I was reading Jake’s recent post that included his top 10 prospects for the upcoming season.  I was surprised to see Olivo Astacio (pictured above) on this list, but it is an interesting concept.  I got to watch this kid pitch almost the entire 2007 season in Hickory before he hit the road to Lynchburg, and my overall impression is that he’s a true “wild thing”.  He’s got a decent fast ball when he can find the plate with it.  I’ll bet he’s one of the hardest pitchers to catch in the entire Pittsburgh organization.  I had never seen a catcher get rattled by his own pitcher until I witnessed Astacio on the mound on multiple occasions with Kris Watts behind the dish. 

When Astacio is on his game, which he was shortly before he left Hickory, I think he’s an excellent reliever.  Astacio finished in Hickory with a 3.54 ERA after getting off to a terrible start for the season.  He finished at Lynchburg with an 8.22 on 15.1 innings pitched. 

I’m more confident with Jake’s choice of Charles Benoit.  I was also very impressed with Chris Castorri.  Castorri pitched 32.2 innings of relief in Hickory and managed a 1.93 ERA during that time.  Chris didn’t arrive in Hickory until early July, so he didn’t get a full season with the ‘Dads. 

If I have learned anything at all from Jake, I guess I’ll have to admit that it’s that I simply shouldn’t second guess him :)  I argued with him about what would happen to McCutchen in Altoona, and I ended up eating my words. 

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