Players That Elevated Their Stock In The Arizona Fall League
The best team in the Arizona Fall League was the champion Salt River Rafters. As a matter of fact, their manager Keith Johnson told them on day 1 they would be champions. The squad ended the season with the best record in the AFL (17-11-1), and won 5-1 over Surprise in the final game.
Below is a team by team breakdown of the top names and performers along with players to keep an eye on as we start to look towards 2020.
SALT RIVER RAFTERS
Best Player: Royce Lewis, UTIL, Minnesota Twins
The biggest name and top performer was Royce Lewis, the first overall pick of the Minnesota Twins in 2017. When Royce Lewis first headed to the Arizona Fall League he had some evaluators questioning his hit tool after hitting .236 in 127 games during the season. But he proved to be the best player in the AFL hitting .359 while earning Arizona Fall League MVP Honors and was also named MVP of the Fall Stars game on his way to helping Salt River win the Arizona Fall League Championship. He also recorded a perfect fielding percentage while showcasing his defensive versatility spending time at second base, third base, and center field (positions he had only played once before as a professional).
Best Pitcher: Ashton Goudeau, RHP, Colorado Rockies
A draft pick of the Kansas City Royals back in 2012 out of Maple Woods Community College. He doesn’t qualify as a prospect due to him being 26 but he helped to make a name for himself this season and will be a player for Rockies fans to keep an eye on as he has a chance to possibly make it with them out of spring training after posting a 2.07 ERA at AA he was absolutely lights out in the Arizona Fall League tossing 13 shutout innings while only allowing 4 hits, zero walks, and 18 strikeouts.
As part of his three pitch mix he tosses a solid 94-95 mph fastball that plays up even more due to his plus command of it. He also uses a curveball that looks to be an above average pitch as well as a fading changeup. He got the win in the Arizona Fall League Championship tossing 2 ⅔ shutout innings and was the Rockies lone representative in the Arizona Fall Stars game.
Players to keep an eye on:
Shane Baz, RHP, Tampa Bay Rays
Shane Baz is a power pitcher that spent 2019 at Low A and he had the best stuff in the Arizona Fall League although his lack of command got the better of him leading to an 8.18 ERA. He still made a name for himself showcasing a fastball that topped out at 100 mph and was clocked multiple times at 98 mph. He also had one of the best sliders in the Arizona Fall League.
Geraldo Perdomo, SS, Arizona Diamondbacks
Geraldo Perdomo is a switch hitter and a plus fielder that spent most of the season at Low A but really held his own against more advanced competition improving both his average and slugging percentage. He hit .316 in the AFL.
Jerar Encarnacion, OF, Miami Marlins
Encarnacion has plenty of power and he showcased that well hitting a grand slam in the Arizona Fall League Championship which helped Salt River win 5-1. He also hit 16 home runs over two levels of A ball this season.
Seth Beer, 1B/OF, Arizona Diamondbacks
Beer has hit at every level he’s been at and performed well in the AFL hitting .315. Beer was part of the trade that sent Zack Greinke from the Diamondbacks to the Astros and Beer helped AA Jackson in winning the Southern League Championship.
Josh Lowe, OF, Tampa Bay Rays
Josh Lowe is the younger brother of Nate Lowe and he is a really good 5 tool talent that hit .327 in the Arizona Fall League and while combining his Fall and Regular season numbers hit 20 home runs and stole 34 bases.
Vidal Brujan, 2B, Tampa Bay Rays
Vidal Brujan can flat out fly on the bases and is believed to be a 70 or better runner that can switch hit. He reminds me of Ozzie Albies but he might be faster with less power although he did hit 2 home runs in 22 Arizona Fall League games.
SURPRISE SAGUAROS
Best Player: Daniel Lynch, LHP, Kansas City Royals
Daniel Lynch was one of the most impressive pitchers in the Arizona Fall League. He is able to touch 99 mph from the left side and is an advanced pitcher coming out of the university of Virginia last year. In addition to his fastball he also throws a slider, curveball, and changeup that all project to be above average to go along with above average command. He impressed in his starts at the both the Fall Stars Game and the Arizona Fall League Championship pitching 4 shutout innings to go along with 5 strikeouts while allowing only a hit.
Best Hitter: Luis Garcia, SS, Washington Nationals
Luis Garcia was one of the youngest players in AA this season and he struggled a bit early on in the season but he was able to make adjustments and improved as the season went on. While playing in the Arizona Fall League he was the best position player on Surprise where he hit .276 while performing well at shortstop. With Luis Garcia it’s not so much the stats that make him exciting as is the fact that he will still be 19 on opening day 2020 and looks to have the ability to become a plus hitter. He’s also with an organization that’s done a good job of producing young hitters like Juan Soto and Victor Robles, and they also have the talent at the major league level to allow him to develop without rushing him to the majors right away.
