Arroyo, Williamson lead Scottsdale's offense
A pair of San Francisco Giants prospects paced Scottsdale's offense to a 10-6 win over Mesa on Monday, as shortstop Christian Arroyo and outfielder Mac Williamson each reached base in four of their five plate appearances while combining for six of the Scorpions' 14 hits.
Although not known for his power, Arroyo has shown plenty in the early going of this year's Arizona Fall League. The Giants' No. 2 prospect connected on his first Fall League home run last Thursday -- his only hit in nine at-bats over his first two games.
The 20-year-old shortstop made up for the slow start in a big way Monday, however, finishing 3-for-4 with a home run, double and two RBIs. He also drew a walk and scored twice in the contest.
After grounding out in his first at-bat, Arroyo came through with a game-tying, RBI single with two outs in the top of the fourth inning. The right-handed hitter gave the Scorpions the lead in his next trip to the plate, hitting a solo home run to left-center field off Trevor Williams. In his final at-bat, in the top of the eighth inning, Arroyo laced a double to left field to complete his three-hit performance.
"I just tried to slow things down and put good swing on the ball," Arroyo said. "First couple of games I was trying too hard and trying to pull everything. But today I just kind of saw it and used my hands -- I got simpler and did less."
Arroyo, a first-round Draft pick in 2013, had a strong regular season in the California League, batting .304/.344/.459 with 39 extra-base hits, 48 runs scored and 42 RBIs in 90 games for Class A Advanced San Jose. The right-handed hitting shortstop showed considerably more power during the second half, tallying seven of his nine home runs as well as 19 doubles in 63 games.
While Arroyo is focusing on staying inside the baseball and using the whole field this fall, he's also learning how to hit in hitters' counts. Defensively, he's working on his footwork at shortstop "all the time."
"Out here, the transition for me was to just relax and play the game I know how to play," Arroyo said. "It's exciting to be out here with all these great players, and I always want to prove myself against good competition."
Williamson also had a big game for the Scorpions, finishing 3-for-4 with three singles, a walk and an RBI. The Giants' No. 13 prospect is 5-for-8 with three walks in two games this fall.
After playing only 23 games during the 2014 season due to Tommy John surgery, the 24-year-old outfielder bounced back with a solid performance in the high minors, ultimately leading to a callup with the Giants in September.
In 123 games between Double-A Richmond and Triple-A Sacramento, the 6-foot-5, 240-pounder batted .275/.368/.433 with 13 home runs, 28 doubles and 73 RBIs. Williamson then appeared in 10 games with the Giants during the final month of the regular season, collecting seven hits in 32 at-bats (.219 batting average).
No. 18 prospect Austin Slater also contributed to Scottsdale's win over Mesa, going 1-for-5 with a double and a stolen base. The 22-year-old outfielder-turned-second baseman has hit safely in each of the three games in which he's played this fall and his five runs scored are tied for the most on the Scorpions. During the regular season, Slater batted .294/.334/.381 with 31 extra-base hits in 114 games between San Jose and Richmond.