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There is simply no such thing as the Arizona Fall League.
Where else can you find a roster with top prospects and make room for them Test your skills against top talent? It’s often repeated that you shouldn’t put too much stock in AFL stats, and while that’s true given the small sample size and physical exhaustion, the cream tends to rise to the top.
With the AFL’s 30th season on the books, we dive deep into the record books to This year’s performance is placed in historical context.
Left strikes World
Might be hard to announce rescuers For the most dominant pitcher in AFL history, but Evan Reifert (Rays) can finish the case as well as anyone. In eight appearances for Mesa, the 23-year-old faced 40 batters and struck out an otherworldly 25, hitting just one hit in the process — in his Only played a poor single in the last game of . His annual rescue award seems to almost underestimate what he has accomplished.
Reifert’s 62.5% The strikeout rate is the best single-season record in AFL history, facing at least 40 batters, surpassing Darwinson in 2018. Hernandez (49%) improved significantly. Tommy Hanson, author of arguably the best season for a starting pitcher in the AFL, “only” collected a 46.7% strikeout rate in 2008. Reifert .028 Average batting average of opponents ? Also a record for the fall league.
A year ago, Reifert was on a small deal with the Brewers. He’s positioning himself to reach the upper minors in early 2023 after a stellar performance in Arizona quelled concerns about his command.
Julian Amazing Strength and Patience
Quebec won the AFL on its own The Player of the Year award is for good reason. Edward Julian (twins No. 14) won the league’s batting title with a .400 tie and hit five straight home runs to lead the league by one stroke.
Four of the long balls were done in approximately 24 hours. Julian hit two straight home runs for Glendale on October 22 and 24 , This feat has only been accomplished in the AFL since game logs became available in 2005 (Braxton-Davidson, 2018). While those two games improved Julian’s slugging percentage, his .535 batting average in a single game Ranked third in league history for a season, proving his proficiency in finding grass.
Julian is now No. 3 in another category; his this fall .563 hit percentage trails only Dustin Ackley (.581, 2010) and Nate Roberts (.565), 2012 ) on the single-season leaderboard. Julian walks (23) more than he strikes out (22), which only cements his status as the Minor’s most disciplined hitter. (50 players with 1,000 appearances since 2021 — Julian’s 0.437 OBP is 45 points ahead of second-place Miguel Vargas.)
Veen will not stop running
puts the AFL’s performance in counting stats categories — home runs, RBIs, doubles, etc. — – Fighting each other through the ages, yes ‘it’s not exactly the best way. The AFL’s early seasons featured around 50 games each, and this year no team has played more than 30.
So on the surface, Zach Wayne (No. No. 1, MLB’s No. 23) The 16 bases that Salt River stole this year is notable, but as nine other players have had at or above that total in the fall league season. But on a percentage basis, his 0.75 stolen bases is the most of any AFL player who has played at least 20 games , beat Eric Young Jr. (2008) and Chase d’Arnaud (2009) by 0.65 swipes per game.
After Veen stole 91 bases in his first two career seasons, he The skill on base is undeniable. If he carries his .444 AFL hit rate with him, he won’t have any problem unlocking it in the upper tier.
Thomas and Sheehan in Double-digit double
AFL’s Offense is certainly better known than pitching, as you’ve probably seen from the trends in this column by now. The last thing any organization wants to see is one of their prospects getting injured so the innings are carefully managed and the starting pitchers can’t finish them The thing that started (the last full AFL game was in 1996).
That’s what made Thomas’ night on October 17 even more special. Salt River’s 10 strikeouts are the only ones since Kyle Zimmer and Connor Thomas (No. 24 Cardinals) in 2014 Did it in four rounds. However, these types of performances tend to come in groups. Before Zimmer, the last pitchers to hit double figures were Hanson (he did it twice, unbelievably) and Phil Hughes in 2008. Before that, Jered Weaver and Brian Murphy, both in 2005.
This year, it was Emmet Sheehan (Dodgers 22) who got the job done No). In Glendale’s penultimate game, the right wing went 10 on five scoreless runs, including an eight-run streak. It’s certainly fitting that these two people do it. Thomas (1.50) and Sheehan (3.54) rank first and second among pitchers with at least 20 innings thrown this year.
Quero after the dish Dominant
Luis Matos Won the AFL Defensive Player of the Year award for his performance in midfield, but I’m not sure if anyone has a better position than Jefferson Guerro (No. 7 Brewers) in Glendale Impressed at the age of 20.
More AFL runners this year (245) than any since 2012 Seasons have stolen more bags, at least in part because Quero can’t get behind for each of them. Still, when he was, he was excellent. Quero’s 45.8% steal rate tops qualified backers, Good with 26.3% ahead of second place Henry Davis and Adam Hackenberg. Since 2005, only Gary Sanchez (61.5 percent, 2015) has faced as many attempts as Quero — he’s 13-of-24 from the field — and knocked them out at a higher rate.
Here’s an extra note: Quero in front of Salt River’s Statcast system In one game, he threw a pitch to the second at 86.9 mph (although the runner did go on a course that was ruled wild). Of MLB’s 120 catchers last season, only 14 threw the ball as fast as Quero’s. Again, as one of the youngest players in the fall league, impressive stuff.
Kjerstad covers his Base
Heston Kjerstad (Orioles No. 1) 9) got off to a bang at the start of the fall league and never slowed down. He hit seven bases — a homer, a double and a single — for Scottsdale on Opening Day — a harbinger of what’s to come, as he hit it on two other occasions. total. (The last player to play three games for a total of seven bases in an AFL season was Pete Alonso in 2018.)
Kjerstad won this year’s MVP award for this consistency. His
61 totals
lead with 10 over the past 10 seasons , his 74 bases in 2021 are second only to Nelson Velázquez. The fact that Kelstad is back in action this season after a two-year absence with myocarditis is notable in itself. He was far ahead in the race, which was even more impressive.
Mervis lives up to its name
When Chicago’s No. 2 rookie Brennan Davis was quick to correct when he was asked about his playmaking partner after his stellar performance earlier in the fall league. “You mispronounced his name – actually
Mash Mervis ,” Davis said.
Matt Merwes (No. 21 Cubs) hit 36 ​​homers in the regular season Then join Mesa and play six more balls to tie the league-leading with Yankees rookie Tyler Hardman. As mentioned, this raw total is historically unimportant — 126 players hit six or more home runs in an AFL season — but how often Mervis smashes them, his
10.2 AB/HR rate Top 10 with minimum 60 at-bats. For example, Kjerstad has 1 fewer home runs than Mervis, but they hit an average of nearly 10 more at-bats between them.