Keep an eye on:
Kyle Isbel, OF, Kansas City Royals
Kyle Isbel is an advanced hitter who has performed well since being drafted in the 3rd Round in 2018. While having struggled at High A this season he had an impressive Arizona Fall League hitting .333 while homering in the Arizona Fall Stars game.
Glenn Otto, RHP, New York Yankees
Glenn Otto was drafted by the Yankees in the 5th Round in 2017 and pitched most of the season at High A where he performed well. He continued to pitch at a high level while in the Arizona Fall League posting a 1.35 ERA over 20 innings. It will be interesting to see if the Yankees decide to keep Glenn Otto or end up using him in a deal down the road. His fastball sat 93-95 mph with good life and he keeps hitters balanced with his changeup-curveball combo.
MESA SOLAR SOX
Best Player: Jo Adell, OF, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Jo Adell was easily one of the top talents in the Arizona Fall League coming in and although he struggled through an early slump he managed to hit .273 while finishing second on the team in extra bases while making it to the Fall Stars game. He is an elite talent that has a great chance of making it to the majors in 2020.
Keep an eye on:
Greg Deichmann, OF, Oakland Athletics
Greg Deichmann was drafted in 2017 out of LSU and played at AA this season where he was able to steal 19 bases in 80 games. However it wasn’t his speed that caught scouts attention as he was rounding the bases more often than he was stealing them showcasing his power to all fields while leading the AFL in Home Runs with 9.
Brandon Marsh, OF, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Brandon Marsh led Mesa in batting average (.328) and finished 2nd on the team in slugging (.522). He continues to get better and helped Mesa to have the best collection of outfielders in the Arizona Fall League. He has a nice power speed combo to go along with the ability to play centerfield if need be.
SCOTTSDALE SCORPIONS
Best Player: Joey Bart, C, San Francisco Giants
Scottsdale was loaded with talented hitters including two of the top 3 overall players selected in the 2018 MLB Draft as well as the Arizona Fall League batting champ, but it was Joey Bart the 2nd overall pick in 2018 that had some of the most memorable performances in the Arizona Fall League as he had a multi home run game on Opening night of the Arizona Fall League and hit a grand slam in another game. Bart showed his plus defensive ability and he looks to be getting closer to making an impact at the major league level with his only issue being durability as he had his season end early due to a fractured right thumb.
Best Pitcher: Spencer Howard, RHP, Philadelphia Phillies
Spencer Howard made plenty of noise and was one of the most impressive pitchers in the AFL while recording a 2.45 ERA. He also posted a 2.03 ERA during the regular season and impressed in the Eastern League playoffs when he struck out 9 hitters over 5.1 innings pitch while showcasing a fastball that topped out at 98 mph. Howard continued to show that same impressive velocity in fact topping out at 99 mph while usually sitting around 96 mph throughout his starts in the Arizona Fall League. He will also throw a slider which is his best secondary pitch, a changeup that looks to be a solid third pitch, and a curveball. His stock has improved tremendously this season.
Keep an eye on:
Alec Bohm, 3B, Philadelphia Phillies
Alec Bohm impressed with his power hitting ability primarily in BP as he hit .361 with 2 home runs in the Arizona Fall League showing off his offensive ability. While at AA this season he hit 14 home runs in 63 games. Bohm has a chance to make it to the majors in 2020 and will be a player to keep an eye on in spring training.
Andres Gimenez, SS, New York Mets
Andres Gimenez is known for his plus defensive ability but he also impressed as a hitter leading the Arizona Fall League with a .371 average.
Connor Seabold, RHP, Philadelphia Phillies
Connor Seabold doesn’t garner as much attention as Spencer Howard because his stuff isn’t nearly as dominant but Seabold is an advanced pitcher that was drafted out of Cal State Fullerton that knows how to pitch. Despite having an average 3 pitch mix that consists of a 90-93 mph fastball, changeup, and slider, he has above average control and works well mixing speeds. He recorded a 2.25 ERA at AA, and was even more lights out in the Arizona Fall League as he recorded a 1.06 ERA with 22 strikeouts to just 3 walks over 17 innings.
