Thursday's top AFL prospect performers

October 14th, 2022

Here’s a look at Thursday's top performers in the Arizona Fall League from each team’s Top 30 Prospects list.

D-backs: Jordan Lawlar, SS (MLB No. 12), Salt River Rafters
Three different pitchers faced, three hard-hit knocks from the third-ranked D-backs prospect, who was at the heart of Salt River’s seven-run, walk-off comeback. Lawlar tripled to open the bottom of the seventh before scampering home to score the team's tying run. The 20-year-old served as the designated hitter for the first time during the Fall League. All three of his knocks registered an exit velocity of at least 97.8 mph, as he raised his slash line with the Rafters to .333/.500/.667 over seven contests. Lawlar also singled to left on a heater and stole second base in the first, before ripping an RBI single to right-center field in the fifth. More »

Pirates: Nick Gonzales, 2B (MLB No. 93), Surprise Saguaros
Gonzales continued his rebound from a down season with another strong showing. The No. 5 Pirates prospect launched his first home run of the Fall League. Gonzales crushed a first-pitch fastball in the opening inning to left for a two-run shot that got Surprise on the board. The 23-year-old worked a four-pitch walk in the fifth and scampered home four batters later on a two-run double from Scott Schreiber. Gonzales was also hit by a pitch in the sixth and legged out an infield single in the eighth. The 2020 first-rounder is batting .381 with four extra-base hits and eight RBIs over six Fall League games.

Athletics: Zack Gelof, 3B (MLB No. 94), Mesa Solar Sox
In his seventh game in Arizona, the third-ranked A's prospect connected on his first Fall League home run. He liked the feeling so much that he clubbed his second three innings later. Gelof worked the count full to lead off the fifth before connecting on the seventh pitch of the at-bat and launching it to left field for a game-tying blast. In the eighth, the 22-year-old turned on a 2-2 offering and parked it beyond the wall in left-center to cap Mesa's scoring and its comeback. Gelof mashed 18 home runs across Double-A and Triple-A in 96 games this season.

Braves: Cal Conley, SS (No. 12), Scottsdale Scorpions
Conley did a little bit of everything out of the leadoff spot for the Scorpions, going 2-for-4 with a triple, two walks, three RBIs and a stolen base. The 23-year-old tripled and scored in the second, and his two-run single in the sixth brought the Scorpions to within a run. After advancing to second and stealing third, he scored the tying run that inning. He capped things off with a bases-loaded walk in that big ninth inning. Conley played across two levels of A ball in his first full season, finishing with 16 homers and 36 steals. More »

Orioles: Heston Kjerstad, OF (No. 9), Scottsdale Scorpions
There appears to be no slowing down Kjerstad, who continued to swing a very hot bat in the desert, going 3-for-6 with a homer (his third) and a game-high four RBIs. The 23-year-old opened the scoring with a solo blast to left in the first. In the following frame, he found a hole through the right side of the infield to plate another run with two outs. In the ninth, the No. 2 overall selection in the 2020 Draft capped a six-run inning for the Scorpions with a two-RBI double down the left-field line, his fourth two-bagger of the Fall League. Kjerstad is batting .368 over eight games in Arizona.

Cubs: Matt Mervis, 1B (No. 21), Mesa Solar Sox
After mashing 36 homers during the Minor League regular season, the Minors’ leader in extra-base hits (78) has carried that power directly over to the Arizona Fall League. Mervis homered twice to right field and added an RBI double. The 24-year-old was first-pitch hunting in the third, walloping a solo homer deep beyond the Glendale bullpen in right field. He worked the count even in the seventh before unloading on a game-tying two-run shot to right-center. Mervis is coming off a record-setting Minor League campaign in which he compiled the most total bases (310) and RBIs (119), while finishing second in doubles (40), third in home runs (36), fifth in slugging (.606) and eighth in OPS (.984). More »

Rangers: Luisangel Acuña, SS/2B (No. 7), Surprise Saguaros
The 20-year-old continued to show off his speed this Fall League with his first triple of the campaign. Acuña motored the bases for an RBI three-bagger in the fourth. He also reached on an RBI fielder's choice in the fifth, and legged out an infield single in the sixth. Acuña has nine hits in Arizona with five of them going for extra bases. He is sporting a .300 average in the desert over seven games. Over 91 games across High-A and Double-A during the season, the Venezuela native notched 11 homers, two triples and 16 doubles.

Reds: Rece Hinds, OF (No. 18), Glendale Desert Dogs
It was a grand night for Hinds, who belted his first professional grand slam in the opening frame. The 22-year-old stepped to the dish with the bases loaded and one out in the first. After working the count to 3-1, he barreled up a fastball and sent it soaring over the wall in left. It's the second long ball of the Fall League for the 2019 second-round Draft pick. Hinds connected on 12 taters across High-A and Double-A during the regular season.