In 2001 he didn't earn a promotion, but he did get his first trip to U.S. soil, playing for the Rookie level Gulf Coast League Phillies. Again he held his ERA to just 2.30, dropping Ks on 42 batters, while only earning 12 runs and coughing up 1 begrudged dinger.
After four years of this , Astacio finally got a break and made it all the way to the South Atlantic League in 2002. Class A. Lakewood. Relative to his career thus far, the big time. He didn't disappoint, going 10-7 and striking out 100 batters in 152 innings pitched with a respectable 3.31 ERA and 56 earned runs for the Blue Claws.
He was promoted to Clearwater in the FSL where he went 15-5 with a 3.29 ERA, striking out 83 in 2003. The Phillies, who had dragged their heels in his development, according to some scouts, didn't think that he fit their plans.
Ezequiel was dealt to the Astros over the winter of 2003, and in 2004 found himself welcome in the Astros farm system, exiting winter camp with a promotion to AA Round Rock. He did very well with the faith: 185 strikeouts, 76 earned runs and 12 home runs on 176 innings pitched.
In 2005 he stayed in Round Rock, but it was still a promotion, as the club was now a Triple-A member of the Pacific Coast League. In 65 innings pitched, he struck out 57, gave up 22 earned runs, and 6 homers. He's been called up to the Astros as well, where he's working on adjusting to big league hitters. With an ERA of 6.21 in 13 games and 58 innings pitched, he's struck out 50 big leaguers, but allowed 40 earned runs, 19 of them dingers.
We're not sure what his speed looked like in the radar-free zone of the DSL, but from 2002 forward, he began to go from being the local to a freight train: He pitched 90 tops in 2002, but by 2004, he had picked up another 5 miles on his heat, making him a 95 mph hurler. He had gone from a couple of pitches, his fastball and a nasty, but unpredictable curve, into a three-tool pitcher with what scouts told us may be the best controlled fastball in the PCL.
What seems to be evident is that Astacio still needs some work on his mechanics for the big league level. Major league batters have picked out some weaknesses in his throwing, and exploited them well. We see him returning to Round Rock, at least for part of 2006. If he can start dominating at the major league level, our sources tell us he's probably bullpen-bound in Houston.
