MANCHESTER -- Top Players in Double-A are closer to the majors than they often realize.

Detroit's prize prospect Nick Castellanos and fellow outfielder Avisail Garcia, who couldn't wait to get there, split a $100 cab ride and made the trip to Fenway Park on Monday.

They ended up on the field before batting practice and had a chance to talk shop with Tigers superstars Miguel Cabrera, Prince Fielder and Justin Verlander. Castellanos, batting .310 entering Thursday night's game at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium, was most intrigued by the dimensions and history of the 100-year-old park.

“It was awesome. So much history. Any time you have a chance to go see that ballpark, you have to take advantage of it. That was the first time I'd ever been, and it was an overwhelming experience,” Castellanos said. “It was also great to hang out with the guys. Everyone was very welcoming. Even though I'm not part of the team, they made me feel like I was.”

The 21-year-old Castellanos hit a three-run homer in this year's All-Star Futures Game at Kansas City, leading the U.S. team to a 17-5 win over the World team. He reached base four straight times and was named MVP.

How to handle all the attention? The youngster has received so much attention in the past year that he decided to stop reading articles about himself. Castellanos has been given the label as Detroit's No. 1 position player prospect.

“I guess it gives me a label, and I do feel it. I really just try not to pay much attention to it. No matter how many interviews I do, I never read the stories,” he said. “If you're playing well, the stories will be good. When you're not playing well, there are going to be a lot of bad stories. I used to read the stories all the time at low-A (West Michigan) because I was the first-round draft pick and every other day, there was a story about me. I started off the year really slow, and it was quick that the stories turned from positive to negative. It hurt to read those. I kind of just stopped reading the stories after that.”

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TRIPLE DIGITS: Reliever Bruce Rondon provided the most memorable moments of the three-game series against Erie, popping 100 mph on more than 10 pitches on Wednesday, including warmup tosses. Rondon, listed at 6-foot-3, 265 pounds, was signed as a free agent in Venezuela after registering triple digits as an 18-year-old. Incredible stuff.

“That's not something incredible. That's a lot of hard work. I didn't used to throw that hard, and it took a lot of training,” said Rondon, who conducted the interview through teammate and translator Kelvin De La Cruz.

Last year, Fisher Cats broadcaster Tom Gauthier watched a then-wild Rondon pitch in the Midwest League. The Tigers farmhand, who has notched 12 saves, has since refined a nasty slider.

“It's not physically possible to throw much harder. The big thing for him is locating the fastball and being able to sell his slider,” Gauthier said.

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GAME DAY: New Hampshire continued the homestand with a three-game set against Indians-affiliate Akron tonight at 7:05. Right-hander Deck McGuire (5-11, 5.78 ERA), coming off a seven-inning shutout performance at Altoona, makes his 23rd start of the season.
kgray@unionleader.com