Angels' Nimmala, Orioles' Reilly awarded Week 2 Arizona Fall League honors

The Arizona Fall League is entering its third full week and players have found their groove. Last week, several pitchers twirled not only scoreless but hitless outings, batters while combined for 18 homers -- including two grand slams -- and dozens of multihit performances.

Numerous prospects shined under the Arizona sun, but two players rose to the top: Arjun Nimmala and Patrick Reilly. The duo was named the AFL's Hitter and Pitcher of the Week respectively on Monday.

Hitter of the Week: Arjun Nimmala, SS, Mesa (LAA)

Nimmala stuffed the stat sheet and then some across three games last week. Fueled by a four-hit showing in which he tallied two triples and flirted with a cycle, MLB's No. 34 prospect closed the week with a circuit-best 1.091 slugging percentage, 1.758 OPS, 12 total bases and four extra-base hits. When he wasn't drilling 100+ mph lasers to all fields, Nimmala showed strong swing decisions, walking four times while fanning just once. The standout offensive stretch raised his slash line to .344/.488/.625 through eight games.

Prior to his trip out west, Nimmala was on a dominant run for Double-A Rocket City. The Angels' No. 1 prospect homered seven times over the final 11 games of the regular season and tacked on three more over five postseason contests. The stretch brought his grand total for the year to 19 big flies over 94 games.

Drafted by the Blue Jays in the first round in 2023, Nimmala was highly coveted for his raw pop and projectable frame as a Florida prepster. He flexed that thump right away as a pro, belting 30 homers across his first two seasons before getting dealt to the Angels at the Trade Deadline this past summer. With his new organization, Nimmala produced a .260/.389/.577 line while displaying smooth actions at shortstop.

Pitcher of the Week: Patrick Reilly, RHP, Peoria (BAL)

Reilly returned from Tommy John surgery in June and had a few rocky starts while finding his footing. This fall, however, he looks healthy and has been downright dominant. The former Vanderbilt Commodore, who ranked as high as No. 10 in the Orioles' system prior to surgery, delivered a stellar outing for the Javelinas last week, fanning seven while allowing just two baserunners over four scoreless frames. He sat in the mid-90s with his four-seamer during the performance and produced a 43.5 percent swinging-strike rate.

Following the dominant outing, Reilly ranked first among AFL pitchers with 13 punchouts over two starts. Not only that, but his seven strikeouts in one start stand tied with Mesa's Dominick Reid (CHC No. 28) for the most in a single appearance so far. Reilly sports a 2-0 record with a 1.29 ERA, an 0.86 WHIP and a .160 average-against over seven frames in the desert.

During the regular season, the 25-year-old hurler pitched in 13 contests, making significant strides over the stretch. Across his first seven starts, Reilly posted a 9.13 ERA, but in the next six starts, he dazzled en route to a 2.08 ERA over 30 1/3 innings. Now in the Fall League, Reilly has continued to post performances akin to the back half of his campaign, signaling that a big 2027 season could be on the way.