Wednesday's top 10 Arizona Fall League performers

September 26th, 2019

Here are the top 10 performers from the Wednesday night's games in the Arizona Fall League.

Jo Adell, OF, Angels No. 1 (MLB No. 5)
Adell got off to a slow start in the Arizona Fall League, but Thursday’s game may have been just what he needed to break out of his slump. After starting the AFL mired in a 1-for-24 skid (.042), Adell went 4-for-5 with a homer and four runs scored. What’s more, the Angels’ No. 1 prospect wasted no time getting on track as he homered on the second pitch of the game and then added singles in each of his next three at-bats.

Greg Deichmann, OF, Athletics No. 17
Deichmann is off to a fast start in Arizona and showing no signs of slowing down. The Athletics’ No. 17 prospect drove in four runs and finished 2-for-3 with a homer. Deichmann, 24, has homered three times through six games with the Solar Sox, leads the league with 11 RBIs and is hitting .381.

Connor Seabold, RHP, Phillies No. 30
Seabold spun another gem for Scottsdale and has been dominant through two starts in the Fall League. The Phillies’ No. 30 prospect cruised through four no-hit innings and threw 32 of his 53 pitches for strikes. Seabold sat in the low-to-mid 90s with his fastball and retired seven of the final eight batters he faced.

“Slider was working pretty good,” Seabold said. “[They] had a lot of righties in there, so it was tough to throw a lot of changeups.”

Injuries limited Seabold to 56 1/3 innings during the regular season, but he’s quickly making up for lost time and showing why he was a third-round pick in the 2017 Draft. Through two AFL starts, Seabold has yielded just one hit over seven scoreless innings and also struck out 10.

“I haven’t really been trying to do anything different since I got here,” Seabold said. “I kind of had a little momentum going from the end of the regular season into here, so I’m just rolling with it.”

Jackson Rees, RHP, Blue Jays
It’s hard to fare much better than Rees did on the mound for Scottsdale. Rees gave up a hit to the first batter he faced and then struck out the side in the seventh. He came back out for the eighth and retired the side in order, tacking on another strikeout in the process.

Andres Gimenez, SS, Mets No. 3 (MLB No. 93)
Gimenez hit his first homer of the AFL and he certainly made it count. The Mets’ No. 3 prospect hit a grand slam -- with a 101.2 mph exit velocity -- in the eighth inning of Scottsdale’s win over Mexicali. Gimenez hit a career-high nine homers over 117 games with Double-A Binghamton this season and is hitting .353 through five games so far in Arizona. While the grand slam was certainly the highlight, Gimenez put forth a complete effort Thursday. The 21-year-old made some solid plays defensively, finished 2-for-3 at the plate and also swiped a base.

Bubba Thompson, OF, Rangers No. 8
Thompson delivered the big blow for Surprise in Wednesday night’s win with a two-run home run to left center field. This was the second home run in six AFL games for Thompson, who is now hitting .238 with an .857 OPS. The Rangers’ No 8 prospect is coming off an injury-shortened season due to a fractured hamate bone.

Colton Welker, 3B/1B (Rockies No. 3); Roberto Ramos, 1B (No. 28); Bret Boswell, 2B
A trio of Rockies prospects powered Salt River’s offense on Wednesday as Welker, Ramos and Boswell combined to go 6-for-9 with three RBIs. Boswell led the group with a 3-for-3 performance that included a double, while Welker tallied singles in his first two at-bats before finishing 2-for-3. Ramos delivered a two-run single in the fourth inning to pad the Rafters’ early lead, though the game was postponed in the following frame.

Jakson Reetz, C, Nationals
Reetz got the start at DH for Surprise on Wednesday and launched his first home run of the AFL season, a solo shot in the second inning. Over 96 games for Class A Advanced Potomac this season, the third-round pick from the 2014 Draft hit .253 with 13 home runs and an .812 OPS. Shortstop Luis Garcia finished the night 0-for-5.