Unknown prospect with high ceiling - De Los Santos

[SoxxoS]

Here is a guy nobody talks about but is doing excellent down in Low A Kannapolis - Faustino De Los Santos -

Here is the article about him from MIIB.com -
http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070523&content_id=247421&vkey=news_milb&fext=.jsp


Yet after tossing seven hitless innings in Tuesday's 13-4 spanking of the Hickory Crawdads, the only word the Intimidators coaching staff needed translated was "wow."

De Los Santos' fastball averages between 91-94 mph, and he often maintains that speed late in games. Owens said the 21-year-old right-hander, who throws a sinking fastball and slurve and is working on a changeup, averaged 94 throughout his final frame Tuesday.

Numbers -

9 GS - 58 IP 69 K's 27 walks- still with only a 1.09 WHIP b/c he only has allowed 28 :o: hits and 2 HR's.

Look like he is the next best thing after Gio to get excited about, even though he is in low A.

Anyone seen him in person?

[California Sox]

Baseball America put him in their "Helium Watch" segment last week along with Paulo Orlando. Would be nice to start getting some more international prospects, pickings have been slim in that area for the last few years.

[UserNameBlank]

I haven't seen him but I've been following his progress anyway. He looks like a Jose Contreras circa May 2005 clone. You can check out gamelogs at Kanny's website to get an idea just how good or bad a prospect is doing, but to save the trouble I've simplified his year so far below:

Pitched in 12 games including 9 starts. Here's his inning by inning breakdown per game (note innings are seperated by parantheses):

4/7: (infield pop-up, K, K) (BB, K, CS, 1B, balk, 1B, WP, CS) (AO, GO, K)

4/12: (AO, AO, K) (GO, K, AO) (2B, WP, AO, BB, BB, AO, K) (GO, K, BB, GO) (BB, CS, GO, removed from game)

4/18: (K, WP, CS, BB, WP, AO, K) (BB, K, K, K) (GO, K, GO)

4/23: (BB, AO, GIDP) (BB, BB, AO, WP, BB, K, GO) (AO, GO, 1B, 1B, AO) (GO, K, GO) (BB, infield pop-up, AO, infield pop-up)

4/30: (K, 2B, AO, HBP, K) (AO, K, HBP, GO) (K, BB, CS, GO) (AO, 1B, AO, AO) (GO, K, AO)

5/5: (K, K, GO) (2B, K, BB, GO, WP, GO) (1B, 1B, sac bunt, IBB, infield pop-up, 2B, AO) (GO, AO, WP, K)

5/11: (K, K, K) (AO, AO, GO) (2B, infield pop-up, GO, GO) (K, 1B, K, GO) (K on WP so batter reaches 1B, AO, GO, WP, K) (AO, K, AO)

5/16: (K, AO, 1B, K) (BB, WP, AO, K, BB, 1B, 1B, GO) (K, 1B, BB, BB, infield pop-up, lineout) (1B, infield pop-up, AO, K)

5/22: (K, infield pop-up, K) (GO, GO, GO) (GO, K, K) (GO, K, GO) (infield pop-up, K, GO) (GO, K, GO) (GO, BB, infield pop-up, GO)

5/27: (K, K, K) (infield pop-up, GO, K) (infield pop-up, K, K) (AO, BB, AO, balk, AO) (1B, GIDP, K) (K, BB, AO, GO) (1B, 1B, 1B, removed from game)

6/1: (K, K, GO) (AO, K, K) (K, infield pop-up, K) (BB, HR, 1B, 1B, AO, GO, AO) (GO, AO, AO)

6/8: (1B, K on WP so batter reaches 1B, GO, K, CS) (K, K, BB, K) (BB, 2B, AO, AO, GO) (1B, K, 1B, GO, K) (AO, AO, K) (HR, HBP, AO, K, K)

I didn't include SB and errors by position players (of which Kanny has had a few) but it is apparent that Faustino has been run on like crazy, which was another problem similar to Contreras. Maybe that has something to do with who is catching him, but it doesn't look like he holds runners on very well.

Outside of his HBP, BB, and WP, De Los Santos has been very, very dominant in Kanny. Obviously, it's low-A so he's not exactly facing the best of the best, but if he can harness his control he could shoot up the ladder quickly. By my count, Faustino has given up a grand total of 8 extra base hits (2 HR, 6 2B) in 58.2 IP. Add that to his 0.94 WHIP and 10.6 K/9 ratio.

Right now it looks like DLS may be our no. 2 SP prospect behind Gio in terms of ceiling. Yay! :bandance:

[UserNameBlank]

DLS's last start (6/13):
5.0 IP, 7 H (6 singles, 1 2B), 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, HBP, WP

[UserNameBlank]

Anyone think the Sox will move this guy up if a starter is traded? Or does he stick in low-A all year?

I say that because if we deal someone from the major league team and Floyd is brought up, Gio could move up to AAA, McCulloch to AA, and I'd think DLS would be a good candidate to move up to W-S. Justin Edwards is the only starter on the staff pitching well besides DLS, but he's gotten hit a lot. DLS has been lights out and his only problems have been control, holding on runners, and making pick-off attempts. He's only thrown 63.2 at Kanny, but it is pretty apparent that the hitters down there can't touch him.

[California Sox]

...his only problems have been control, holding on runners, and making pick-off attempts.

I think that's exactly why he stays at Kanny. Once he's doing those things better, he's gotta chance to move. I'd rather have him get the fundamentals down before he faces stiffer competition.

[UserNameBlank]

DLS has made the All-Star Future's Game (World Team) and is the only member of the Sox organization to do so. Kind of disappointing that he's the only one, but there is some serious talent on those two teams.

Congrats, Faustino (even though they spelled your name wrong)!

[SoxxoS]

Gets some pub today in an ESPN Chat-

Jerome Va: Hey John Did you watch Futures game? Can you please rank in order of the starters that has best stuff?

http://assets.espn.go.com/i/sn2.gif John Manuel: (2:28 PM ET ) jerome, I had a great seat for the Futures Game, I was in the U.S. dugout working with Chuck Wilson for XM Radio, second time I've done that, and it's a lot of fun. Since everyone wants to talk about these starting pitchers, I'll say I was most impressed with Joba Chamberlin. I know he gave up a couple of runs, but you can't judge by results in all-star games when assessing prospects. Joba's delivery worked, his stuff was firm and he was the life of the U.S. dugout to boot. I loved his approach out there. Henry Sosa of the World Team also impressed, he and Fautino de los Santos have emerged as much as any prospects in the game this year, and both looked like they belonged Sunday. Franklin Morales and Deolis Guerra and Jeff Niemann are three other guys I liked, though I admit I'm a Niemann apologist.