Team-by-team guide to AFL's Fall Stars

November 5th, 2016

The highlight of the Arizona Fall League is the Fall Stars Game, which features many of the best prospects in the developmental circuit. Past participants include Kris Bryant, Francisco Lindor, Andrew McCutchen, Buster Posey, Bryce Harper, Mike Trout, Mookie Betts and Corey Seager.
This year's contest will be broadcast live on MLB Network and streamed live on MLB.com on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET. Here's a team-by-team guide to the prospects who will take the AFL's biggest stage:
:: 2016 Arizona Fall League Fall Stars Game ::
ANGELS
C Taylor Ward (Angels No. 3 prospect)
A surprise first-round pick in 2015, Ward certainly opened some eyes during his summer debut, advancing to full-season ball and hitting a combined .348/.457/.438 over 201 at-bats. After a slow start at Class A Advanced Inland Empire in 2016, he hit .274/.359/.415 with nine of his 10 home runs on the season in the second half.
ATHLETICS
SS 
 (A's No. 1, MLB No. 42)
Barreto enjoyed another strong year at the plate, hitting .281/.340/.413 with 10 home runs and 30 steals at Double-A Midland before advancing to Triple-A Nashville. The 20-year-old shortstop also made strides defensively, trimming his error total to 15 this season from a career-high 34 in 2015.
RHP Sam Bragg
Bragg enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2015, but the move up to Midland in 2016 resulted in a career-high 4.29 ERA and nine home runs allowed, although he still generated more than one strikeout per inning while holding opposing hitters to a .238 average.

BLUE JAYS
OF Anthony Alford
 (Blue Jays No. 3, MLB No. 86)
After an impressive first full season in which he had hit .298/.398/.421 with 36 extra-base hits and 27 stolen bases between Class A Lansing and High A Dunedin, Alford was limited to just 33 first-half games in 2016 due to a knee injury and a concussion. Once healthy, he settled in to hit .257/.381/.449 with eight home runs and 13 steals over his final 59 contests.
RHP
Dermody, 26, saw his career take off in 2016, beginning the season in Dunedin before advancing to Double- and Triple-A and then making five appearances out of the Blue Jays' bullpen as a September callup. The left-hander's fastball-changeup pairing allows him to get outs on both sides of the plate, as he held right-handed hitters to a .261 average and one home run across 145 plate appearances during the regular season.

ASTROS
RHP Francis Martes
(Astros No. 1, MLB No. 29)
Martes went 9-6 with a 3.30 ERA and 131 strikeouts in 125 1/3 innings with Double-A Corpus Christi during the regular season. The 20-year-old righty features a mid-to-upper-90s fastball with a power curveball and a developing changeup. After a rocky start in the Fall League, Martes rebounded to yield two hits and stike out seven in 4 2/3 scoreless innings in his last start.
RHP David Paulino (Astros No. 4, MLB No. 70)
Paulino was acquired via a trade with the Tigers in 2013 and missed the entire 2014 season recovering from Tommy John surgery, but he came full circle in 2016 as he received his first taste of the Majors. The 22-year-old righty spent the bulk of the season with Corpus Christi, where he went 5-2 with a 1.83 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 14 games (nine starts).

BRAVES
RHP Evan Phillips
Phillips came to the Braves as a 17th-round pick of the 2015 Draft out of UNC Wilmington. A starter in college, he's done nothing but pitch in relief in the Braves system, using a mid-90s fastball and good slider to post a 1.27 ERA with eight saves with Class A Advanced Carolina to reach Double-A in his first full season.
BREWERS
C Jacob Nottingham
(Brewers No. 14)
Acquired in February from the A's, Nottingham struggled with the move up to Double-A Biloxi this season, hitting .234 with 138 strikeouts in 112 games. Concerns remain regarding the 21-year-old's ability to stick behind the plate, but there's enough offensive upside there to support a move down the defensive spectrum.
OF Brett Phillips (Brewers No. 7, MLB No. 62)
Phillips, after batting .310 and .309 in back-to-back years, had his average drop to .229 this season at Biloxi. An increased strikeout rate heavily influenced the 22-year-old outfielder's struggles, although he still managed to hit 16 home runs and steal 12 bases in 124 games, highlighting his power-speed potential.

