Saturday's top 10 Arizona Fall League performers

October 20th, 2019

Here are the top 10 performers from Saturday, Oct. 19 in the Arizona Fall League.

Luke Raley, OF, Minnesota Twins
Salt River recorded three extra-base hits on Saturday … and Raley was responsible for all of them. The 25-year-old outfielder erupted to hit two home runs and a double and went 4-for-4 at the plate, with three RBIs and three runs scored. After hitting a single in his first at-bat, Raley connected on a two-run homer in the second inning, hit a solo shot in the fifth and added a double off the right-center-field wall in the seventh. He’s hit safely in five straight games and owns a .232 average through 19 contests. More »

Jo Adell, OF, Angels No. 1
Adell hammered a 2-0 pitch from Forrest Whitley well over the fence in left-center field to put Mesa on the board in the third inning. He later added an RBI single to finish 2-for-4 with two RBIs from the leadoff spot. Adell’s homer was his third in the Fall League, and he’s now hit in four straight for the Solar Sox after Saturday’s multihit effort. Overall, the 20-year-old outfielder has slashed .271/.361/.447 with 23 hits (9 XBH) and 14 runs scored in 20 games.

Keegan Thompson, RHP and Jared Young, 1B, Chicago Cubs
Thompson was electric during the Solar Sox’s win Saturday, tossing five scoreless innings while allowing just one hit and striking out five. Thompson, who credited his changeup as the pitch that helped him turn the corner after some rocky AFL outings, tossed 45 of his 54 pitches for strikes. Thompson struck out the side in the third, but a leadoff triple appeared primed to derail his afternoon. After a pop out and a strikeout, Thompson caught the runner trying to steal home on a throw back to the mound. After just three starts during the 2019 regular season, the victory Thompson earned for Mesa was his first of the calendar year. More »

Young, who homered just five times in 455 at-bats with Double-A Tennessee during the regular season, showcased his power in the fifth when he rocketed a solo shot off Astros top prospect Forrest Whitley. Young had collected just one extra-base hit all fall prior to the blast, but the British Columbia native made his loud contact count. He finished 1-for-4.

Gabriel Cancel, 2B, Royals No. 29
Cancel, a late addition to the Royals' Fall League contingent, hit his first homer in Arizona to score Surprise's only run on Saturday. Cancel spent this season with Double-A Northwest Arkansas, where he hit a career-high 18 dingers and stole a career-high 15 bases. The Puerto Rico native was selected by the Royals in the seventh round of the 2015 MLB Draft.

Victor Victor Mesa and Jerar Encarnación, OF, Marlins Nos. 13 and 17
Mesa turned in his second straight multihit performance for Salt River, going 2-for-5, though both of his hits were singles that he flared out to shallow right field. Encarnación put the Rafters on the board in the first inning with a two-run single. He’s batting .250 in the Fall League, with 16 RBIs through 17 games.

Blake Rutherford, OF, White Sox No. 9
Rutherford hit his second homer of the Fall League, a solo blast in the fifth inning. The ball left the bat at 101.5 mph and gave Glendale the lead. Rutherford didn’t have much success in his other trips to the plate as he finished 1-for-4 and is now batting .170 in the Arizona Fall League.

Geraldo Perdomo, SS, D-backs No. 7
Perdomo reached base three times for Salt River from the leadoff spot, going 2-for-4 with two runs and a walk. The 19-year-old infielder has been anything but overmatched in the Fall League, as Saturday’s multihit performance pushed his average to .324 through 18 games.

Devin Mann, 2B, Dodgers No. 17
Mann has multiple hits in two of his past three games after finishing 2-for-3 on Saturday night. The second baseman, a Louisville product, is hitting .186 in Arizona, but the recent hot streak could point toward a strong finish over the season’s final week.