AFL Scottsdale at Salt River 10.26.15

Notable Performance:

— Clint Frazier had another good showing offensively. The Indians No. 2 prospect went 3-for-5 and continues to hit the ball hard as all three of his hits were line drives. However he also struck out in his last two at-bats.

Overall Frazier put together a real nice game as he scored three runs and stole a pair of bases. Read more about his afternoon on mlbpipeline.com.

Best Play(s):

— Boston’s middle infield prospects were impressive. Shortstop Tzu-Wei Lin showed some nice range and arm strength in the first as he fielded a ball deep in the hole and threw across the diamond for the out. Two batters later, second baseman Carlos Asuaje – the club’s No. 23 prospect, fielded a ball in the hole and made a quick throw to second for the force out, showing quick feet in the process. Asuaje isn’t projected to be an elite defender, but had a nice showing Monday.

Best At-Bat:

— Adam Brett Walker II hit a monster three-run homer in the top of the ninth. I’ve heard a lot about the Twins’ prospects power, but had yet to witness it in person. Although there are still questions and doubts about his skills defensively, his power is real.

Worth Mentioning:

— Red Sox No. 11 Sam Travis also had a three-hit day and looked good offensively.

— D-backs prospect Yoan Lopez struggled once again. The young right-hander showed good flashes in his first two starts, but didn’t look nearly as good Monday. Lopez tossed 3 2/3 innings, gave up seven hits, walked one and hit a pair of batters. He also surrendered five runs – four earned. Lopez has struggled with command often in his career and that was the case once again as he left several balls up in the zone.

— Giants prospect Adalberto Mejia had a good outing through four innings, but when he came out for the fifth everything changed. The left-hander may have run out of gas as he gave up a leadoff single and then walked a pair of batters before he was lifted. All in all Mejia threw four-plus innings, gave up four hits and a trio of runs.

AFL Mesa at Peoria 10.21.15

Notable Performances:

— After a strong 2015 campaign, Reds No. 6 prospect Nick Travieso didn’t disappoint in his Arizona Fall League debut.

The right-hander was nearly perfect as he walked one and struck out four in three scoreless innings. The former first-round pick threw 16 of 24 pitches for strikes and showed off good command throughout his start. Read more about him on MLBpipeline.com.

Best Play:

— Reds prospect Phillip Ervin showed off his throwing arm in center. After catching a medium-depth fly ball, Ervin fired a strike to third base and nearly threw the runner out trying to advance from second. However, Peoria appealed and insisted the runner left the bag early. Following the appeal, he was called out.

Worth Mentioning:

— Left-handed pitcher Sean Manaea was really impressive in his Fall League debut last week and through two innings Wednesday it was more of the same.

But then came the third. After a pair of strong innings to start the game, Manaea lost some command in the third as he walked one, hit a batter and gave up four hits in that fateful frame.

While the third inning was disappointing, Manaea finished four innings having allowed three runs on five hits. Take away the third and he had a trio of 1-2-3 innings.

Although Manaea lost command in the third, his slider looked really good in the other innings and it’s easy to see why the Oakland organization wanted to acquire him.

— After Manaea left, a pair of A’s relievers came in and both looked good. Aaron Kurcz tossed a 1-2-3 inning with one strikeout and was followed up by Kris Hall and Brendan McCurry, who did the same.

— Cubs prospect Willson Contreras had a good day at the plate with a pair of doubles. Contreras doubled off the wall in left-center in the fourth and hit one to the warning track in right field in the seventh. He also hit a game tying two-run homer in the eighth.

— Marlins shortstop prospect J.T. Riddle had an RBI double off the right-field wall. Riddle is really starting to drive the ball as he doubled and homered in Tuesday night’s game.

— Braves prospect Mauricio Cabrera was clocked at 102 MPH on the radar gun. Of course, when you throw that hard, you’re susceptible to a long home run, which Cabrera gave up to Contreras.

AFL Mesa at Scottsdale 10.20.15

Notable Performances:

— Lefthander Adalberto Mejia, the Giants No. 12 prospect, had an up and down start. Right out of the gate Mejia struck out the side in the first inning and looked like he had great stuff.

But then he walked the bases loaded – his only three walks of the evening — and gave up a run in the second.

Overall, there was more good than bad in Mejia’s start as he finished five innings and allowed one run on one hit. He also struck out seven.

