Tag Archives: Starlin Castro

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The Prospecting Joy that is The Arizona Fall League

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So now that the regular season is over, all these people prospecting players that aren’t on playoff teams can put the boxes up until spring training right?  This would be true if it weren’t for leagues like The Arizona Fall League.

It’s the one time a year when you will see a Red Sox fan cheer for another team.  That team might be called The Mesa Solar Sox or the Scottsdale Scorpions, but it’s still an odd thing to see.

When a prospect breaks out in this league with the full attention of the scouting community it sometimes turns into a coming out party of sorts.  In 2009 it was Chicago Cub short stop Starlin Castro on display as he ate up the league as the youngest player on any AFL roster.  One year earlier 2008′s MiLB break out Tommy Hanson was the poster boy of the league as he walked into hitter friendly confines and blew fastballs by hitters.

Who is the break out this year?  Seattle’s James Paxton who has already had one really good start?  Could it be another Chicago Cub in Javier Baez who is already an established MiLB star looking to turn it up a notch?  When it happens, it will probably be mentioned in this Arizona Fall League FCB Thread started by one of the biggest prospect fans I know “Jaypers”.  That thread will update daily with news from the AFL.

It’s also probably a bad idea to equate AFL success with sure fire MLB stardom.  Sometimes goofy things happen like when 2009 MVP Grant Desme decided that he would rather be a priest.  And other times an older and more experienced player gets to feast on young pitching like in 2006 when then 24 year old Chip Cannon won the AFL MVP award.  There are normally some big prospect spikes that happen during the AFL season, but you have to be careful if you are using the season to figure out who to buy.  When you see a great statistical performance in this league, always do your homework and try to figure out why it happened.  The better strategy is to look at who you think could break out during the AFL and be ready to sell.

FCB Weekly Hotlist April 8th Edition – Extended

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FCB Weekly Hot List

1. Muhammad Ali 2010 Leaf Base Card #100

ali 100

Comments: Originally thought to be “just another base card,” it has been realized that this card is SSP’d.  For those of you still interpreting the card acronyms, that’s Super Short Printed.  At one point in time, this card was available for a couple bucks like any other base card, now its available for $100-$200 bucks.  That’s a whole lot less available and a whole lot more hot.

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2010 Bowman w/Chrome Box Break Review

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Strasburg

2010 Bowman with Chrome, perhaps you have heard of it? No? Starlin Castro, Jason Heyward, Bryce Harper, Stephen Strasburg, Dustin Ackley or Donavan Tate, perhaps you have heard of them? No? Ok, so at this point in time the only question remaining is what kind of rock you have planted yourself under, not if you are under a rock mind you but what kind? Granite? Sandstone? Marble? Maybe just a good old fashion pile of gravel?

2010 Bowman with Chrome was the most hyped prospect product release in recent memory. Some of this is because of seasons, we are in the prospect product, “drought season.” The rainy season is December, if you are wondering. Thus, any prospect product gets more attention, however, most of it was because this was a darn good product.

When we first heard about this product, it had Ackley Chrome Autos, Tate Chrome Autos and some form of Strasburg. Over the next few months Topps did a very nice job building the hype by letting us know we would have USA Chromes, Strasburg Paper Autos, Strasburg Base Chromes & Parallels, Starlin Castro Chrome Autos, Jason Heyward Chrome Autos, 3 Chrome Autos per Jumbo Box and oh so much more. This product was loaded and that feeling was confirmed hobby-wide as Jumbo Case prices vaulted towards $1k+.

The combination of value per pack and big pull possibility is what makes this product great. Not only do you have a chance at something huge like a Strasburg Auto or a Harper Parallel but cards like Strasburg Base Chromes and Harper Base Chromes sell for near $20 each.  Heck, Strasburg base Bowmans sell for $5 or more. So not only do you get a reasonable chance to hit something that will sell for hundreds of dollars, you also have a very good chance of not getting totally skunked if you buy one box, that’s an enticing combo and that is what has this product being busted en masse across the country and around the globe.

Now, all that being said, our box wasn’t very exciting – Arenado Base Auto, Strasburg Chrome and Harper Chrome were the highlights.  That brings me right back to my point about value.  In a box that by some would be considered sub-par, the three big cards will sell for $45-$50 let alone the rest of what we pulled.

Quite honestly, Topps really outdid themselves with this product, however, in doing so, they raised expectations for the rest of their prospect releases this year.  The worst thing they could do with 2010 Bowman Chrome would be to put out a real stinker and lose all the momentum that they have now built up.  Unfortunately, we will have to wait and see what they do with their next products but at least in the mean time we can entertain ourselves pulling Strasburgs.

Want to try out a box of your own?  The good people at Topps have sent us not one, but TWO boxes to give away.  Add a comment for a shot at winning.  Make sure your email address or FCB ID is included.