Goudeau and Guillen, Arizona Fall League
The Arizona Fall League will include many big-name prospects. Ashton Goudeau and Alexander Guillen definitely aren’t on that list, although Rockies’ faithful should begin to familiarize themselves with the righthanders who spent this past season playing for Double-a Hartford.
Goudeau, 27, is a former 27th-round pick by the Royals in 2012. After bouncing around Kansas City’s system for six years, he was traded to Seattle for the 2018 season before signing with Colorado for 2019. With a 2.07 ERA in 16 starts for the Yard Goats, Goudeau believes his career is finally hitting its stride.
“It’s been a wild ride after six years in Kansas City, where it was pretty up-and-down,” Goudeau said. “Last year, I really started to figure out who I am and my identity as a pitcher. I took a big step mentally this year as far as sequencing hitters and knowing how to use what I have.”
A freak injury in the dugout in early June sidelined Goudeau for six weeks with a broken hand, and he’s eager for a chance to build up his innings in the Arizona Fall League.
“I was talking to my catcher in the dugout about hitters, and I made a swinging motion and caught my hand on the corner of the bench,” Goudeau said. “I didn’t think anything of it, because I went out and pitched three more innings, until I woke up the next morning and it had swollen up.”
Goudeau’s repertoire features a mid-90s mph fastball along with a curveball and changeup. The 23-yearold Guillen, meanwhile, can crank his heat up to 98 mph, and pairs that with a curveball, sinker and developing changeup.
A native of San Cristobal, Dominican Republic, Guillen signed with the Rockies at 17 years old. He posted a 1.53 ERA in 37 relief appearances for the Yard Goats this season, with 91 strikeouts in 76M innings as he overwhelmed Double-a batters.
“In my first season in the Dominican Summer League in 2013, I had an injury with my elbow,” Guillen said. “I didn’t pitch hardly at all that year, just poorly in one inning, and that was a little bit hard for me. But from that difficulty in my first year of professional baseball, I learned from that and kept working and kept believing.”
The other Rockies prospects on the Salt River Rafters are first baseman Roberto Ramos, catcher Brian Serven, infielder Colton Welker, infielder Bret Boswell, right-hander Ryan Castellani and right-hander Antonio Santos.