Padres Dominican farmhand works on pitches and English

Padres minor league prospect Simon Castro is scheduled to open the season for the team's AAA affiliate the Tuscon Padres.  At 6 feet, 5 inches, Castro is an imposing physical specimen that could eventually see action at the front end of the Padres big league rotation.  Since coming to the minor leagues in 2006, the 22 year old Dominican has had to work on his pitching and his English skills.

Castro was listed as the Padres number three overall prospect by Baseball America, and could be ready for big league action toward the end of this season.  He has a career ERA of 3.88 and 447 strikeouts in 443 innings coming into this season.  Padres brass say he may need a little more time to develop.

And like most young Dominican prospects, he has had to work on his English too.  According to Castro:

"The teacher here taught me some things, and I get it from the guys. Everybody always helps me with the language. Anything I ask they tell me and let me know what it means, and that's how I learn."

Castro is from San Jose de los Llanos, DR, which is just outside the famed baseball town of San Pedro de Macoris.

Castro with the Tuscon Padres, by Phil Snyder on Flickr

Baseball America top 100 prospects features 11 Dominicans

Baseball America is one of the most well respected sites in the evaluation of minor and major league talent.  Their prospect lists are generally well respected among industry insiders.  They recently came out with their preseason top 100 prospect list, a list featuring the top 100 players with the most upside that are still eligible as Major League Baseball rookies.  

The list features some well known minor leaguers like Bryce Harper (no. 1), Domonic Brown (no.4), and Aroldis Chapman (no. 7).  There are 11 Dominicans on the list and here are the Dominican players that were ranked:

Michael Pineda, Yaguate, DR: #16 prospect, RHP Mariners
Gary Sanchez, hometown unknown: #30 C Yankees
Jenrry Mejia, Tabara Arrisba: #44 P Mets
Wilin Rosario, Bonao: #49 C Rockies
Jean Segura, San Juan: #57 2B Angels
Simon Castro, San Jose de los Llanos: #58 RHP Padres
Miguel Sano, San Pedro de Macoris: #60 SS Twins
Cesar Puello, La Romana: #77 RF Mets
Rubby de la Rosa, Santo Domingo: #90 P Dodgers
Arodys Vizcaino, Yaguate: #93 RHP Braves
Jonathan Villar, La Vega: #94 SS Astros

The Dominican players represent 11% of the top 100 prospects in minor league ball.  This number is on par with the number of Dominicans in the big leagues, as 10% of the opening day rosters last season were composed of Dominican players (according to mlb.com).

Miguel Sano is probably the most well known of these Dominican prospects as he signed with the Twins in 2009 to a deal that featured a $3.1 million signing bonus, which is the second largest bonus ever paid to a Latin free agent (see list of largest Latin American signing bonuses by Patrick Clark).  Sano and his road to signing with the Twins is featured in the yet to be released documentary, Pelotero: a Dominican Baseball Story.  See a preview of the movie here.

All the other Dominican prospects are surely known by the fans of their big league clubs.  Michael Pineda and Gary Sanchez have both been hyped a lot.  The Dominican Baseball Guy will be following all these prospects and their road to the big leagues this season and beyond.