A Omaha, or returns to the Texas League.
Mike Moustakas' streaky bat has picked up again, just in time for him to be named to the AFL's Rising Stars game. The third baseman has had two-hit games in two of his last three contests, including a two homer, four RBI effort against the Peoria Saguaros last Friday. "Moose" is now batting .269 with three homers and 13 RBI, which is second on the Rafters.
Similar to the MLB Futures Game which is part of All-Star festivities in the mid-summer, the Rising Stars game features the top prospects, as voted on by the Arizona Fall League personnel, in an exhibition game broadcast nationally on the MLB Network. Naturals fans interested in seeing the player who may be manning the hot corner at Arvest Ballpark next season are encouraged to tune in this Saturday night (November 7th) at 7 P.M. Central Time. MLB Network is available locally on Cox Digital Cable channel 128.
The ups and downs of Royals' arms in Arizona has continued. Blake Wood had a disastrous relief appearance against Peoria last Wednesday, but followed it up with a solid effort Monday against Phoenix. He pitched three innings out of the Rafters' pen, striking out two and allowing a run without a walk. Aaron Hartsock allowed a run in his last appearance but was unscored upon in his outing prior and now has a 3.68 ERA in seven outings, with five strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings. Naturals' lefty Ben Swaggerty has seen his struggles continue, allowing two runs in his most recent relief outing Saturday, raising his ERA in the AFL to 9.45. He hasn't been helped by seven walks allowed in 6 2/3 innings. Brandon Sisk, a left-handed relief prospect who spent 2009 alongside Moustakas with Advanced Class-A Wilmington, might be the most impressive of the lot, with a 1.50 ERA in five appearances.
Surprise is now 9-10 on the season and has slipped to a season-high four games behind the Peoria Javelinas. At stake is a spot in the AFL's league championship game on November 21st, another chance for these prospects to gain national attention on the MLB Network.
Further south, Julio Pimentel has joined on with his Dominican Winter League team, Toros del Este. Pimentel, working his way back from arm injuries that derailed his entire 2009 season, is teammates with former Naturals' reliever Carlos Sencion. Neither has appeared in a game. Juan Abreu (Águilas Cibaeñas) struck out the side last Wednesday against Leones del Escogido but ran into some trouble against Estrellas de Oriente on Saturday, allowing a two-run homer while recording just two outs. Estrellas lineup that day included former Naturals' slugger Juan Richardson, who is batting .304 with one homer and six RBI in 14 games. Richardson missed most of 2009 after getting injured early in the season with the Wichita Wingnuts of the independent American Association.
Several current and former Naturals are playing winter ball in Venezuela. Chris Nicoll is with Caribes de Anzoategui (Puerto La Cruz, Ven.). Nicoll hasn't pitched since he was roughed up in his second start, when he allowed five runs over two-plus innings to Aragua. Manny Pina, who was on the disabled list and never suited up for the Naturals after being traded on September 3rd from the Rangers' organization, is 3-for-9 in six games for Tiburones de La Guaira (La Guaira Sharks).
Jose Duarte and Mario Lisson are both with Leones de Caracas. Duarte got off to a hot start and has not cooled down one bit, batting .340 with five RBI four steals, and 14 runs scored in 19 games. Lisson has two hit in nine at-bats over seven games as Leones fell a half-game behind Magallanes for first place in the league. Leones is the Venezuelan Winter Baseball powerhouse; they possess 16 championship titles, the most in the league. Lisson and Pina have received limited playing time mainly because they are stuck deep on the depth chart, commonplace in the international winter leagues where there are no restrictions on roster size and players with big league time sometimes join the team during the season.
Federico Castaneda has joined on with his Mexican Winter League team, Tomateros de Culiacan (Culiacan Tomato Growers). His first appearance went well but both of his two subsequent outings have ended with him taking the loss. Last Friday he allowed two runs in two innings, and then Tuesday he took the loss against Hermosillo when he allowed two hits and walked a batter without recording an out. His team has struggled as well, starting 6-13 and one game out of last place in the league.
The Puerto Rican Winter League is the lone international loop that has yet to begin play; it starts on November 12th. All the international winter leagues wrap up later in the winter with the top winter teams from the Latin American countries competing against one another in the Caribbean Series, an elimination-style tournament. The series runs during the first week of February and is televised nationally on the MLB Network, providing fans a great chance to see minor league players on a big stage in an electric atmosphere of international competition. Check nwanaturals.com weekly for updates on Arizona Fall League action as well as other Naturals playing winter ball.
The Northwest Arkansas Naturals are the Double-A Texas League affiliate of the Kansas City Royals and play at state-of-the-art Arvest Ballpark, located in Springdale. The 2010 season begins on Thursday, April 8th. Visit our website, nwanaturals.com, for information on season tickets and ticket plans.
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