CARDINALS
OF Harrison Bader
(Cardinals No. 3, MLB No. 82)
Bader has shown average to above-average tools across the board as a pro, jumping on the fast track and reaching Triple-A in his first full season. He projects to be a Major League average hitter, if not above-average, with a good approach at the plate, to go along with average power.
3B/SS Paul DeJong (Cardinals No. 15)
The Cardinals' 2015 fourth-round pick, DeJong finished in the top 10 in the Texas League in home runs, slugging percentage and total bases this year. In addition to working on refining his approach (26.1 percent strikeout rate; 7.2 percent walk rate), he's also playing shortstop exclusively this fall after spending the vast majority of his time during the regular season at third.
C Carson Kelly (Cardinals No. 11)
Originally drafted as a third baseman with power potential, Kelly moved behind the plate after his first full season. His development hasn't taken a typical path, as he's become more of a defensive-minded backstop. His arm that fired 92-mph fastballs as a high school pitcher works very well at catcher, and he's a natural leader who works with pitchers and frames well.
RHP Rowan Wick
A 2012 ninth-round pick as a catcher who quickly moved to the outfield, Wick made it as far as the Florida State League before transitioning to the mound. He's taken to it well, reaching Double-A in 2016, his first full season of pitching. He missed plenty of bats (11.6 K/9 ratio) and was tough to hit (.186 BAA). He's auditioning for a spot on the 40-man roster this fall.

CUBS
OF Eloy Jimenez (Cubs No. 2, MLB No. 23)

Jimenez has plenty of power that he has put on display with a few massive home runs in the AFL. After going deep 14 times with Class A South Bend, he has homered three times in 12 AFL games. Jimenez has raised his average in each of his three professional seasons. He hit .312 in a career-high 112 games this season and was named the Midwest League MVP.
RHP James Francis
Farris has given up three hits across six scoreless innings in six total appearances in the Fall League. The 24-year-old got his first experience at the Double-A level this season and put up a 2.75 ERA in 26 games. His low 90s fastball has a natural cut to it, and he's working on both a changeup and a curveball to complete his arsenal.

D-BACKS
3B (D-backs No. 11)
Lugo had a breakout season in many ways, setting career highs in a host of offensive categories including average (.311), OPS (.831) and home runs (17). While much of the numbers came in the hitter-friendly California League, he hit well over 48 games after being promoted to Double-A. Lugo also spent a majority of his time defensively at third after playing shortstop almost exclusively earlier in his career.
LHP Jared Miller
Miller, an 11th-round Draft pick in 2014 out of Vanderbilt, spent all of 2015 as a starter without much success. The 6-foot-7 lefty moved to the bullpen in 2016 and took off, pitching at four levels and striking out 11.7 per nine along the way. He had 24 strikeouts, with just one walk and four hits allowed, in 13 innings of shutout ball over his first seven Fall League outings.
1B Kevin Cron
A 14th-round pick in 2014, Cron -- the younger brother of Angels first baseman C.J. Cron -- showcased his impressive power this year by hitting 26 home runs in 127 games with Double-A Mobile, falling one homer shy of the career-high total he posted during his 2015 full-season debut in the hitter-friendly California League. However, Cron's big swing keeps him from making consistent contact, as he hit just .222 with a 26.3 percent strikeout rate in the Southern League.
DODGERS
1B Cody Bellinger
(Dodgers No. 1, MLB No. 31)
After breaking out for a monster season in 2015 (30 HR, 103 RBIs), Bellinger missed the first month of the 2016 season but had a solid year at Double-A Tulsa, hitting .271 with 26 homers and 71 RBIs.
2B Willie Calhoun (Dodgers No. 4, MLB No. 87)
Despite being listed at just 5-foot-8, Calhoun has shown that there's plenty of power in his frame. The second baseman challenged for the Texas League home run title with 27 homers in 132 games with Tulsa. He hit .254 but profiles as someone able to hit for average, as well, with a quick swing and a patient approach at the plate.

