The Arizona Fall League's best and most prospect-laden team will play before a national television audience tonight when the Peoria Javelinas visit the Surprise Saguaros for the AFL's Military Appreciation Game, which will be broadcast live at 8 p.m. ET on MLB Network and MLB.com.
Peoria, which entered Friday with a 14-10 record and a four-game lead in the West Division, features three of MLBPipeline's Top 100 Prospects in Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna (No. 5), Padres middle infielder Luis Urias (No. 48) and Red Sox third baseman Michael Chavis (No. 92). Chavis is one of seven first-round picks on the Javelinas roster, along with left-hander Max Fried (Braves/drafted by Padres), catcher Alex Jackson (Braves/drafted by Mariners), first baseman Josh Naylor (Padres/drafted by Marlins), catcher/first baseman Max Pentecost (Blue Jays), right-hander Touki Toussaint (Braves/drafted by Diamondbacks) and righty T.J. Zeuch (Blue Jays).
2017 Arizona Fall League rosters
Zeuch was initially scheduled to start for Peoria, but he and Fried (3-1, 1.96 ERA) changed spots in the Javelinas' rotation on Friday, so Fried will oppose Surprise right-hander Tyler Davis (Rangers), who is 1-0 and sports a 2.25 ERA after three starts. Fried leads all AFL hurlers in strikeouts (29) and innings pitched (23) and is fourth among starters in WHIP (0.91).
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The Saguaros, who opened Friday with a 10-14 mark, lack a Top 100 prospect, but they do have lefty reliever Tyler Jay (Twins), the No. 6 overall choice in the 2015 Draft. And their offense features one of the league's top hitters through the first five weeks of the season, in Royals middle-infield prospect Nicky Lopez.
Lopez and Peoria outfielder Eric Filia (Mariners) began Friday 1-2 in the AFL batting race, with Lopez hitting .385 and Filia at .379. Filia topped the league in on-base percentage (.456) and slugging (.638). Acuna, Jackson and third baseman Austin Riley (Braves) shared the home run lead with five each.
Ten different organizations will have prospects playing in Saturday night's game. Here is a breakdown of MLBPipeline team Top 30 prospects on each club:
Peoria Javelinas
Blue Jays: RHP T.J. Zeuch (No. 5 on team list), C/1B Max Pentecost (No. 8)
Braves: OF Ronald Acuna (No. 1), LHP Max Fried (No. 9), 3B Austin Riley (No. 10), RHP Touki Toussaint (No. 14), C Alex Jackson (No. 16)
Mariners: OF Braden Bishop (No. 5), RHP Max Povse (No. 9)
Padres: SS/2B Luis Urias (No. 3), 1B Josh Naylor (No. 10)
Red Sox: 3B Michael Chavis (No. 2), SS/2B Chad De La Guerra (No. 23), 2B Josh Tobias (No. 26)
Surprise Saguaros
Cardinals: RHP Sandy Alcantara (No. 9), SS Edmundo Sosa (No. 12), RHP Jordan Hicks (No. 14), OF Oscar Mercado (No. 18), C Andrew Knizner (No. 27)
Rangers: OF/3B/1B Yanio Perez (No. 11), SS/C Josh Morgan (No. 15)
Rays: 2B Brandon Lowe (No. 13), 3B Kevin Padlo (No. 28)
Royals: SS/2B Nicky Lopez (No. 11)
Twins: LHP Tyler Jay (No. 8), OF Lamonte Wade (No. 17)