HOUSTON -- Kyle Tucker, the Astros' top-ranked prospect according to MLBPipeline.com, and Yordan Alvarez, the team's sixth-ranked prospect, lead the contingent of prospects who will represent the Astros this year in the Arizona Fall League.
Tucker, an outfielder, and Alvarez, a first baseman, will join right-handers Den Deetz, Riley Farrell and Josh James, left-hander Framber Valdez, catcher Jake Rogers and infielder Nick Tanielu on the Mesa Solar Sox this fall. The team will be managed by Class A Advanced Buies Creek manager Omar Lopez.
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Tucker, 20, is hitting a combined .271 with 23 homers and 82 RBIs in 112 games combined at Class A Buies Creek (48 games) and Double-A Corpus Christi (64 games). Alvarez, a 20-year-old Cuban acquired from the Dodgers last year in exchange for reliever Josh Fields, is hitting a combined .315 with 12 homers and 68 RBIs this year at Class Quad Cities (32 games) and Buies Creek (51 games).
Rogers is the Astros' No. 11 prospect, Valdez is 18th and Deetz is 30th. The Arizona Fall League is a "finishing school" for prospects who are close to the Majors. The league has six teams, with five organizations represented on each. Every MLB team is required to send at least six players from its organization.
The AFL is owned and operated by MLB and plays a Monday-Saturday schedule. The championship game will be played Saturday, Nov. 18, at Scottsdale Stadium. The 12th Fall Stars Game is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 4, at Salt River Fields. Game times are 1:35 p.m. and 7:35 p.m. CT, with some noted exceptions in the schedule.
Tanielu will be on the taxi squad, which means he will be eligible to play Wednesdays and Saturdays.