Saturday's Top 10 Arizona Fall League performers

October 6th, 2019

Here are the 10 performers from Saturday, Oct. 5 in the Arizona Fall League.

Forrest Whitley, RHP, Astros No. 1
For Whitley, Saturday’s scoreless start was just another day at the office. The hard-throwing righty bumped his strikeout total to an AFL-leading mark of 20 with six punchouts against the Rafters as he tied a Fall League-high with five innings on 76 pitches. Whitley, the No. 16 overall prospect, worked around a double and a triple among five hits surrendered to lower his ERA this fall to 0.64. Helping his high strikeout total to stand out even more is his meager mark of two walks allowed in 18 1/3 innings. More »

Jonathan India, 3B, Reds No. 3
India cranked his first AFL homer in the third, a solo shot. After a slow start to fall play, India turned in a three-hit game, which saw him lace a single in the first and single again in the sixth, a shot that was deflected by the shortstop. After two RBIs in his first nine games, India has four over his past two contests.

Jared Oliva, OF, Pirates No. 11
Oliva had another big day at the plate for Peoria as he continued his torrid AFL campaign. Oliva hit two doubles and a triple as part of a 4-for-5 performance from the two-spot in the lineup as he improved his Fall League-best average to .425. The 23-year-old outfielder has racked up 17 hits, including seven extra-base hits, in 12 games for the Javelinas, and he also leads the circuit in both stolen bases (seven) and walks (10).

C.J. Chatham, SS, Red Sox No. 9
Chatham is batting .333 for Peoria after a 3-for-5 performance that included his fourth Fall League double. The 24-year-old, who batted fourth and started at second base on Saturday, also scored two runs and reached once via a walk.

Victor Castaneda, RHP, Brewers
Castaneda, who garnered Pitcher of the Week honors to open the AFL, spun another gem for Glendale on Saturday as he lowered his ERA to 2.84. The 21-year-old right-hander allowed three hits five scoreless frames -- matching the longest outing so far in the Fall League -- striking out four and walking one batter. Of his 65 pitches, 41 were strikes.

Blake Rutherford, OF, White Sox No. 9
Rutherford, batting second for Glendale on Saturday, put the Desert Dogs on the board when he connected on his first Fall League homer in the first inning. He finished the game 1-for-3 with a walk. Rutherford is batting just .207 so far, but it’s worth noting that he’s hit safely in five of his past six games after getting off to a 1-for-10 start.

David Peterson, LHP, Mets No. 7
Peterson allowed a pair of unearned runs in a four-inning start for Scottsdale, keeping his Fall League ERA at 0.00. The Oregon product scattered five hits, walked one and recorded a pair of strikeouts, taking the loss. He’s logged 10 1/3 innings across three starts without allowing an earned run this fall.

Greg Deichmann, OF, Athletics No. 17
Deichmann went 1-for-1 with a single and added two walks. He also scored a run. The 24-year-old is having a strong fall campaign for the Mesa Solar Sox, batting .333/.426/.692 with four homers, two doubles and 12 RBIs in 11 games. He's also hit safely in six of his past seven games.

Mickey Moniak, OF, Phillies No. 8
Moniak picked up two hits out of the leadoff spot for Scottsdale -- a 101.7-mph single and a 101-mph double. He was the only Scorpions player to collect multiple hits on Saturday and finished 2-for-5. Overall, the former No. 1 overall Draft pick (2016) is batting .171 through nine games in the Fall League.

Ernie Clement, SS, Indians No. 25
Clement was the only player to record multiple hits for Mesa on Saturday, as he went 2-for-3 with a pair of singles from the leadoff spot, albeit while also making two outs on the basepaths. Clement is now batting .296 in the Fall League.