GIANTS
RHP Chris Stratton (Giants No. 26)

Stratton has seen his stuff level off since the Giants drafted him 20th overall out of Mississippi State in 2012, and he now works with a low-90s fastball and an average slider. The 6-foot-3 righty made his big league debut with seven relief appearances this summer and spent most of his time as a starter in Triple-A, where he went 12-6 with a 3.87 ERA and 103 strikeouts in 125 2/3 innings.
RHP Tyler Rogers
The twin brother of Twins left-hander Taylor Rogers, Tyler is a submarining righty reliever who was a 10th-round senior sign out of Austin Peay State in 2013. He was lights out in Double-A this year but got rocked in Triple-A, putting up a combined 3.27 ERA with 46 strikeouts in 66 innings.
INDIANS
OF Bradley Zimmer (Indians No. 1, MLB No. 25)

Zimmer, whose older brother Kyle was drafted fifth overall by the Royals in 2012, has average or better tools across the board, allowing him to impact the game in a variety of ways. The Indians' 2014 first-round pick (21st overall) drives the ball across the whole field with a clean and controlled stroke, and he should continue to get on base at a high clip thanks to his knowledge of the strike zone and selective approach.

MARLINS
LHP  (Marlins No. 3)

Limited to 50 2/3 innings and 12 starts this season due to a triceps injury that landed him on the disabled list from May 31 to Aug. 8, Garlin is back to full strength, operating at 93-95 mph and bumping 96 in the Fall League with his usual plus changeup (83-85 mph).
3B Brian Anderson (Marlins No. 4)
After batting just .115 (3-for-26) in the Fall League last year, Anderson has been one the circuit's better hitters this year, ranking first in batting average (.386) and second in OPS (1.085) through 13 games. The performance is a continuation of what was a breakthrough 2016 campaign for the Marlins' No. 4 prospect.
MARINERS
OF Tyler O'Neill (Mariners No. 2, MLB No. 59)

O'Neill checked every box this year in his first Double-A campaign, batting .293/.374/.508 with 24 home runs and a league-leading (and career-high) 102 RBIs for Jackson, winning Southern League MVP honors. He has also made strides in the outfield, recording a career-high 10 outfield assists this year, doubling his 2015 total.

METS
RHP, Corey Taylor

In his first full season as a Met after being taken in the seventh round of the 2015 Draft as a Texas Tech senior, Taylor led the system with 20 saves. He also had a 1.87 ERA, and while he didn't miss a ton of bats, he did strike out more hitters in the second half. That trend continued in the Fall League (nearly a strikeout per inning) as he prepares for the upper levels.
NATIONALS
OF Drew Ward (Nationals No. 10)

After struggling (.097 in 12 games) as the youngest player in the Arizona Fall League in 2015, Ward has shown vast improvement this year, hitting safely in 13 straight games to start the season.
RHP Ryan Brinley
Brinley, 23, thrived as Class A Advanced Potomac's closer, saving 16 of 18 games and posting a 1.37 ERA with a 0.89 WHIP in 39 1/3 innings (32 appearances). He allowed just one home run in that span and held opposing hitters to a paltry .196 average.
ORIOLES
OF D.J. Stewart (O's No. 12)

Stewart's first two months this season were much like his 2015 pro debut, when he hit .218 over 62 games in the New York-Penn League after the Orioles selected him with the No. 25 overall pick. But he began to find his stroke with a move up to the Class A Advanced Carolina League, hitting .279/.389/.448 with 16 extra-base hits, including six home runs, across 59 games. Altogether, he posted a .776 OPS with 10 home runs and 26 steals.
PADRES
OF Michael Gettys (Padres No. 10)

Gettys possesses the plus-plus speed and arm strength that one day could make him a dynamic big league center fielder. And after returning to Class A Fort Wayne this year after struggling there last year, he hit .304/.369/.416 in 68 games for the TinCaps and earned a promotion to Lake Elsinore, where he posted a .306 average with an .823 OPS and nine home runs over 60 games.