Best Plays:

— Jeimer Candelario, the Cubs 20th ranked prospect, is really making a name for himself so far in the Arizona Fall League. The third baseman was named co-player of the week after going 8-for-10 through the first three games, then made a nice play defensively Tuesday night.

Candelario fielded a hot shot behind the bag at third and after an initial bobble, made a strong throw across the diamond for the out. Really impressive arm strength.

— Marlins prospect J.T. Riddle made the play of the night with a diving stop up the middle. The shortstop made a nice stop on a hard-hit ground ball and turned what looked to be a hit into a 6-4-3 double play.

Riddle then homered in the next half inning. Read more about his night on MLBpipeline.com.

Best At-Bat:

— Indians No. 2 prospect Clint Frazier hit a massive opposite-field three-run homer in the third inning. Frazier is off to a great start in the AFL and has hit really well over the first two weeks.

— Candelario didn’t want to be outdone so in the sixth inning he hit a homer of his own. The Chicago farmhand hit a massive two-run shot to out to right that would have been gone in any ballpark.

Worth Mentioning:

— Pierce Johnson, the Cubs No. 7 prospect, had mixed results in his outing, similar to his first AFL start. The right-hander threw four innings and allowed three runs – the Frazier homer – on three hits. In the first inning it appeared Johnson was having trouble picking up the signs from the catcher so that may have been a cause for some of the struggles, but either way his stuff wasn’t crisp.

In the bullpen, Johnson said he didn’t have a good feel for his off-speed pitches and it looked like that carried over into the game.

AFL Salt River at Surprise 10.20.15

Notable Performances:

—  Adrian Houser, the Brewers No. 27 prospect, put together a strong outing after a rough beginning. Houser didn’t look to have his best stuff and struggled with command in the first inning. However, after escaping that frame via Wisdom’s double play, Houser settled down and found his rhythm.

The right-hander allowed two hits over 3 1/3 shutout innings. He walked two and struckout one. In two AFL starts, Houser has totaled six innings and allowed no runs on three hits. Read more about Houser on MLBpipeline.com.

— Royals No. 5 prospect Bubba Starling notched a two-hit day his third multi-hit performance in five Arizona Fall League games.

Best Play:

Cardinals third baseman Patrick Wisdom, the club’s No. 12 prospect, showed off some defensive versatility right away as he turned a double play to end the top of the first. Wisdom caught a foul ball up against the stands down the left field line and promptly threw home to get the runner tagging from third. Scouts believe Wisdom has above-average arm strength and that play certainly supported that theory.

Worth Mentioning:

— D-backs No. 5 prospect Yoan Lopez followed up what was a relatively successful first AFL start with a disappointing one. The 22-year old allowed two earned runs across four innings in his first outing of the fall, but on Tuesday he lasted just 2 2/3 innings and gave up three runs on a walk and five hits.

Lopez looked good early, but lost command in the third as six of the first seven batters of the frame reached. Lack of command has plagued Lopez early in his career and it looks like that’s still the case. As for his stuff, Lopez’s fastball topped out at 96 MPH, his cutter sat at 88 MPH and his slider topped out at 85 MPH.

— Michael Reed, the Brewers No. 17 prospect – came through with an RBI single in the third, but finished just 1-for-4. Wisdom also had an RBI single and was 2-for-4 on the afternoon.

AFL 10.19.15 Glendale at Peoria

Notable Performances:

Monday night’s game was a great one for the Glendale pitching staff. Phillies prospect Yacksel Rios started the game with three no-hit innings and a trio of relievers threw no-hit innings after that.

Peoria didn’t notch its’ first hit until the seventh – and promptly scored a pair of runs – but it was still a good day for the Glendale arms as they allowed just two runs on three hits in the hitter-friendly AFL.

Best Play:

Atlanta’s Connor Lien caught a line drive in centerfield that appeared to be over his head. The outfield made a nice read on the ball and made a leaping grab as the ball was above him.

Best At-Bat:

It may not have been the “best” at-bat, but at the time it was the most important. Padres prospect Nick Torres led off the seventh inning with a single up the middle – ending Glendale’s bid for a combined no-hitter.

Worth Mentioning:

— White Sox No. 17 prospect Adam Engel drove in the game’s first run with an RBI single and finished 2-for-3 on the night. Engel isn’t the best hitting prospect in the world and is known more for his speed as he stole 65 bases this past season.