PEORIA JAVELINAS
Best Player: Julio Rodriguez, OF, Seattle Mariners
Julio Rodriguez was the youngest player in the Arizona Fall League and one of the most highly anticipated players as he absolutely dominated High A pitching posting a slash line of .462/.514/.738 over 17 games at that level despite being just 18. He might not have had any huge games while playing in the Arizona Fall League but he showed impressive raw power in BP and still hit .288, not bad for a player making his debut in the United States in his first full season. Look for more to come from the young slugger as he has plus hit tools and plus makeup, he would probably be the best teen prospect in the minors if it weren’t for Wander Franco.
Best Pitcher: Forrest Whitley, RHP, Houston Astros
Forrest Whitley was the top pitching prospect heading into the Arizona Fall League but he had lots of questions to answer as he struggled posting a 7.99 ERA during the regular season. Whitley performed well returning to the form that helped make him one of the best pitching prospects in the minors leading the AFL in strikeouts and wins while recording a 2.57 ERA. Whitley has some of the best stuff in the minors with a plus mid 90s fastball that touches the upper 90s, plus changeup, plus curveball, and plus slider. He can absolutely dominate and be lights out when he has command of his pitches but will need to do so on a more consistent basis. He has a good chance to make it to the majors in 2020
Keep an eye on:
Penn Murfee, RHP, Seattle Mariners
Penn Murfee was a lesser known player lasting until the 33rd round in 2018 but he made a ton of noise in his first full season as a pro. He started the season at High A but pitched well enough to make it up to AAA and continued to impress in the Arizona Fall League where he finished 2nd in the Arizona Fall League in strikeouts. He will definitely be a player to keep an eye on heading into 2020 as he has proven this year that he has the talent to make it to the majors probably sooner than most would have expected. He has really good control and is kinda funky in the fact that he will use different arm angles to go along with his crossfire delivery. His arsenal includes a fastball, sinker, and slider.
Logan Driscoll, C, San Diego Padres
Logan was the first player from the 2019 MLB draft to make his debut in the Arizona Fall League and he didn’t disappoint as he homered twice in his first game. He will be an interesting player to follow as it seems like he could be a fast track player if he can continue to build on the strong performance he had in the AFL in his first full season in 2020.
Reggie Lawson, RHP, San Diego Padres
Reggie Lawson was a 2nd round draft pick of the Padres in 2016 and his minor league ERA and WHIP have never been great although he has plenty of swing and miss stuff with a solid 92-95 mph fastball with late life and a sharp curveball that projects to be an above average or better pitch. He has posted an impressive 11.7 K/9 at AA this year and he put up impressive stats in the Arizona Fall League as well with a 0.82 ERA. If he can gain more confidence and pitch like he did in the AFL he could possibly get a look with the major league club sometime next year, but he will need to be more consistent in order to get there.
Jared Oliva, OF, Pittsburgh Pirates
Jared Oliva had an impressive showing in the Arizona Fall League hitting .312 while showcasing a nice line drive approach that might be able to produce 10-15 home run power while also showing off a patient approach at the plate. One evaluator told me that Oliva reminded them somewhat of a Brian Reynolds type player and he’s a good base runner despite average speed.
Jarren Duran, OF, Boston Red Sox
Jarren Duran had an impressive first full season in making it to the Futures Game as well as the Arizona Fall Stars Game. He is in some ways similar to Jared Oliva but a year younger and he’s a left handed hitter where as Oliva is a right handed hitter, Duran is faster and a better base runner while Oliva might have the better hit tool. Duran collected 179 hits with 53 stolen bases in 155 games this season. He will be a player to keep an eye on in Spring training as he’s already played in 50 games at AA and might start off 2020 in AAA.
GLENDALE
Best Player: Tyler Stephenson, C, Cincinnati Reds
Tyler Stephenson has continued to impress with his all around play as he continues to improve his defense he has also proven that he can hit and hit for power as evidenced by his strong performance in the Arizona Fall Stars game in which he homered to the farthest part of the ballpark. He was honored with the best sportsmanship award. Tyler Stephenson will definitely be a player to keep an eye on as he has a chance to make it to the majors as soon as next year.
Best Pitcher: Victor Castaneda, RHP, Milwaukee Brewers
Castaneda was not a very well known prospect coming out of the Mexican League at 18 back in 2017. He pitched well enough to earn a spot on the Low A full season roster this season and pitched okay for it being his first full season but he really opened eyes with his performance in the Arizona Fall League as he recorded a 1.99 ERA while finishing 3rd in strikeouts his arsenal includes a fastball, splitter, and changeup. He was named to the Arizona Fall Stars game and also won a Pitcher of the Week award.