PHILLIES
2B Scott Kingery (Phillies No. 13)

Kingery is used to showing what he can do in Arizona. Born in Phoenix, he spent three years excelling at the University of Arizona before the Phillies made him a second-round pick in the 2015 Draft. Kingery has the tools to be a dynamic presence at the top of a lineup. He can flat out hit, using a quick, short stroke to make consistent hard contact. Kingery uses all fields, works counts and doesn't strike out much.

PIRATES
RHP Edgar Santana (Pirates No. 29)

Santana began the year in the Florida State League and ended it in Triple-A, knocking on the big league door. After 79 1/3 relief innings across three levels, Santana is simply trying to tighten up a few things so he's ready should Pittsburgh need him for the big league bullpen in 2017.
3B Connor Joe
Joe is trying to build off of a second half that saw him hit .313 with an .824 OPS, not to mention his .333 with three homers in six playoff games. Injuries kept the 2014 draftee from making his pro debut until May 2015, but he managed to play in 107 games in '16, a big step in the right direction.

RANGERS
C Jose Trevino (Rangers No. 20)

Trevino played all over the field in college at Oral Roberts, and it wasn't until the Rangers selected him in the sixth round of the 2014 Draft that he started catching full-time. The 23-year-old has plenty of arm strength to make it as a catcher and has made significant strides with his release. After throwing out 34 percent of base stealers in 2015, Trevino threw out 48 percent of base stealers in 2016.

RAYS
LHP Brett Honeywell (Rays No. 2, MLB No. 39)

Honeywell reached Double-A for the first time in 2016 and -- between Class A Advanced Charlotte and Montgomery -- pitched to a 2.34 ERA, the best mark among Rays prospects with at least 100 innings pitched. In 115 1/3 innings, he notched 117 strikeouts vs. 25 walks. Following the season, the Rays named Honeywell their Minor League Pitcher of the Year.
RHP Diego Castillo
Castillo's power stuff has been on display in the Fall League in the form of a 97-99 mph fastball and a sharp slider in the upper 80s. The pairing gives the 22-year-old righty two genuine swing-and-miss offerings and could make him a late-inning weapon for the Rays in the coming years.

REDS
RHP Barrett Astin
Originally a third-round pick of the Brewers in 2013, Astin went to the Reds in the Jonathan Broxton trade back in August 2014. A ground-ball machine, Astin, 25, had success as a starter and reliever for the Blue Wahoos in 2016, when he posted a 2.26 ERA in 103 1/3 innings but has been coming out of the bullpen for the Javelinas this fall. Rule 5 eligible this offseason, he owns a 1.86 ERA through seven appearances in Arizona.
RED SOX
RHP Michael Kopech (Red Sox No. 5, MLB No. 67)

Kopech went 4-1 and posted a 2.25 ERA with 86 strikeouts over 11 starts with Salem, one of which the 20-year-old righty reportedly hit 105 mph on the radar gone. But because he broke his hand during an altercation in Spring Training and finished the regular season with just 56 1/3 innings under his belt, Kopech is using the Fall League to build up his workload. Through four starts, he owns a 1.93 ERA and 0.86 WHIP, with 18 strikeouts and one walk in 14 innings.
SS Mauricio Dubon (Red Sox No. 12)
Added to the West squad after winning the Fan Final 2 Vote, Dubon has been impressive offensively. The Honduran native doesn't have exceptional power, but he has good bat control and hit .323 in 124 games across two levels this season. After a second-half promotion to Double-A, the 22-year-old shortstop posted a .339 clip and hit all six of his home runs over 62 games. 
LHP Trey Ball (Red Sox No. 14)
Ball, whom Boston selected with the No. 7 overall Draft pick in 2013, saw better results in 2016, posting a 3.84 ERA in 23 starts with Salem. The highly-projectable 6-foot-6 lefty has a low-to-mid 90s fastball, a cutter that is still developing and a changeup that serves as his best offspeed pitch.