Engel’s speed was on display once again Monday as he went 1-for-2 in stolen base attempts. Read more about his night on MLBpipeline.com.

— The 2015 season was a forgettable one for Mariners’ James Paxton (he missed the bulk of the season with multiple injuries) and Monday’s start was equally forgettable.

Paxton pitched 3 1/3 innings and allowed three runs – one earned – on five hits. However, the two unearned runs came as a result of Paxton’s own throwing error.

The left-hander got off to a strong start and looked good through the first two frames, but things fell apart in the third. The leadoff man reached via the Paxton error and then one strikeout later he surrendered three consecutive hits.

After retiring the first batter of the fourth, he gave up back-to-back hits and his night was complete.

AFL 10.19.15 Surprise at Salt River

Notable Performance:

Left-handed pitcher Ian Clarkin, the Yankees No. 7 prospect got the start for Surprise and allowed one run in four innings. Clarkin was a first-round selection in 2013 (33rd overall) and although he has plenty of talent, his young career has been hampered by injuries. The 20-year old appeared in just three games in 2013 because of a sprained ankle and missed all of the 2015 regular season with elbow troubles. In 2014, pitching for both Class-A Tampa and Class-A Charleston, he went 4-3 with a 3.12 ERA in 17 games – 16 starts. Read about Clarkin’s performance on MLBpipeline.com.

Best Plays:

— Cardinals shortstop prospect Aledmys Diaz made a nice play in the second inning as he fielded the ground ball up the middle, did a 360 turn and then threw to first for the out. Not the most challenging play in the world, but not an easy play either.

Later in the inning, Diaz made another nice play as he ranged to right to field a ball in the hole and was still able to start the 6-4-3 double play.

*Diaz did commit a throwing error in the sixth.

— Lewis Brinson, a Rangers prospect, made a terrific diving play in center to end the seventh.

— D-backs prospect Daniel Palka has impressed me multiple times with a strong arm in right. The clubs’ No. 29 prospect made another strong throw Monday afternoon on a flyball as he threw home and kept the runner at third.

Worth Mentioning:

— Brett Phillips hit leadoff for Surprise and after drawing a walk to start the game he stole second one batter later. Phillips, the second-ranked prospect in the Brewers’ organization, got a tremendous jump and stole the bag easily – despite a small stumble after taking a few steps. He stole 17 bases in the regular season.

Phillips later doubled and finished 1-for-3. He also made a strong throw from right to retire a runner trying to go from first to third on a single.

— The Mets’ Dominic Smith continues to impress at the plate. Smith has a really smooth swing and came through with a pair of singles and an RBI on Monday. Smith finished Monday’s game 3-for-3 and is now 6-for-8 in the Arizona Fall League.

AFL 10.15.15 Salt River at Peoria

Notable Performances:

— Jason Garcia, the 16th ranked prospect in the Orioles organization, impressed with a strong start. The right-hander threw two scoreless innings, allowed one hit and struck out five.

Garcia got some good experience after making his Major League debut this season and is hoping to build on that in the Fall League.

— Rowdy Tellez is a bit of a free swinger – he struck out three times Thursday – but he’s still fun to watch hit. The Blue Jays’ prospect had both a two-run single and a two-run homer in Thursday’s game and has eight RBIs in his first two AFL games.

— Nationals prospect Chris Bostick was the star of the game with two go-ahead homers. The former 44th round pick got a lot of carry on the first home run, but the second was a no-doubter. Read more about him here.

— Reds No. 11 prospect Phillip Ervin came through with a game-tying RBI double in the seventh and showed good range in centerfield.

AFL 10.14.15 Salt River at Scottsdale

Notable Performances:

— Tigers No. 10 prospect SS JaCoby Jones hit a three-run homer in the first and a solo shot in the third. Jones was really impressive at the plate Wednesday night. You can read more about him in my article on MLBpipeline.com.

— Indians No. 2 prospect Clint Frazier went opposite field with a two-run homer in the first. Frazier hit 16 homers this season and has plenty of power.

— Twins No. 13 prospect Taylor Rogers had a nice night on the mound. The left-hander made one mistake – which Guerrero hammered for a homer – but was otherwise in complete control.

Rogers allowed one run on two hits in four innings of work. He also struck out five.

