Saturday's top AFL prospect performers

October 17th, 2021

Here's a look at Saturday's top performers in the Arizona Fall League from each team's Top 30 Prospects list.

Tigers: Spencer Torkelson, 1B/3B (MLB No. 4), Salt River Rafters
Another day, another Torkelson multihit game. The top-ranked Tigers prospect singled twice, drew a walk and drove in a run in Salt River’s 15-7 win over Mesa. The Rafters had a modest 3-0 lead through three innings until the offense exploded for an eight-run fourth and Torkelson helped pile on with an RBI to make it 8-1 before scoring on Michael Toglia’s home run in the next at-bat. After a three-hit performance on Friday, the 22-year-old has amassed seven hits, four walks and three RBIs through his first four games in his Arizona Fall League debut.

Mets: Brett Baty, 3B/OF (MLB No. 45), Salt River Rafters
Baty has been nothing short of unstoppable to start the Arizona Fall League. The second-ranked Mets prospect hammered a 110-mph triple in the Rafters’ big fourth inning that plated two and gave his team a six-run lead. Though that was his only hit of the day, Baty drew two walks and scored twice as he continues to be a key component of Salt River’s offensive machine. Through four games, the 21-year-old is tied with Torkelson for the most hits in the AFL with seven -- three for extra bases (two doubles and a triple) -- and five runs scored, four walks, two RBIs and a stolen base. He’s struck out only three times in 14 at-bats.

Brewers: Joey Wiemer, OF (No. 23), Salt River Rafters
Wiemer was at the center of Salt River’s big win -- he swatted a two-run dinger, drew a bases-loaded walk and scored three runs in a 2-for-3 performance. His opposite-field homer came on the second pitch he saw in the bottom of the second inning to give his team a 3-0 lead that would balloon to a 10-run edge in the fourth. Wiemer singled with two outs and came around to score the 11th run of the game for the Rafters during the frame. His walk with the bases juiced plated Ryan Vilade for the Rafters' 15th and final run. More »

Cardinals: Brendan Donovan, 3B (No. 18), Glendale Desert Dogs
Placed in the lineup with fellow Cardinals prospects Nolan Gorman and Lars Nootbaar, it was Donovan who shined the brightest. The lefty slugger collected three hits, a run and an RBI in Glendale’s 6-4 win. Donovan went 0-for-5 in his first AFL game and started his night with a strikeout. He began his turnaround when he doubled in the fifth and came around to score the tying run on an error. His biggest feat of the night was a go-ahead single in the sixth that put the Desert Dogs ahead, 4-3. Donovan added one more knock in the eighth to complete his day. More »

Reds: Ivan Johnson, SS/2B (No. 16), Surprise Saguaros
Johnson provided the bulk of the offense in Surprise’s loss to Glendale, notching an RBI single in the second and slugging a solo homer in the eighth, his second in the AFL. Donovan clubbed 10 dingers in the regular season while slashing .264/.367/.451 across two Minor League levels. Through his first three games, the switch hitter has collected three hits and three RBIs.

Rockies: Michael Toglia, 1B (No. 6), Salt River Rafters
Ezequiel Tovar, SS (No. 11), Salt River Rafters
Toglia homered for the second game in a row in Salt River’s rout of Mesa. The 23-year-old came up as the seventh batter in the fourth inning and smoked a 1-2 pitch over the right field fence to give the Rafters a commanding nine-run lead. It’s the fourth time this year that Toglia has gone deep in back-to-back games and the first time since he hit three long balls in two days from July 29-30. The switch-hitter added a single and a walk to his ledger, giving him five hits, four free passes and three RBIs through his first four AFL games.

Tovar recorded two base knocks in the game and drove in a run. Serving as the second batter in the pivotal fourth inning, the 20-year-old singled and came around to score on Joe Gray Jr.’s RBI knock. He capped off the eight-run frame with another single that plated Wiemer to give the Rafters an 11-1 lead.

Twins: Matt Wallner, OF (No. 14), Scottsdale Scorpions
Wallner belted his first Arizona Fall League dinger to help power Scottsdale to an 8-2 win over Peoria. With his team trailing, 1-0, through the first three innings, the 23-year-old stepped to the plate after Triston Casas singled for the first Scorpions hit of the night. Wallner followed by parking an 0-1 pitch to center field to give his club a lead they would not relinquish -- the Scorpions outscored the Javelinas 8-1 through the final six innings. Wallner plated another run in the ninth with a single, giving him three RBIs in a 2-for-5 performance. Across two levels in the regular season, Wallner clubbed 15 dingers and drove in 47 runs in 68 games. More »