Arizona Fall League Updates

50PoundHead

50PoundHead

Hessmania Forever
I was going to try and combine this with the other AFL thread I started, but it's beyond my technical expertise (but I can program a VCR).

Anyway, Salt River (the team with Braves' participants) won their inaugural game 3-1.

Braves players:

McCabe 0/3, 1 BB, 1 K, Picked off base
Tolve 1/4, 3 K
 
Salt River now 1-2 with two straight losses after its opening day victory.

Braves' players updates:

Tuesday 10/3--Mesa 8, Salt River 1

McSteen 1.2 IP, 2 K, 20P/13S
Ogans (2B) 0/4 2 K

Wednesday 10/4--Scottsdale 5, Salt River 4

McCabe (3B) 2/4, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Ogans (SS) 2/4, 1 R, 1 RBI
Halligan 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 K, 17P/9S

Just noticed that former Braves' minor league RHP Alec Barger who the Braves traded for Brad Hand is also on the Salt River roster.
 
Salt River Wins 8-5 over Suprise Saguaros thanks to Braves' players. Recond now 2-2.

Ogans (2B) 3/4, 3 RBI
Tolve (C) 1/3, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K
McCabe (3B) 0/2, 1 R, 3 BB, 2 K

Wilson 1 IP, 3 K, 11P/9S
 
Salt River loses 6-1 to Mesa Solar Sox on Friday.

Ogans (SS) 1/4, 1 SB

McSteen 2 IP, 3 K, 30P/19S

Ogans has been splitting time between 2B and SS. Also played a lot of 3B for Rome in 2023. I was a little surprised that he was one of the guys the Braves sent to Arizona, but Braves have been drafting a lot of middle infield utility types the past couple of years with Conley, Waddell, Durbin (since traded to the Yankees in the Luetge deal), Exposito, and Ogans and they may be trying to set a pecking order.
 
Salt River loses to the Peorida Javelinas 18-11 on Saturday night.

McCabe 1/3, 1 R, 1 RBI, 3 BB
Tolve 0/5, 4K

Halligan 0 IP, 2 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 27P/11S
 
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Salt River squeaks out a 7-6 win over Scottsdale Monday night.

McCabe 0/3, 1 R, 1 BB, 3 K
Tolve 0/4, 1 K

Wilson, 1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, 28P/17S

Last night's line aside, Wilson is someone of interest. Braves' 7th round pick in 2018 (which is looking like Anthopoulos and Company's weakest by far thus far) who signed for well below slot as a senior sign out of Stetson (FL) University. A starting pitcher at Stetson his first three seasons there, he became a two-way player, playing third base and closing for the team his senior year. He flew through the lower minors, missed the COVID season (like pretty much everyone else), and pitched well in Mississippi in 2021 (14.9 K/9). He was added to the Braves' 40-man roster after the 2021 season, but had Tommy John Surgery and was dropped from the 40-man after being reinstated from the 60-day IL after the 2022 season. Opted for free agency and the re-signed with the Braves.

Braves eased him back into action in 2023. Pitched a couple of times in June for Rome, then went down to the FCL in late August. Pitched in Mississippi and Gwinnett after the FCL season ended.

I've never seen an official scouting report on him. Things I've read say "average stuff" or "movement on mid-90s fastball" or some general observations in that vein. Two-dimensional stats look very impressive (career minor league K/9 of 10.1 and WHIP of 1.116), but one never knows if that transfers. He's 27, so much like Winans last year in the Arizona Fall League), he's an older player in whom the Braves see something. His assignment to the Arizona Falls League is probably to get innings as much as anything else, but an assessment opportunity as well.
 
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Nerfherders said:
Is it bad that I've never heard of any of these guys? I assume we sent the bare minimum this year.
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Braves sent a complement of seven, which I believe is the maximum a team can send.

Vines and Dodd pitched for the major league team, but haven't pitched yet in Arizona.

