Arizona Fall League Hot Sheet (Oct. 28)
This edition of the Arizona Fall League Hot Sheet takes into account what AFL players did from Oct. 21-27.
Contributing: J.J. Cooper, Vince Lara-Cinisomo and Josh Norris.
1. Anthony Alford, of, Blue Jays
Team: Mesa
Age: 22
Why He’s Here: .500/.538/1.000 (6-for-12), 4 R, 1 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 6 RBIs, 1 BB, 2 SO, 0-for-1 SB
The Scoop: One of the most tooled-up players in the AFL, Alford has shaken off the rust accumulated during a season marred by injuries. He broke out in 2015 and rocketed to No. 25 on the Top 100 Prospects before the season. He wrenched his knee early and was concussed at midseason, which limited him to just 91 games at high Class A Dunedin. Alford has popped a pair of home runs so far in the AFL and is sporting a .974 OPS at the season’s halfway mark. (JN)
2. Brian Anderson, 3b/1b, Marlins
Team: Mesa
Age: 23
Why He’s Here: .545/.615/.909 (6-for-11), 3 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBIs, 2 BB, 1 SO
The Scoop: An above-average third baseman with a plus throwing arm, Anderson is seeing time at first base as well in the AFL. The Marlins believe in his bat, and Anderson is having a breakout fall, hitting .393/.469/.643. His raw power projects to be above-average. Expected to begin 2017 at Double-A, Anderson should move to Triple-A New Orleans by midseason. (VLC)
3. Zach Vincej, ss, Reds
Team: Peoria
Age: 25
Why He’s Here: .429/.467/.857 (6-for-13), 1 R, 1 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 6 RBIs, 1 BB, 2 SO
The Scoop: The Reds have had success drafting college middle infielders with feel for the game. The list includes Justin Turner (seventh round, 2006), Chris Valaika (third round, 2006) and Adam Rosales (11th round, 2005). Vincej fits the profile as a 37th-round pick out of Pepperdine. He lacks power and doesn’t hit enough to project as a regular, but his defensive reliability is noteworthy. At Double-A Pensacola he committed just four errors all season for a .991 fielding percentage that easily led the Southern League. (JJ)
4. Tyler Marlette, c/1b, Mariners
Team: Peoria
Age: 23
Why He’s Here: .462/.462/.923 (6-for-13), 5 R, 2 HR, 5 RBIs, 0 BB, 4 SO
The Scoop: Marlette’s career has stalled in recent years. A bat-first catcher, he has to really hit to justify his fringe-average receiving. But after reaching the high Class A California League in 2014, he has spent most of the last two seasons back there. So this AFL stint is an important springboard for Marlette as he looks to prove he’s ready for a full season at Double-A. He has four multi-hit games in six starts in the AFL. (JJ)
5. Carson Kelly, c, Cardinals
Team: Glendale
Age: 22
Why He’s Here: .333/.444/.600 (5-for-15), 4 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 5 RBIs, 3 BB, 1 SO, 1-for-1 SB
The Scoop: The alumnus of this year’s Futures Game made his big league debut in September and has continued his offensive renaissance in the AFL. He showed much improved strike-zone management this year, and that’s helped boost his all-around numbers at the plate. Kelly hit .289/.343/.395 between Double-A Springfield and Triple-A Memphis this year and threw out 31 percent of basestealers. (JN)
6. Max Schrock, 2b/of, Athletics
Team: Mesa
Age: 22
Why He’s Here: .429/.429/.786 (6-for-14), 2 R, 3 2B, 1 3B, 3 RBIs, 0 BB, 1 SO, 1-for-1 SB
The Scoop: Dealt from the Nationals to the A’s at midseason in the deal that sent Marc Rzepczynski to Washington, Schrock was a 13th-round selection out of South Carolina who showed well in the Carolina League before the trade and briefly in the Texas League afterward. He uses a simple swing to make a ton of contact with more than a little power mixed in. Potomac manager Tripp Keister was impressed with the way Schrock worked on defense, especially when it came to turning the double play. (JN)
7. Eric Wood, 3b, Pirates
Team: Surprise
Age: 23
Why He’s Here: .294/.400/.706 (5-for-17), 5 R, 1 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBIs, 3 BB, 8 SO
The Scoop: Until this year, Wood had been a third baseman who hit like a utility infielder. He came into the season with a career .366 slugging percentage, but in a return to Double-A Altoona he started to drive the ball. He hit 16 home runs after hitting 15 in his first four seasons. Wood’s power spike has carried over to the AFL, where he is slugging .553. Wood might be auditioning for other teams because he probably won’t be protected for the Rule 5 draft this winter. (JJ)
8. Luiz Gohara, lhp, Mariners
Team: Peoria
Age: 20
Why He’s Here 0-0, 3.60, 3 G, 5 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 8 SO, 1 BB
The Scoop: The beefy Brazilian lefthander is coming off his best pro season, which is attributable to him getting in better shape. Gohara has trimmed down, and evaluators say his slider improved in part because he got his legs in better shape, allowing him to plant and pivot better and get depth on the pitch. He has premium velocity and touched 98 mph this season. Gohara’s 15 strikeouts are second only to Diamondbacks lefthander Jared Miller’s 16 despite pitching no more than two innings in each outing. (VLC)
9. Miguel Andujar, 3b, Yankees
Team: Scottsdale
Age: 21
Why He’s Here: .600/.583/.700 (6-for-10), 1 2B, 3 RBIs, 1 BB, 1 SO
The Scoop: One part of the Yankees’ talented contingent of prospects in the AFL, Andujar had an excellent week at the dish. Scouts are split on his future power potential and ability to stick at third base. He’s got raw juice but his crude awareness of the strike zone limits him during games. He’s got a big arm at the hot corner but isn’t the rangiest or most agile defender, which could push him to first base. (JN)
10. Michael Kopech, rhp, Red Sox
Team: Surprise
Age: 22
Why He’s Here: 0-0, 3.86, 2 GS, 7 IP, 10 H, 3 R, 7 SO, 1 BB
The Scoop: Kopech’s season began late because of an injury to his hand, which he sustained in an altercation with a teammate, but he’s making up for lost time in the AFL. On Thursday, he pitched four strong innings, allowing three hits and a run while striking out four. He reportedly touch 99 mph in the first inning and sat 96-97 for the majority of the outing. In 10 innings in the AFL, Kopech has struck out 12 and walked only one. (VLC)
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