AFL Rising Stars Showcase Recap

I have been looking forward to the Rising Stars Showcase all week because it is the first time I've seen Mike Minor, Craig Kimbrel, and Brandon Hicks in action. All three are big prospects for the Braves, so it was a big night for the organization. However, it turned sour pretty quickly.

Mike Minor: 0.2 IP, 7 H, 7 R, 6 ER, BB, HR
Before beginning, it is worth noting that Minor started this game, so it isn't like he came in for relief and couldn't finish the inning. I don't know if he was only meant to pitch one inning (Tommy Mendoza only went one for the other side but he allowed two runs), but he was given plenty of chances to escape his trouble in the first and couldn't do it.

Minor was consistently living up in the zone and he doesn't have the stuff to get away with it. It's obvious he relies on location. He is a balanced pitcher with no highlight pitch, yet no glaring weakness. At first glance he doesn't look like a first rounder, but Minor knows how to pitch, and you could see that even when he was giving up seven runs. He didn't have his stuff tonight, yet he gutted it out and tried to pitch around the zone. But not being able to rebound shows he has a ways to go.

Also worth noting is the one unearned run was on an error by Minor in which he threw away a pickoff throw and it scored a run.

Brandon Hicks: 0-2, K
Hicks showed his defensive skills with a couple good plays at shortstop. He struck out on a nasty fastball in his first at bat and grounded out to third in his second at bat.

Craig Kimbrel: (SV), 1 IP, BB, K
Kimbrel showed exactly what he does, walking the leadoff batter and throwing a ton of pitches, including a wild pitch, before shutting the door for the save. It was pretty exciting to see him in the situation he was made for. Kimbrel's stuff is insanely good and he has the closer demeanor on the mound. I just hope he can work on cutting down on the walks. He racks up plenty of strikeouts and doesn't give up hits or homers.

On a side note, Reds prospects Chris Heisey and Yonder Alonso combined for five hits, a homer, and four RBI. Indians prospect Matt McBride hit the game-winning home run for the West in the eighth, finally taking Minor off the hook. Reds prospect Mike Leake struck out the side in a scoreless inning. Rangers prospect Tanner Scheppers won the radar gun award with 99 MPH, pitching a perfect inning.