Arizona Fall League + Winter League Thread

Chico said:
From Keith Law on Malloy

showing better off-speed recognition and ridiculous strength, driving a slider from a right-hander (so he didn’t have the platoon advantage) to right-center for a hard-hit double and turning on average velocity whenever he saw it. I didn’t get him against plus velocity, but didn’t see any issues with his bat speed. I’m surprised he only hit 16 homers this year because everything I saw him hit was loud.
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Just to piggyback off this, Law added in his chat today that he thinks Malloy projects to an every day left fielder.
 
Malloy looks the part. Everything he hits seems to be hard and he has a pretty good arm out there. Seen him in person a few times and he definitely stands out. If he pans out that’ll be huge for us.
 
We might actually have a AAA team that’s worth going to see. Grissom, Malloy, Shewmake, with Milligan, Bunnell, and Valdez possibly joining them would be worth watching
 
CJ9 said:
Just to piggyback off this, Law added in his chat today that he thinks Malloy projects to an every day left fielder.
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If Malloy really is that good and close it makes me wonder if the Conforto deal will be a reality. You can go big for him on a pillow deal. He gets to prove his value and take shots at the Mets. Malloy is a cheap insurance policy with upside.
 
Scorpions lose 7-0 to the Saguaros. Scorpions only manage 2 hits.

Braves on the field:

Conley: 1/4, 1 K
Bunnell: 0/1, 3 BB, 1 K, 1 E (playing 3B)

I think I mentioned earlier that Gwinnett manager Matt Tuiasosopo is managing the Scorpions and I imagine that while he has to be even-handed in handling the players from the various teams that comprise his roster in trying to meet those teams' goals for their participants, he is getting a really up-close look at the Braves' guys, some of whom he may not be that familiar with. I thought sending Bunnell there was a bit odd given his uneven performance in the minors thus far, but he does have a certain set of skills (not the same ones that Liam Neeson has) that seemed to take a positive jump upward when he played the second half of the 2022 season in Mississippi. I'm not one to bet on a relatively small sample size in AA, but I do imagine that the Braves are going the extra mile to assess Bunnell's chances and sending him to the AFL was part of that.
 
50PoundHead said:
Scorpions lose 7-0 to the Saguaros. Scorpions only manage 2 hits.

Braves on the field:

Conley: 1/4, 1 K
Bunnell: 0/1, 3 BB, 1 K, 1 E (playing 3B)

I think I mentioned earlier that Gwinnett manager Matt Tuiasosopo is managing the Scorpions and I imagine that while he has to be even-handed in handling the players from the various teams that comprise his roster in trying to meet those teams' goals for their participants, he is getting a really up-close look at the Braves' guys, some of whom he may not be that familiar with. I thought sending Bunnell there was a bit odd given his uneven performance in the minors thus far, but he does have a certain set of skills (not the same ones that Liam Neeson has) that seemed to take a positive jump upward when he played the second half of the 2022 season in Mississippi. I'm not one to bet on a relatively small sample size in AA, but I do imagine that the Braves are going the extra mile to assess Bunnell's chances and sending him to the AFL was part of that.
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Yeah, I think Bunnell will be In Gwinnett next year, and possible put on the 40. It’s really just the Ks that hurt him. He could provide speed, pop, and defensive versatility off the bench one day.
 
Chico said:
Yeah, I think Bunnell will be In Gwinnett next year, and possible put on the 40. It’s really just the Ks that hurt him. He could provide speed, pop, and defensive versatility off the bench one day.
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As an older fan, one thing I have noticed is that the minor leagues have gotten much older in terms of players' ages than in an earlier era and you do find more late-bloomers than you used to. It used to be that a guy hit 25 years old and if he hadn't established himself as a potential major league player, he was back in his hometown selling insurance or coaching high school baseball. The average age on the Gwinnett team this year was 26+ and it was just a shade under 25 in Mississippi. One of the biggest changes in the player development framework that I've seen over the years.

I really don't know what to think of Bunnell and I have to believe that his uptick--considerable uptick--while at Mississippi was a bit unexpected but piqued the interest of those in charge. I don't see him on the 40-man, but he will be on the Gwinnett roster this off-season, which would require a major league team to draft him in the Rule 5 and be subject to those limitations. Has some versatility and pop, but, as you point out, the K issue is going to determine his ceiling.
 
