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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
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
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5 - Vincent Velasquez
2013 was a big year for Vincent Velasquez. It was his first uninhibited full season since being drafted in the second round of the 2010 draft. Fully recovered from Tommy John surgery Velasquez posted a 3.54 ERA between Class-A and high Class-A in 124 2/3 innings. He walked three batters per nine innings (BB/9) and struck out 142. Which vaulted him into several Astros top-10 prospect lists and Keith Law's ESPN Top 100 Prospect List. Still only 22, Velasquez is poised to cement his status as a top 100 prospect in baseball.