Prospect Insider - AFL Video: Joe Dunigan, Starlin Castro

AFL Video: Joe Dunigan, Starlin Castro

By Jason A. Churchill

By 10-30-2009

Finishing up the video, here's a little look at Starling Castro taking ground balls -- pardon the rough edges on the camera work, I can't see where the ball is being hit and Castro is a superb athlete who outran the camera several times, rendering most of the footage useless!

He's everything teams want in a shortstop and perhaps one of the Top 25-40 prospects in baseball right now. And the Cubs signed him for cheap.

Joe Dunigan has some power, good Delgado-esque swing, and while he has adequate bat speed, there's a little kink in his swing path that negates the max power effort he puts forth.

He'll never be a 40-homer guy, even if he vastly improves his contact rates, but cleaning that hitch up just a little will help him hit for some average and potentially get him into the big leagues.

Before I get to those videos, I have some international news to pass on, courtesy of Kiley McDaniel, formerly of the New York Yankees.

The Mariners are heavily involved in the scouting of 16-year-old Colombian catching prospect Jorge Alfaro, a right-handed hitter that stands 6-feet tall and weighs in at about 180 pounds. His pop times -- out of the crouch to throw -- are consistently 1.85-1.90, though his offensive skills are considered raw, but promising, including in the power department -- as usual with a lot of these kids.

Offers of $500,000 have apparently been made (maybe from Seattle) but the M's may be willing to go seven figures.

Alfaro can be signed NOW, as he was 16 prior to the July 2 deadline but was an unknown at the time

Here's some video of Alfaro, thanks again to McDaniel.

Joe Dunigan, 1B - Seattle Mariners

Starlin Castro, SS - Chicago Cubs

And a second bonus clip...

Another look at Ackley's perfect swing:

afl-video:-joe-dunigan,-starlin-castro

Comments
The following 5 comment(s) for this article are shown below:

1. By: sportin2 on 10-31-2009 12:55:16
Like Dunigan's BP stroke.

Castro looks like he is auditioning for Dancing with the Stars...ugh

Love Ackley's extension

Alfaro's BP swing looks like a project. M's need to save their money on this one.

2. By: Jason A. Churchill on 10-31-2009 14:35:45
Wow, you couldn't be more off on the middle two. Congratulations.

1. Extension? Most overrated aspect of a swing. 75% of the base hits in baseball are done without full extension, half without 3/4 extension. It just doesn't mean much, if anything, which is why bat speed and plate skills are so critical. Even the best hitters in baseball only get full extension 1/3 of the time, if they are lucky. Pujols, the game's best hitter by far, told SportsScience that his best swings are at 3/4 extension or less because it enables him to easily turn on fastball's middle-in -- where almost all hitters' power resides.
2. Alfaro IS a project. He's 16. Nick Franklin's swing is a project. Matt Davidson's swing is a project. Mike Trout's swing is a project. You don't look for polish on 16-year-old kids. You look for tools, and avoid the mess. And Alfaro's swing is FAR from a mess.

Ya know what the Rangers signing scout said about Ivan Rodriguez 20+ years ago?

Direct quote: "His approach is fun, he's very aggressive, catches up to everything, but he'll have to settle for doubles power because his swing is too level for anything else. Maybe our guys (player development staff) can help with that."

Almost 1000 extra-base hits later...

Besides, much of Alfaro's value is expected to be in his defense, where there's an absolute need in just about every other organization.

3. By: sportin2 on 11-01-2009 08:56:28
I could be wrong but I would be willing to wager on my opinion.

I try not to put too much emphasis on batting practice swings. Some of the best 5 O’clock hitting produces zilch in the game. However, evaluating BP is a fun part of the game providing observers a snapshot of the hitter’s mechanical abilities whether an amateur or professional. Nonetheless, it is disappointing to learn that I received a score of 50 on my evaluation.

Extension occurring after contact provides no physical value to the swing. However, it does serve as a report card to the “naked eye” on the direction of the hand path during the swing. I would argue that the hitter’s ability to repeat, match, and prolong the direction of his hands in direct opposition to the flight of the pitched ball produces greater percentages of near center contact and higher exit velocities.

The video of Castro shows him rotating his glove side away from a ball hit right at him. You do not see the likes of Jeter,. Reyes or Rollins duplicating that move on a ground ball hit right at them. Again, JMHO but “practicing” wasted and unnecessary movement.

Time will tell with Alfaro, my guess is that his swing will produce hitting miseries that will override and diminish the value of his defensive abilities, especially if he comes with a 7 figure price tag.

4. By: Jason A. Churchill on 11-01-2009 10:24:16
M's fans are lucky you don't scout for them.

"I try not to put too much emphasis on batting practice swings. Some of the best 5 O’clock hitting produces zilch in the game. However, evaluating BP is a fun part of the game providing observers a snapshot of the hitter’s mechanical abilities whether an amateur or professional. Nonetheless, it is disappointing to learn that I received a score of 50 on my evaluation."

When you are talking about 16-22 year olds talents, physical tools, BP results and mechanics are HUGE. If he's squaring it up and generating loft, no bat wrap or wasted movements, etc... the raw abilities are there.

And you're wrong on "extension."

And you're thinking too much in general, a classic case of over analyzing. Castro, and Alfaro, are KIDS. They are good prospects, particularly Castro, because of their physical tools and what they have done with them already at such a young age.

In the end, I don't care what he does with his glove if he makes all of those plays. It's like hating a batter's long load, but not having a problem with it in the end because it's apparent that it doesn't prevent him from covering the plate and catching up with velo.

And your guess on Alfaro isn't exactly going out on a limb. But let's not pretend that AROD's swing is the same as it was 18 years ago when he was 16.

But there's nothing in Alfaro's swing that is worrisome. Minor adjustments necessary, here and there, depending on how his plate skills start playing out in pro ball.

As far as seven figures goes, it's a million bucks -- if it gets that high -- on a kid very similar to the kid the club drafted and gave almost a million dollar to this summer. Except now the M's get to step in and make a few changes two years earlier in Alfaro's development.

I'll take that on a catcher.

In general, I don't like dishing out so much dough on Latin kids. Too risky.

5. By: lewis on 11-02-2009 12:31:16
Jason, what are you seeing in Dunigan's swing that you don't like. To me I was almost thinking I was seeing him drop his hands slightly as he approachs the hitting zone, but then most of the pitches are down so...?...and am wondering what is wrong with over squaring up on the ball for Castro. Maybe it was an attempt to square up as he fields and now it is sort of his style. I mean it is fielding not trying to hit a round ball on a round 1/8 inch wide rectangle on the bat? But then I'm not a scout, just trying to learn from you guys if there is any feed back.

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