Monday's top prospect performers

October 24th, 2023

Here’s a look at Monday’s top performers from the Arizona Fall League.

Athletics: Brett Harris, INF (No. 10), Mesa Solar Sox
Jack Perkins, RHP (No. 19), Mesa Solar Sox
Lázaro Armenteros, OF (Unranked), Mesa Solar Sox
Harris went 3-for-5 with a double and three RBIs while manning the hot corner for Mesa, where he made an eye-popping leaping play in the fifth inning. In 10 games so far this fall, the 25-year-old has walked (12 times) more than he has struck out (seven) in 43 plate appearances. Oakland sent him to the Fall League to work on adjusting to good velocity. He’s hitting .258/.465/.290 with a pair of multihit games.

Perkins struck out the side in the ninth to secure the save while facing the heart of Salt River’s order, needing just 13 pitches to secure the Solar Sox victory. The hard-throwing right-hander is working out of the bullpen this fall after starting 20 games between two levels this season.

Armenteros reached base three times for Mesa, stole a pair of bases, singled twice and drove in a run. The once highly regarded international prospect could become a Minor League free agent this offseason if he isn’t added to the A’s 40-man roster. Armenteros posted career highs in homers (20), RBIs (82) and OPS (.879) in 110 games this year. More »

Cubs: Kevin Alcántara, OF (No. 4/MLB No. 71), Mesa Solar Sox
Alcántara broke out of his recent skid with a two-hit, three-RBI game that included a go-ahead two-run single in the sixth inning against Salt River. The 21-year-old outfielder also doubled home a run in the fifth to bring his RBI total to 15, putting him in a four-way tie for third on the Fall League leaderboard.

D-backs: Ivan Melendez, INF (No. 8), Salt River Rafters
The 6-foot-3, 225-pound slugger continued to display his lauded power with a homer, a double and two RBIs for Salt River. Melendez belted his second Fall League long ball to left-center field in the seventh, a solo shot off Miguel Ullola (Astros). While the 23-year-old has struck out 19 times through 14 games, he sports an .819 OPS in 66 plate appearances.

Guardians: Chase DeLauter, OF (No. 4/MLB No. 85), Peoria Javelinas
DeLauter, who went hitless in each of his previous three games, found his swing again in a 3-for-5 showing against the Saguaros, tallying an RBI double, two singles and scoring twice. The 22-year-old is tied with Wes Clarke (Brewers) for the Fall League lead in RBIs (16). He is hitting .259/.352/.407 in 71 plate appearances this fall.

Rangers: Liam Hicks, C (Unranked), Surprise Saguaros
The AFL leader in average (.540), hits (27) and on-base percentage (.610) continued his torrid streak at the dish against Peoria, going 4-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. On the same night his organization punched its ticket to the World Series for the first time since 2011, Hicks extended his league-best hitting streak to 12 games, in what was perhaps his best offensive performance since his six-hit game on Oct. 10 against Scottsdale.

Rays: Dominic Keegan, C (No. 9), Peoria Javelinas
The hot-hitting Keegan turned in his first three-plus hit game of the fall against the Saguaros, finishing 4-for-5 with a double and a run scored. The 23-year-old backstop raised his slash line to .471/.514/.853 through 27 plate appearances across nine games. His performance this fall comes on the heels of a breakout year in his first full season of pro ball -- he posted an .852 OPS with 37 extra-base hits in 106 games.

Red Sox: Tyler McDonough, INF (Unranked), Glendale Desert Dogs
The switch-hitting utilityman has made the most of his limited opportunities so far this fall, which culminated in his second three-hit performance of the fall, which included his seventh-inning homer off Will Bednar (SF No. 26). The 24-year-old raised his AFL OPS to .961 with his stellar showing, which helped Glendale secure its seventh consecutive victory.

Royals: CJ Alexander, INF (Unranked), Surprise Saguaros
After replacing fellow Royals prospect Nick Loftin on the Surprise roster, Alexander notched his first two hits of the fall, including a third-inning, bases-clearing triple. The 27-year-old spent his first full season in the Royals system since being acquired from the Braves in 2022, posting a .772 OPS in 92 games -- 86 of which were spent with Triple-A Omaha -- with 17 homers. More »

White Sox: Jake Eder, LHP (No. 5), Glendale Desert Dogs
While Eder surrendered four runs through just as many innings against Scottsdale in his fourth start of the fall, he settled into a groove in the latter half of his appearance, retiring the final eight men he faced to put the finishing touches on a solid showing. He showcased refined lower-half mechanics and struck out four batters without a walk -- particularly impressive after he surrendered eight free passes over his first 8 1/3 innings of the fall. More »