Saturday's top 10 Arizona Fall League performers

September 22nd, 2019

Here are the top 10 performers from the fourth night of games in the Arizona Fall League.

Forrest Whitley, RHP, Astros No. 2
Whitley’s 2019 campaign didn’t go according to plan, but the highly touted right-hander is off to a strong start in the Arizona Fall League. Whitley, who led the league in strikeouts a season ago, threw 46 of his 83 pitches for strikes and carried a no-hit bid into the fifth inning. The 22-year-old, a first-round pick in the 2016 Draft, retired nine in a row at one point and finished 4 2/3 scoreless innings having given up just one hit and allowing one walk with six strikeouts. More »

Victor Castaneda, RHP, Brewers
Castaneda was pitching in the Mexican League in 2017 when the Brewers signed him for $40,000 in July. He made 14 appearances in the rookie-level Pioneer League in 2018 and was a reliever in his full-season debut in 2019. He got the start for his AFL debut for Glendale on Saturday night and was very sharp. The 21-year-old didn’t allow a hit over four innings, walking just one while striking out six. He struck out the side in the third.

David Peterson, LHP, Mets No. 7
Peterson is coming off of a solid year for Double-A Binghamton, where he finished fifth in the Eastern League with 122 strikeouts in 116 innings pitched, and a solid Arizona Fall League campaign could provide a springboard to the big leagues in 2020. If his first start for Scottsdale is any indication, he’ll be ready. The 2017 first-round pick went three innings on Saturday night, allowing just one hit and one walk while striking out four. He mixed in his offspeed stuff particularly well.

Isaac Paredes, INF (DET No. 5) and Jose Azocar, OF, Tigers
Paredes hit his first homer of the Fall League as part of his 1-for-2 night at the plate. The third baseman is 2-for-10 through three games after hitting .282 with 13 homers over 127 games with Double-A Erie during the regular season. Jose Azocar picked up hits first hit and RBIs of the Fall League season when he went 1-for-3 with a double and two RBIs.

Glenn Otto, RHP and Brandon Wagner, 1B, Yankees
Otto, a fifth-round pick from the 2017 Draft, was impressive on the mound for Surprise. Otto threw 28 of his 42 pitches for strikes, struck out four and gave up one hit over three scoreless innings. Wagner reached base three times, finishing 1-for-3 with a pair of walks. He also drove in two runs via a double in the fifth inning and got credit for a third RBI when he was walked with the bases loaded in the eighth.

Rylan Bannon, 3B and Mason McCoy, SS, Orioles Nos. 23 and 24
Baltimore's prospect duo combined to go 6-for-10 with four RBIs in Surprise’s win over Salt River. Bannon, whom the Orioles acquired from the Dodgers as part of the Manny Machado trade, drove in three runs as part of a 2-for-5 night at the plate. McCoy, a sixth-round pick from the 2017 Draft, continued his hot start in the Fall League with a 4-for-5 night at the plate. The 24-year-old also scored a trio of runs and is hitting .556 during the early goings of the Fall League.

Kirk McCarty, LHP, Indians
McCarty, a seventh-round pick from the 2017 Draft, put together a strong start for Mesa on the mound. The 23-year-old gave up a run in the first inning, but then put a pair of zeros in his final two frames. McCarty fired 25 of his 38 pitches for strikes, struck out four, walked one and yielded just the one run on three hits.