ROCKIES
3B/1B Ryan McMahon (Rockies No. 6)

A second-round pick in 2013, McMahon breezed through his first three years in pro ball before struggling in 2016. He hit just .242/.325/.399 with 161 strikeouts at Hartford, spending the much of the season on the road with a franchise that lacked a home ballpark for several months. McMahon did finish on a high note, hitting .263/.347/.450 after the All-Star break as one of the Eastern League's youngest regulars at age 21.
RHP Rayan Gonzalez
A 21st-rounder from Bethune-Cookman in 2012, Gonzalez has used a sinking and cutting 92-95 mph fastball and a deep curveball to generate a lot of strikeouts and groundouts since turning pro. After a rough 2015 in the Class A Advanced California League, the reliever rebounded in Double-A this season with a 3.12 ERA and 49 whiff in 52 innings.
ROYALS
1B/OF Ryan O'Hearn (Royals No. 7)

The Royals made O'Hearn an eighth-round pick from in 2014, targeting the Sam Houston State product for his power potential. He won Rookie-level Pioneer League MVP honors in his pro debut, led the Class A South Atlantic League with 19 homers in his first full season and slammed 22 homers this year between Class A Advanced Wilmington and Double-A Northwest Arkansas.
TIGERS
OF Christin Stewart (Tigers No. 3)

Stewart hit 30 home runs combined in 2016, leading the Tigers organization and tying him for fifth among all Minor League sluggers. Most of his experience came in the pitcher-friendly Class A Advanced Florida State League, where he hit 24 homers and slugged .534 in 104 games, pacing the circuit in both categories even though he spent nearly all of August with Double-A Erie.
RHP Adam Ravenelle (Tigers No. 20)
The Tigers nabbed Ravenelle from Vanderbilt in the fourth round of that 2014 Draft, and the reliever split the 2016 season between Lakeland and Erie, striking out nearly a batter per inning across 50 appearances. Meanwhile, his strong showing in the AFL could help to catapult him into big league bullpen plans at some point in 2017.
TWINS
SS Nick Gordon (Twins No. 2, MLB No. 47)

Gordon, of course, is the son of Tom Gordon and the brother of Marlins second baseman Dee Gordon. The former first-round pick had a solid season in the Florida State League, where he was more than two and a half years younger than the average position player. He just turned 21 on Oct. 24 and has turned heads with his approach at the plate and his steadiness at shortstop.

WHITE SOX
OF Courtney Hawkins (White Sox No. 14)
The 13th overall pick in the 2012 Draft, Hawkins has big raw power but has yet to show that he can make enough consistent contact to do damage at the plate. He repeated Double-A in 2016, batting .203/.255/.349 with 12 homers and 137 strikeouts in 106 games.
LHP Brian Clark (White Sox No. 16)
A ninth-round pick from Kent State in 2014, Clark already has ridden his low-90s sinker and solid slider to Triple-A. He had a 2.70 ERA and 48/12 K/BB ratio in 56 2/3 relief innings this year at the two highest levels in the Minors.
YANKEES
SS (Yankees No. 2, MLB No. 17)

At 19, Torres is the youngest player in the Fall League. Originally signed by the Cubs for $1.7 million out of Venezuela in 2013, he went to the Yankees as their key acquisition in the  trade in July. The 19-year-old shortstop has solid all-around tools and is an advanced hitter for his age, as evidenced by his .270/.354/.421 line with 11 homers in 125 Class A Advanced games this season.

3B Miguel Andujar (Yankees No. 7)
The highest-priced signee in the Yankees' 2011-12 international class ($750,000 out of the Dominican Republic), Andujar offers well above-average raw power and arm strength. He had his best full season in 2016, hitting .273/.332/.410 with 12 homers in 130 games between Class A Advanced and Double-A at age 21.