Scorpions down the Glendale Desert Dogs 9-7 in a 7-inning affair.

Conley: 1/4, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 HR (2), 1 K
Bunnell (with the standard Bunnellesque line): 1/2, 2 R, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 1 K
Smith, 1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 2 HRA.

Dominican League started last week. I scoured the stats at Baseball Reference and the only Brave I see involved to this point is RHP Odalvi Javier. One appearance in which he got shelled. 1 1/3 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, 1 HRA. Javier is 26 and has been in the Braves' system since 2015 and has made a slow but steady ascent through the system and has had decent stats at Mississippi in 2021 and 2022. I have never read a scouting report on him, but I don't recall him ever being listed in our Top 30 prospects.
 
Sorry for the late report on last night's game. Early morning and 100 miles of driving.

Scorpions lose Monday game 14-12 to the Desert Dogs.

Not a banner day for Braves' prospects.

Malloy: 1/5, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 3B (1), 1 CS, 2 BB, 2 K, 1 OF Assist
We are whining over Winans: 1/3 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, 1 HRA. He was the starting pitcher and somehow managed to avoid being tagged with the loss. ERA now a 5.02
 
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Scorpions lose 12-0 to Salt River on Tuesday.

Bad News Bears? How about Bad News Braves.

Conley: 0/2, 2 BB, 1 SB (8), 1 E (5)
Bunnell: 1/4, 2 K
Segal: 2/3 IP, 0 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 0 K. Victim of the Curse of the IRS by his successor Myrick, but 34 pitches, 14 strikes.
 
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Missed a couple of days.

Thursday game: Scorpions lose 3-1

Conley: 1/3, 1 BB, 2 K
Malloy: 1/3, 1 BB, 2 K
Woods: 1 IP, 1 K
Smith: 1 IP, 1 K

Friday game: Scorpions in 3-0

Conley: 1/3, 0 R, 2 RBI, 1 3B (2), 1 SB (9)
Bunnell: 0/3, 2 K
 
Scorpions lose 5-3 to the Salt River Rafters.

Conley: 2/5, 1 K
Malloy: 2/5, 1 RBI, 1 K, 1 SB
Woods: 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 HRA
Segal: 2 IP, 2 K. Big deal here is that he threw 25 pitches, 17 strikes.

Georgians may be rightly proud of Stone Mountain native Jordan Walker in a couple of years. Cardinals drafted him 21st overall in 2020 and he's done quite well in the Arizona Fall League as a 20-year-old. Batting .290 with 5 HRs. Good BB-rate and his K-rate isn't astronomical.

I was hoping prior to the 2020 draft that he would fall to the Braves, who were picking 25th. Walker was in AA as a 20-year-old and had an impressive season given his age/experience. Cardinals appear to have moved him off 3B to the OF (makes sense with Arenado's presence) so I wouldn't be surprised if he finds his way into the Cardinals' OF at some point in 2023.
 
Scorpions win 7-6 over Mesa Solar Sox.

Bunnell only Brave to see action, playing SS and turning in a Bunnellesque line: 1/4, 1 R, 2 K, 1 E (2)

Scorpions beat up on ex-Brave first-round draft pick Ryan Cusick. Cusick's line: 2 2/3 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 1 HRA
 
50PoundHead said:
Scorpions win 7-6 over Mesa Solar Sox.

Bunnell only Brave to see action, playing SS and turning in a Bunnellesque line: 1/4, 1 R, 2 K, 1 E (2)

Scorpions beat up on ex-Brave first-round draft pick Ryan Cusick. Cusick's line: 2 2/3 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 1 HRA
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Nobody from the Olson trade has done anything since the trade. Hate it for Cusick but it makes me feel better lol
 
Hudson2 said:
Nobody from the Olson trade has done anything since the trade. Hate it for Cusick but it makes me feel better lol
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Cusick was injured for a large portion of 2022 (and didn't perform well when healthy) so one of the reasons he's in Arizona is to get innings in. The A's started him out in AA, which I thought was a push. But you're right. I never really liked the pick when the Braves made it, but that doesn't matter right now. Still and all, if you throw easy gas that hits triple digits, you're going to be on a very long leash.
 
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