Mahle highlights Halos' AFL contingent

OAKLAND -- The Angels will be sending eight of their prospects to the Arizona Fall League this year, a list that includes pitchers Alan Busenitz, Harrison Cooney, Ryan Etsell and Greg Mahle, catcher Stephen McGee, first baseman Eric Aguilera, and outfielders Caleb Adams and Chad Hinshaw.

The group will join the Mesa Solar Sox in the annual league featuring some of the game's brightest young players, joining prospects from the A's, Cubs, Marlins and Rays. Inland Empire 66ers hitting coach Brenton Del Chiaro will be part of the coaching staff.

Mahle, a 22-year-old left-handed reliever, is the only one among MLB.com's top 30 Angels prospects who will play in the AFL, which starts Oct. 13 and ends with the championship game on Nov. 21. Mahle has posted a 3.15 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP at Class A Advanced Inland Empire and Double-A Arkansas this year, striking out 10.6 batters per nine innings.

Cooney (sixth round), McGee (ninth), Etsell (16th), Busenitz (25th) and Aguilera (34th) were all taken in the 2013 Draft and have all spent the majority of the 2015 season in Class A Advanced. Cooney has a 6.21 ERA in 130 1/3 innings, McGee has batted .269/.368/.361 in 247 plate appearances, Etsell has a 4.28 ERA in 107 1/3 innings, Busenitz has a 5.21 ERA in 96 2/3 innings and Aguilera has batted .318/.382/.517 in 542 plate appearances.

Hinshaw, a 15th-round pick in 2013, has a .278/.383/.346 slash line in Double-A. Adams, taken in the 10th round in 2014, has batted .294/.383/.429 at both of the Angels' Class A levels and will be on the "taxi" squad, which means he'll only be active on Wednesdays and Saturdays.