Arizona Fall League MLB Prospects Hot Sheet (10/15/18)

This version of the prospect hot sheet takes into account how Arizona Fall League players produced between Oct. 7-14. 

1. Vladimir Guerrero Jr, 3B, Blue Jays
Team: Surprise
Age: 19
Why He’s Here: .643/.667/.929 (9-for-14), 3 R, 4 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 6 RBIs, 1 BB, 1 SO, 0-for- SB

The Scoop: He hit in Double-A, he hit in Triple-A, and now he’s hitting in the AFL, continuing the trend of overmatching pitchers at every step. He looks every bit of the player who could follow in the footsteps of Gleyber Torres (2016) and Ronald Acuna (2017) who could springboard from a standout Fall League campaign into a starring role in the big leagues the next season.

2. Forrest Whitley, RHP, Astros
Team: Scottsdale
Age: 21
Why He’s Here: 0-0, 5.40, 3.1 IP, 1H, 2 R, 2 ER, 8 SO, 2 BB, 0 HR

The Scoop: Despite the blemishes on the line, Whitley’s first three innings in his AFL debut were as dominant as any in recent memory. He struck out eight of the first nine hitters he faced, and none of them had much of a chance to do any sort of damage. He crushed the opposition with an elite four-pitch mix that included a 95-97 mph fastball and a double-plus changeup to go with a hammer curveball and above-average cutter.

3. Darwinzon Hernandez, LHP, Red Sox
Team: Mesa
Age: 21
Why He’s Here: 0-0, 0.00, 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 11 SO, 1 BB, 1 HR

The Scoop: After an up-and-down year in the minor league, Hernandez has come out swinging in the AFL. Rather, hitters have come out swinging … and missing. His 11 punchouts leads the league, and he’s done so with an intriguing combination of a mid-90s fastball, hammer breaking ball and above-average changeup. He’s always been one to watch in Boston’s system, and now he’s reminding everyone why.

4. Abraham Toro-Hernandez, 3B, Astros
Team: Scottsdale
Age: 21
Why He’s Here: .545/.667/1.000 (6-for-11), 4 R, 2 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 4 RBIs, 4 BB, x 1 SO, 0-for-0 SB

The Scoop: In a system with Kyle Tucker and Forrest Whitley, it’s easy to fly somewhat under the radar the way Toro-Hernandez did, but the consistent loud contact he’s made in the AFL so far has made him very difficult to ignore. Teams have heavily shifted him when he bats lefthanded, and he beat balls through the extra defenders on multiple occasions. He also added a home run from the right side as well.

5. Peter Alonso, 1B, Mets
Team: Scottsdale
Age: 23
Why He’s Here: .500/.556/.750 (8-for-16), 6 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 4 RBIs, 2 BB, 4 SO, 2-for-2 SB

The Scoop: Alonso tied for the minor league lead in home runs this year with 36 longballs between Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Las Vegas, and he added one more to his ledger with a first-week bomb in the AFL. He’s a strong, patient hitter who knows the strike zone and could provide a welcome power boost in Citi Field early next season.

2023 Astros Top 10 Prospects Podcast

Geoff Pontes joins Kyle Glaser to break down the Houston Astros system.