Chase Field tripleheader to showcase Arizona Fall League’s brightest prospects
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As is the case every year, the Arizona Fall League is loaded with some of the best prospects in baseball. But the league will unveil a new wrinkle on Saturday.
For the first time, all six fall league teams will participate in a tripleheader at Chase Field, giving fans an opportunity to see the entire league in the same venue on the same day.
The games are scheduled for 11:35 a.m. (Mesa vs. Glendale), 3:05 p.m. (Surprise vs. Peoria) and 6:35 p.m. (Salt River vs. Scottsdale).
As usual, the league is filled with more good offensive prospects than pitchers, with only a handful of well-regarded starting pitching prospects even on the rosters. Teams tend to be protective of their pitchers and usually only send them to Arizona if they fell short of their expected innings workload.
With the tripleheader approaching, here is a look at some of the league’s more heralded prospects.
Jordan Walker, 3B/OF
Team: Salt River
Organization: St. Louis Cardinals
Key stats: .306 average, 19 homers, .898 OPS in Double-A.
What to know: A powerful, right-handed hitting slugger, the 2020 first-rounder is progressing so quickly the Cardinals are trying to get him experience in the outfield to ensure he is not blocked by Nolan Arenado.
Jordan Lawlar, SS
Team: Salt River
Organization: Diamondbacks
Key stats: .303/.401/.509 line with 16 homers split mostly between three levels, topping at Double-A.
What to know: The sixth overall pick in the 2021 draft, Lawlar recovered quickly from shoulder surgery to solidify his prospect standing. The only questions, it seems, are around whether he sticks at shortstop.
Jasson Dominguez, OF
Team: Mesa
Organization: New York Yankees
Key stats: Hit .273 with a .376 on-base, 16 homers and 37 steals at three levels, topping in Double-A.
What to know: One of the more highly touted international signings in recent memory, Dominguez, from the Dominican Republic, might profile less these days as a future superstar than a solid everyday player.
Zac Veen, OF
Team: Salt River
Organization: Colorado Rockies
Key stats: Hit just .245 with a .340 on-base but stole 55 bases in 64 attempts.
What to know: Veen, the ninth overall pick in 2020, has a chance to hit for power and put up huge stolen base numbers, a combination that makes him a potentially exciting fit at Coors Field.
Henry Davis, C
Team: Surprise
Organization: Pittsburgh Pirates
Key stats: Hit .264/.380/.472 with 10 homers in 212 at-bats.
What to know: Davis, the No. 1 overall pick last year, was having a huge year before a left wrist injury derailed his season. A power-hitting masher, he is expected to get plenty of time behind the plate this fall.
Noelvi Marte, SS/3B
Team: Glendale
Organization: Cincinnati Reds
Key stats: Hit for average (.279) and power (19 homers) and showed speed (23 steals) in High-A this season.
What to know: Marte was one of the key pieces in the trade that sent Luis Castillo to the Mariners in July. He has a chance to be a power-hitting infielder. He is seeing time this fall at third base.
Kumar Rocker, RHP
Team: Surprise
Organization: Texas Rangers
Key stats: Posted a 1.35 ERA in 20 innings in independent ball before the draft.
What to know: The former Vanderbilt standout, who did not sign after being taken by the New York Mets in 2021, was drafted third overall by the Rangers this year. His two outings for Surprise were the first of his professional career.
Reach Piecoro at (602) 444-8680 or nick.piecoro@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on Twitter @nickpiecoro.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Chase Field tripleheader to showcase Fall League’s brightest prospects
