No more Arizona, no more Hawaii, but there's plenty of baseball going on in Mexico, Venezuela, and the DR - I wish some of it was on TV.

Mexican Pacific League (MPL)

In Navajoa it must seem like an extension of the Braves organization. The hottest player on the team right now is probably Brandon Jones. He is hitting .342 over his last 10 games and has raised his average from .284 the last time we checked in on him to .301. He's kept his K/BB rates in balance with 21 walks verses 28 strikeouts in 38 games (143 AB). His power (.406 SLG in MPL) has not been as prevalent as it was during the regular season (.507 in AA; .453 in AAA). He's also having a bit of trouble stealing bases - only 2 steals in 9 attempts.

Journeyman outfielder Doug Clark is continuing his solid hitting, keeping his average at .315 and adding more power with a .456 slugging. First baseman Scott Thorman now has 8 homeruns and a .462 slugging, but is only hitting .239. He's also struck out 29 times in 31 games. Oh, and this pitcher we have named Mike Hampton threw one inning in his first MPL start, allowing one hit and striking out a batter... in case you hadn't heard yet.

Over in Hermosillo, lefty Edgar Osuna has been used like a LOOGY lately (lefty-one-out-guy), throwing to just one or two batters each time out (9.2 IP in 18 games). One of the killer-A's, Manny Acosta, is pitching well for Obregon with a 2.89 ERA in 8 games. He also seems to be working on his biggest weakness, walks, and has only given up one walk while striking out ten in 9.1 innings.

Venezuelan Winter League (VWL)

Our recently acquired young speedster, Gorkys Hernandez, continues to be below average in Venezuela, hitting just .136 with no power (.136 slugging). Let's hope that's not an indication of his true ability. Another speedster, Carl Loadenthal, has not been hitting too well of late, with a .194 ERA in his last 10 games to lower his average to .253. His speed is still there with 11 stolen bases in 14 tries. Second baseman Martin Prado is hitting just .161 (9-for-56) through 17 games.

One young speedster who is doing well is Gregor Blanco. He's in the midst of an eight game hitting streak and his current average stands at .315. What's interesting is that he's been hitting for a lot of power. The highest minor league slugging percentage he's ever posted was .401 in 2004, but in the VWL he's slugging .477 with four homeruns, two triples, and five doubles. Along with a .422 on-base percentage he's putting up this winter, he could be adding even more value in his run at the starting center field job next spring.

Starter Jeff Bennett continues his impressive winter and has not allowed an earned run in the last 11 innings spanning two starts. His ERA is at 1.25, but his opponents' batting average, while good at .246, is not quite equal to his ERA. Lefty Jose Ortegano has given up 5 earned runs in his last 4 innings, but still has a 2.38 ERA in 22.2 innings.

Dominican Winter League (DWL)

Off and on bullpen lefty John Foster has a 1.86 ERA in 11 games (9.2 IP). If he continues his good work this winter, the Braves may give him another shot at being one of the lefties out of the bullpen next year. Fancisley Bueno, who's good work as a left-handed starter went largely unnoticed between double-A and triple-A this year, is also throwing pretty well in the Dominican with a 3.98 ERA. He's a bit old to be a prospect, and he's not really a strikeout guy, but he's a lefty and might have some value out of the bullpen.

Brayan Pena has been cold at the plate lately, hitting just .179 over his last 10 games, but he's still hitting .303 on the season, which is an indication of how hot he was early in the season. Infielder Diory Hernandez continues to defy the extra-base Gods. While hitting .260 and going 26-for-100 he still has not accumulated anything other than singles - a .260 slugging. This from a guy who slugged .429 between Myrtle and Mississippi, with 33 doubles, 3 triples, and 7 homeruns. And finally, we end again with Willy Aybar. Willy's been in a slump lately and his average is down to .233, but he's got 7 walks verses only 5 strikeouts and a .313 OBP.