With the Arizona Fall League roughly twenty games deep for each
team, we figured it might be a good time to take a look at the
prospects we told you about before it all started and see how they are
doing. The premiere fall league for prospects, the AFL is full of
rosters that are loaded with potential big leaguers. Listed below are
players who are already on the prospect map or who are well on their
way to becoming legitimate prospects. Obviously most of the stats below
have to be taken with a grain of salt since the sample size on all of
them is so small.
Mesa Solar Sox
J.R. Towles - Catcher - Houston
Towles went 3-for-7 in just 4 games before being removed from the league by the Astros, who felt that he had enough work this season.
Jed Lowrie - SS - Boston
Lowrie
has failed to impress, totaling just 13 hits in 66 at-bats (.197) thus
far. He does, however, have six extra-base hits - five doubles - and
nearly as many walks as strikeouts (7 BB vs. 8 K).
Matt LaPorta - OF - Milwaukee
While
his contact rates are a little below the ideal level, Matt LaPorta has
been solid in Arizona. The 22-year-old has mashed four home runs,
amassed a .863 OPS, and reached base 33 times in 21 games. LaPorta has
appeared exclusively in left field.
Phoenix Desert Dogs
Hayden Penn - Pitcher - Baltimore
The
Orioles sent Penn to the AFL to get some work in and he has struggled,
allowing 13 earned runs and 18 hits in just 13.1 innings. The lone
bright spot is he has struck out 17 in that previously mentioned
timespan.
Anthony Swarzak - Pitcher - Minnesota
Swarzak
has taken steps toward puting his troubled season behind him in
Arizona, tossing 13.0 solid innings for Phoenix. Batters are hitting
.220 against him and he has only walked three while striking out eight.
Andrew McCutchen - OF - Pittsburgh
The
power spike has certainly not come in Arizona for McCutchen, as he has
yet to homer and has only has four extra-base hits through 20 games.
But the speed is there, as he has stolen six bases in nine attempts. He
has also walked 10 times while only striking out nine.
Trevor Plouffe - IF - Minnesota
Plouffe
started off shaky but has rebounded to post a .261 average (12-for-46).
He has still yet to hit a home run and has more than twice as many
strikeouts as walks (6 BB vs. 13 K).
Steve Pearce - OF - Pittsburgh
Steven
Pearce went 8-for-26 with five XBH (2 HR) in six games with Team USA in
the AFL. Along with Team China, Team USA played a couple series worth
of games in the AFL in the end of October.
Peoria Javelinas
Jeff Clement - Catcher - Seattle
Clement
has followed up his successful 2007 season with a strong showing in the
AFL thus far. He's 10-for-33 (.303) with two doubles and home runs, a
far cry better than he was in his small sample of Hawaii Winter League
at-bats last season.
Matt Tuiasosopo - Inf - Seattle
Tuiasosopo has hit for average but has just five XBH - all doubles - through 15 games.
Dexter Fowler - OF - Colorado
Coming
off an injury plagued 2007 (wrist surgery), Dexter Fowler needs the AFL
to get rid of some rust and get back on prospect maps. He has not
impressed in his first 17 games. The 6-foot-4, 173-pounder is just
15-for-66 with a .626 OPS and two stolen bases in three attempts.
Justin Maxwell - OF - Washington
A
23-year-old who stole 35 bases and hit 27 home runs in the lower minors
(split the season between high and low-A), Maxwell has done his damage
on the bases by swiping seven bags in 19 games. But he has just 16 hits
through 79 at-bats - seven for extra bases.
Peoria Saguaros
Jair Jurrjens - P - Atlanta
The biggest news surrounding Jurrjens this fall has been his involvement in the trade that brought Edgar Renteria to Detroit.
Greg Miller - P - Los Angeles Dodgers
What
happened to Greg Miller? The former top prospect is currently sporting
a 2.88 WHIP though 8.0 innings pitched, having walked seven and struck
out 13. The strikeouts are nice; the .432 batting
average against not so much.
Josh Outman - P - Philadelphia
One
of my favorite prospects in the minor leagues, the Out Man allowed one
run in six innings while walking one and striking out five for Team
USA. He put up an 8-to-2 strikeout-to-walk rate in three AFL starts. In
total, Outman has surrendered six earned runs on 16 hits through 13.2
fall innings.
Matt Antonelli - 2B - San Diego
Arguably
the best prospect in the Padres system offensively, Antonelli must have
left his bat in San Antonio. Over a 13-game span, he has no homers and
just 11 hits (44 at-bats). He also has yet to steal a base after
swiping 28 in 37 regular-season attempts (75.7% success).
Cameron Maybin - OF - Detroit
Cameron
hurt his shoulder again in the AFL and its uncertain if he will return
to action before the end of the season. While on the field, he had just
seven hits in 32 at-bats (.219) with two homers and two stolen bases.
Scottsdale Scorpions
Jonathan Sanchez - P - San Francisco
Sanchez
was suffering from a strained oblique muscle and was removed from the
Scorpions roster prior to throwing a pitch for the team this fall.
Max Scherzer - P - Arizona
Mad
Max Scherzer has been pitching out of the bullpen in Arizona and doing
quite well. That first sentence might be repeated in the next few years
as many believe that he is best suited in a relief
role. Scherzer has 13 strikeouts and 5 walks through 9.0 innings. He has allowed just four hits and given up only two runs.
Reid Brignac - IF - Tampa Bay
I'd
be willing to bet that Reid Brignac just wants 2007 to be over. Before
the season he was hyped up to be the possible starting shortstop in
Tampa Bay by the end of the summer. And he has not
looked anywhere
near ready at the plate this fall. Through 75 at-bats, he has one homer
and just 11 hits (.147). Adding further reason for concern, he has 14
strikeouts to go against just three walks.
Evan Longoria - IF - Tampa Bay
Evan
Longoria's name is going to echo through major league stadiums for
years on end. Before being sent to Team USA, Longoria hit four homers
and doubled four times, pushing his hit total to 14 in 44 at-bats, good
enough for a monster OPS of 1.062.
Travis Snider - OF - Toronto
It's
important to remember that this is still Snider's first full season of
pro ball. And he has done nothing to disappoint all of his fans at
Project Prospect this fall. In 17 games, Snider has eight extra-base
knocks - two home runs - and 23 hits, helping him to a 1.003 OPS.
Snider could wind up being the top hitter in the minors in 2008.
Surprise Rafters
Taylor Teagarden - C/DH - Texas
Teagarden
has done nothing in the AFL to hurt his stock going into 2008. Through
32 at-bats, he has ten hits (.313) including two homers and is slugging
a robust .531.
Chris Davis - IF - Texas
Chris
Davis is a taxi squad member so he doesn't play regularly. His sample
size is extremely small - only 13 at bats - but he has homered, though
that accounted for just one of his three hits this fall.
Trevor Crowe - OF - Cleveland
A
player who also participated in the AFL last year, Crowe has held his
own this time around after a disappointing 2007 season. In 38 at bats,
he has 11 hits (.289) to go with two homers. He also has been caught
stealing twice in five attempts.
Chris Lubanski - OF - Kansas City
Lubanski's average (.203) is not very impressive but he has totalled six extra-base hits in 16 games - one home run.
John Mayberry - OF - Texas
Mayberry
has brought his power stroke to Arizona, hitting four homers in 57 at
bats. Unfortunately he has not done much else, as he has just 12 hits
(.211 batting average) - his eight other hits have all been singles.
Mayberry also has nine walks to go along with 11 strikeouts.
Chris Loupos can be reached at loopdog1@aol.com.