 Best Play:

— Indians prospect Todd Hankins made a nice play at second base as he leapt and snared a screaming liner in the second. Off the bat it looked like an easy hit on a hit-and-run, but instead it turned into a highlight reel double play.

— Not to be outdone, Sam Travis also made a nice play on a liner just past the bag at first. The ball appeared to be by Travis for a double into the right-field corner, but he was able to snag it at the last minute for the out.

Best At-Bat:

— Scottsdale scored 13 runs on 16 hits, so I’ll leave this category open for their entire lineup.

Worth Mentioning:

— Boston’s No. 11 prospect Sam Travis drove in the first run of the game with an RBI double down the left field line in the first. However, the second round pick from a year ago didn’t do much in his other at-bats and finished 2-for-6.

— D-backs prospect Gabby Guerrero, nephew of former MLB All-Star Vladimir Guerrero, reminded everyone of his uncle with a big home run to left-center. Gabby hit just seven home runs during the regular season, but hit 18 in 2014 so seeing him flash some power is not a complete surprise.

AFL 10.14.15 Glendale at Mesa

My MLB.com game recap

Notable Performances:

— Athletics prospect Sean Manaea got the start for Mesa. The left-hander, ranked as the No. 3 prospect in Oakland’s organization, was a big piece in the trade that sent Ben Zobrist to the Royals at this year’s Trade Deadline.

Manaea missed the first half of 2014 with injuries, but over the second half of the year he showed why expectations are so high. In 14 starts, Manaea posted a 2.66 ERA and struck out 51 batters in 42 2/3 innings.

On Wednesday, the left-hander got off to a bit of a shaky start — allowed one run on two hits in the first — but set down 10 in a row to finish his outing. Manaea finished four innings and allowed one run on two hits.

Best Play(s):

— Angels prospect Eric Aguilera made a diving stop at first base to take away a hit in the first inning. He also had two hits and two RBIs.

— Pirates No. 2 prospect Austin Meadows made an impressive throw from right field to home plate. The throw was right on line and one-hopped the plate. On the 20-80 scouting scale, one scout gave it a 55, another a 60. However, later in the game he had a similar opportunity and the throw wasn’t nearly as impressive.

The arm strength is there, the consistency needs some work.

 Worth Mentioning:

— Angels catching prospect Stephen McGee hit just two home runs in 68 games this season, but he tapped into that power in the second inning with a home run to left. The prospect later doubled and caught a runner stealing with a real quick pop and perfect throw to second.

— Cubs No. 19 prospect Jeimer Candelario two well hit singles to right in first two at-bats. Then showed a little bit of pop with a ground rule double to right-center in his third trip to the plate.

AFL 10.13.15: Scottsdale at Salt River

Notable Performances:

— Yoan Lopez, the D-backs No. 5 prospect, threw four innings and allowed two runs. Lopez went 1-6 with a 4.69 ERA in AA this year and a lot of the 22-year old’s struggles were related to his inconsistent command. The right-hander – who was throwing in the mid-90s – had some command issues during his outing (had a batter 0-2, then threw four straight balls to open the third), but also struck out five.

— Mets No. 5 prospect Dominic Smith comes into the Arizona Fall League with a reputation as a good hitter and so far he’s lived up to the billing. Smith hit .305 with 79 RBIs in the Florida State League this season and picked up right where he left off as he crushed a double to left in the first inning. Smith doubled again in the fourth. Read more about Smith here.

— Rowdy Tellez, the Blue Jays’ 8th ranked prospect, had some nice at-bats as well. Tellez smoked a ball for a sacrifice fly in the first and then hit another ball hard for an RBI double into the left field corner in the fourth. He also had a two-run single in the fifth. 

Best Play(s):

— D-backs prospect Daniel Palka showed off his arm in right in the second inning as he threw out a runner at second. After a Clint Frazier single, the runner advancing to second took a wide turn and Palka threw behind him to get the out.

The next batter, with a runner on third, hit a fly ball to the D-backs No. 29 prospect, who fired a strike to the plate and kept the runner from scoring.

— Dominic Smith shows up here as well thanks to a diving stop at first in the fifth. Smith showed off some impressive range and athleticism on the play. However, Smith also bobbled a throw in the fourth (he wasn’t charged with an error as the throw from third got to him on a shorthop), but it’s a ball he feels he should have had.