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Round 2 of the TCB Astros Fan Favorite March Madness Tournament is underway. From now until the end of Spring Training 64 players will spend the next several weeks facing off in a head to head public vote to determine who advances to the next round and who will eventually be crowned the communities favorite Astros player. For more details check out the tournament introductory post.
The rules are simple, determine which player you want to advance to the next round and then vote. Vote subjectively, objectively, using your trusty magic eight ball or any other set of criteria. It's totally up to you how you want to vote! Votes for this round will last exactly 24 hours.
In this match-up
1 - Aaron West
Ignore that 5.22 ERA; not even our favorite sleeper prospect could fully combat the effects of Lancaster and the rest of the California League. But soon West will have his chance in a more neutral environment, and if his 9.28 K/9, 1.41 BB/9 and 2.56 FIP from 2013 are any indication, he shouldn't have a great deal of trouble adjusting to the next level. The front office, clearly high on him, will likely challenge West to take his three pitch mix to Corpus Christi sooner rather than later, and he could see time in the Majors in 2015 if all goes well. -Ashitaka
vs
4 - Mike Foltynewicz
Foltynewicz (Folty) is a prime example of the dichotomy of many prospects. Although his tools flash dominance and brilliance, his actual production does not echo it. We drool over his elite fastball, which consistently hits triple digits, but there are legitimate concerns over his control (he walked 4.6 batters per nine last year). The good news is that along with his grade 80 fastball, he also has a dominating breaking ball, when it is on. If he can develop more consistency in his offspeed offerings, he will more likely succeed as a starting pitcher as opposed to converting to a power-arm bullpen piece. I am hoping for another big leap in the right direction for Folty in 2014, as his future still is bright. -Idrees