McCabe and Ogans both reached A+. McCabe is considered a decent prospect (#16 Braves' prospect in MLB rankings). Ogans projects as a glove-first utility guy. They are likely watching McCabe more closely.

Tolve is an athletic catching prospect who missed a lot of time in Mississippi, so his assignment is probably tied to shaking off some rust and getting in swings. Same with Wilson, although with innings instead of ABs.

Halligan was the surprise to me. Royals' 13th round pick in 2021 and was released by them after pitching for three of their minor league teams in 2022. Didn't have an overly-impressive stat line for Rome and Mississippi, but the Braves really elevated his K-rate so they are probably looking to continue that development.

In all, I think the group shows the Braves' lack of depth in their prospect group that would benefit from being in the Arizona Fall League. They probably have a few guys who may be better prospects working out in the instructional league to clean up their games.
 
Nerfherders said:
Is it bad that I've never heard of any of these guys? I assume we sent the bare minimum this year.
Click to expand...

I can't remember a year where we sent less interesting prospects to the AFL. McCabe is probably the one with some upside, but even then, there are some serious questions about him.
 
CJ9 said:
I can't remember a year where we sent less interesting prospects to the AFL. McCabe is probably the one with some upside, but even then, there are some serious questions about him.
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I thought Baldwin would be there instead of Tolve. I thought that maybe Schwellenbach would be there as well given he didn't log a ton of innings, but they are probably being very careful with him. Tyler Owens and Jared Johnson are two others I thought might be there. I find Vines and Dodd interesting choices to send because they probably "are who they are" at this point.
 
50PoundHead said:
I thought Baldwin would be there instead of Tolve. I thought that maybe Schwellenbach would be there as well given he didn't log a ton of innings, but they are probably being very careful with him. Tyler Owens and Jared Johnson are two others I thought might be there. I find Vines and Dodd interesting choices to send because they probably "are who they are" at this point.
Click to expand...

show casing them perhaps.
 
Salt River hands Peoria it's first loss by score of 7-4.

McCabe (3B) 1/4, 1 2B, 1 SB, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 E
Ogans (2B) 1/4, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 E

McSteen 1 IP, 1 K
 
Salt River loses 7-6 to Suprise! in Dodd's Debut

Braves galore:

McCabe (3B) 1/4, 1 R, 1 RBI,1 BB, 2 K
Ogans (SS) 1/4, 1 E
Tolve (C) 2/4, 1 R, 1 K

Dodd 5 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 9 K, 1 HRA, 1 WP, 81P/60S
Halligan 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, BS (1), 20P/12S
 
Salt River defeats Peoria 11-8. Peoria has only two losses, both at the hands of Salt River

Wilson .2 IP, 2 H, 5 R. 5 ER, 3 BB, 0 K, 1 HRA, 29P/12S. Braves' pitching participants, especially Halligan and Wilson, leading the league in ugly innings.
 
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Salt River wins 7-inning contest over Phoenix Desert Dogs 7-2

McCabe (3B) 3/3, 2 R, 1 RBI
Ogans (2B) 0/3, 1 K
Tolve (C) 0/3, PB
 
Atlanta’s David McCabe is in a similar boat — he seems to be able to hit, and has the benefit of being a switch-hitter, but he’s even slower-footed than Roberts and may not be able to play anywhere but first base, where he’s not unseating Matt Olson. McCabe’s a better pure hitter than Roberts, but didn’t get as much of an opportunity in the upper levels, as he spent all year in Low and High A at age 23. He does have more swing and miss than I expected given his low strikeout rates in pro ball, with better velocity giving him trouble when I saw him, but he has a very good left-handed swing and definitely understands the strike zone. He’s the kind of guy who ends up with Oakland or a non-contender and then “surprises” with a 3-4 WAR season at first base when he’s 26.
 
Thanks for the KLaw synopsis Krg.

Anyway, here's Monday's result. A 7-6 win for Salt River over Scottsdale.

McCabe (DH) 0/2, 3 BB, 1 K
 
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