Arizona Fall League Thread

[Jim Goulart]

 

[Jim Goulart]

Box Score

Scottsdale wins, 4-3, now 2-1-1 on the season

Pregame mini-thread:

Within that box score link, you'll see it was a quiet day for the trio, 1-for-11 with a walk, four K's (Payne single, Bitonti base on balls). Bitonti stole a base and scored a run.

No Brewers pitched.

Should you wish to go hunting at-bats, game archive is here.

***

8:30 Central Thursday for Scottsdale's next game, again available via MLB video.

Box score will be here, and it'll also be available for live viewing via MLB.com.

Late Thursday night / early Friday AM, you'll find highlights and the game archive here.

[Jim Goulart]

Box Score

Scottsdale wins, 4-1, now 3-1-1 on the season

Payne, batting cleanup and playing center field (had been in corner spots), also singled, walked, and stole a base.

Eric Bitonti, playing first base, was 0-for-4 (two K's).

Matthew Wood was 1-for-3 as the designated hitter.

RHP Joshua Quezada pitched a scoreless, hitless 9th for the save, pitching around a two-out error by his third baseman.

Should you wish to go hunting at-bats or Quezada's inning, game archive is here.

3:30 Central Friday for Scottsdale's next game, again available via MLB video.

Box score will be here, and it'll also be available for live viewing via MLB.com.

Late Friday night / early Saturday AM, you'll find highlights and the game archive here.

[biedergb]

I know it's still early but the AFL doesn't seem to have the same crazy offense as the past couple of years, or maybe the pitching quality is better?  Again it's only 5 games, so that can change.

[sveumrules]

Little blurb on Braylon Payne from the Arizona Fall League Position Players Scouting Notebook over at FanGraphs today...

Payne is the best athlete in the AFL. He’s twitchy, he’s an 80 runner underway, and he’s a short-levered kid with strong wrists. He gets his bat into the zone fast and already has plus power. Still, the swing itself isn’t pretty. From an upright and slightly closed start, his front hip swivels open, and he has a funky, at times downhill swing path. It’s not how you’d normally draw it up, but I’m encouraged that Payne hasn’t made any less contact as he’s sprinted through Milwaukee’s system. It wouldn’t surprise me if there are speed bumps ahead, and it’s worth staying patient as he tries to harness his unusual swing.

Defensively, Payne’s speed is playing down a little in center right now. On one play over his head, he turned the wrong way and tried to track the ball the whole time instead of running toward the spot and adjusting, which ultimately cost him. In the long run, he’s so fast that even if his reads and routes are just fair, he’ll get to enough balls to stick up the middle, and there’s obviously upside from there. Ultimately, he’s raw, but if there was ever a guy to stay patient with, it’s Payne.

[wiguy94]

Matthew Wood has a .692 OBP with 6 BB to 0 SO through his first 3 games in Arizona. I was a bit surprised to see him sent to Arizona in part because I thought he was too advanced of a prospect to be there. Part of me wonders if it's intended to try and stir up some trade interest in him.

[Jim Goulart]

Box Score

Scottsdale wins, 11-10 in walkoff fashion, now 4-1-1 on the season

Matthew Wood scored the winning run (his second run scored in the contest) on his teammate's (Kaeden Kent, Giants) one-out double. Wood had reached earlier in the frame on a walk, one of four walks he drew in the game. Wood was behind the plate for the entirety Friday and was charged with catcher's interference on one pitch.

Jett Williams led off and played center field, 1-for-4 with a walk, two runs scored, one K.

As the linescores will show, Wood caught three of his Brewers organization pitchers, but they fared poorly. RHP's Miqueas Mercedes and Ryan Birchard, along with LHP Jose Meneses, toiled for 3.1 innings in total, combining for eight walks and seven runs (five earned). 

Birchard was a victim of inherited runner syndrome, as he nicely stranded two of Meneses' runners but could only watch as three of his own baserunners crossed the plate on this grand slam surrendered by Rays' RHP Andy Rodriguez immediately after Birchard's exit.

The Scorpions next play today (Saturday), as part of a doubleheader in Tucson, which is no longer an MLB spring training park, as such, there is no video stream planned for this game.

The box score will go live at 4:30 Central and will be found here. Scottsdale is due to face 104 MPH fireballer Jarlin Susana, who was the youngest piece at the time in the Juan Soto WAS-to-SD trade. Miqueas Mercedes is currently listed as the Scorpions starter, but clearly, he won't be pitching again today.

 

[Playing Catch]

Watching Payne run the bases is so satisfying.

[Jim Goulart]

9 hours ago, Jim Goulart said:

The box score will go live at 4:30 Central and will be found here. Scottsdale is due to face 104 MPH fireballer Jarlin Susana, who was the youngest piece at the time in the Juan Soto WAS-to-SD trade. 

Game underway, Jett Williams and Eric Bitonti in the starting lineup, shortstop and first base respectively.

RHP Peyton Niksch got the start and retired all six men he faced, two K's, nice.

We'll update during the overnight.

[Jim Goulart]

Box Score

Scottsdale wins, 10-2 (seven-inning game), now 5-1-1 on the season

Game underway, Jett Williams and Eric Bitonti in the starting lineup, shortstop and first base respectively.

RHP Peyton Niksch got the start and retired all six men he faced, two K's, nice.

We'll update during the overnight.

UPDATE: Both Williams and Bitonti finished 0-for-4 despite their team's double-digit run total, with Bitonti striking out twice. Williams did steal a base after reaching on a fielder's choice. 

Niksch was the sole Brewers pitcher and was credited with the win.

***

Scottsdale next plays Monday afternoon at 3:30 Central, so the later innings will be opposite Game Two at Am-Fam, available via MLB video.

Box score will be here.

Late Monday night / early Tuesday AM, you'll find highlights and the game archive here.