This previous Saturday, the Arizona Fall League performed host to a tripleheader, with begin occasions staggered sufficient to see at the very least most of all three contests on the varied ballparks within the japanese a part of the Phoenix metro space. My notes and ideas on the standouts from that day, in addition to Monday’s solo recreation in Peoria, are beneath. You could find the end-of-year studies and grades on the 2024 Fall Leaguers on the Fall League tab of The Board.
Andrew Painter, RHP, Philadelphia Phillies
This was the 21-year-old Painter’s first aggressive motion since present process Tommy John surgical procedure in late July of 2023. He had change into among the many finest pitching prospects in baseball within the yr previous to his surgical procedure, and was a menace to interrupt 2023 camp as a part of the Phillies’ huge league rotation lower than two years after he was drafted out of highschool. As a substitute, the timing of his damage and the Phillies’ method to treating it (they took an opportunity he’d heal sufficient with a plasma-rich platelet injection to pitch late in 2023) led to him lacking everything of the final two seasons.
Like most Tommy John rehabbers, the very first thing to return for Painter has been his velocity. He sat 98-100 mph throughout his two innings of labor, according to the height velocities he confirmed as a first-year professional in 2022. Painter’s fastball runs downhill due to his peak and excessive arm slot, which narrows its skill to overlook bats to the world at very prime of the zone and above. He was dwelling there persistently earlier than he blew out, and it’s commonplace or regarding that his really feel for dotting this location wasn’t as exact on Saturday. Right here is his complete outing, with muted video throughout his warmup to accommodate a copyright declare on “Don’t Cease ‘Til You Get Sufficient”:
On Saturday, Painter’s secondary stuff (a slider within the 86-90 mph vary and a curveball within the 83-85 mph vary) wasn’t as crisp and lethal because it was earlier than his surgical procedure, nevertheless it’s just too early to fret about that. Command and secondary pitch high quality are likely to arrive later for TJ rehabbers. At its finest, Painter’s stuff performs much like the best way Justin Verlander’s does, working at three vertical ranges and with various speeds through a fastball/slider/curveball troika. If Painter goes all six weeks of Fall League with out displaying nasty breaking stuff, there may be one thing extra concrete to remove from his efficiency. For now, let’s see how he appears to be like as he goes deeper into video games and reclaims really feel for his breaking pitches.
Ethan Salas, C, San Diego Padres
Salas had two doubles Monday and popped sub 1.9 seconds on throws to second base a number of occasions, together with some 1.84-1.89 occasions that hosed two runners. He’s receiving effectively across the fringe of the zone and doesn’t appear overwhelmed by the tempo or stage of stuff he’s catching, or by some other side of the Fall League thus far.
Salas slashed a mediocre .206/.288/.311 at Excessive-A this yr, which naturally evokes one to ponder how a lot his age ought to inform the best way we interpret his poor offensive efficiency in 2024. I’m inclined to be affected person right here. Salas can be 18 years previous till subsequent June. His stats are barely higher than Adley Rutschman’s had been throughout his freshman yr at Oregon State.
Catchers additionally usually aren’t nice to guage throughout Fall League. They’ve performed all yr and are typically gassed, and so they need to discover ways to work with a wholly new workers of pitchers for six weeks whereas sharing time with a number of different catchers. Stepping into any form of rhythm out right here might be difficult, and I don’t essentially suppose Salas has to mild the league on hearth along with his bat to stay a prime 10 total prospect or “bounce again,” so to talk.
Zyhir Hope, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers
Hope was traded to the Dodgers as a part of the Michael Busch deal in January, simply six months after he was chosen because the Cubs’ 2023 Eleventh-round decide. He then missed many of the first half of the 2024 season with a shoulder damage and was restricted to simply over 60 video games. He’s among the many most essential gamers for me to guage this fall, because the timing of his commerce and damage prompted him to slide by way of the cracks of The Board throughout the common season.
Skepticism is essential in terms of digesting Cal League offensive output, however Hope’s instruments are for actual. He has change into tremendously robust since turning professional and generates ridiculous energy for a hitter his age, and in a brief mechanical distance. Hope hit a 470-foot homer final week and homered once more yesterday (each had been off of Padres aid prospect David Morgan, whose fastball can contact 100 mph), this time to the alternative discipline on a pitch that he largely fought off. His swing is comparatively grooved however there may be going to be a lot energy right here that it may not matter very a lot. Hope also can actually run, however he spent most of 2024 in left discipline because of poor ball abilities. He has little or no professional expertise and ought to be given an opportunity to develop in heart. This can be a very thrilling, high-variance prospect.
Josue Briceño, 1B/C, Detroit Tigers
Briceño, a Decide to Click on coming into the season, homered 3 times on Saturday. The wind was blowing out to proper discipline (Thomas Saggese hit an oppo homer on a ball that left the bat at simply 95 mph), which aided two of Briceño’s bombs, nevertheless it’s nonetheless a particular factor to see a man go deep 3 times in a single recreation. Right here they’re:
