Arizona Fall League (2018)

[Stokes1931]

From The Athletic

AFL Report: Scouting prospects from the Cubs, Red Sox,...

Scottsdale Scorpions
Teams: Reds | Astros | Mets | Phillies | Giants
Manager: Willie Harris (Giants)
Pitcher of the Week: Garrett Williams, LHP, Giants
0.60 ERA, 15 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 6 BB, 15 K (4 games)

It didn’t take long for Garrett Williams to grab attention this fall.

The Oklahoma State product was originally drafted as the Padres’ 33rd-round pick in 2013, but decided to go to college instead. Williams struggled over his three-year career, posting a 6.08 ERA over his final season in the Big 12 conference.

Selected by the Giants as their seventh-round pick in 2016, Williams has earned the title of the No. 20 prospect in the Giants system, according to MLB Pipeline. The lefty works with a three-pitch mix.

Williams’ strongest offering is a plus curve projected to become plus-plus as he continues to polish his feel. His heater touches as high as 97 mph with good movement, and his changeup is still working to match pace, grading as an average piece.

Williams, 24, has worked an impressive start to his Fall League career, currently leading the entire league in earned run average for pitchers with 15 or more home runs.

Methinks this is a typo, and should be Innings Pitched.

 

[Stokes1931]

Thursday, 11/1

Scottsdale (9-11) Lost 4-2

Matt Winn 0-3, 2 K (.067)

No other Giant played.

 

[Stokes1931]

Monday 11/5

Scottsdale (10-11) won 5-4

Heath Quinn 0-3, RBI, K (.138)

Matt Winn 1-3, run, RBI, homer (1), walk, K

Garrett Williams (W, 3-0) 5.0-5-3-2-1-6 (1.35) an error cost him a run and more pitches. Solid outing.

Sam Wolff (S, 1) 1.1-0-0-0-0-3 (0.00) Making it look easy in the AFL

More on the game, and Williams:

Giants' Williams fans six in AFL action

Williams, the Giants' No. 20 prospect, entered the game carrying a 14-inning scoreless innings streak spanning his previous three starts for the Scorpions. Although the streak ended rather quickly when he allowed a first-inning run -- albeit on an infield error and a wild pitch -- it didn't preclude Williams from completing five innings of three-run (two earned) ball en route to his second straight win. He scattered five hits, walked one and struck out six while throwing 53 of 77 pitches for strikes, including 12 swinging strikes, in the outing.

Williams was highly effective with his fastball-slider pairing in the outing. He operated mostly at 89-92 mph with his heater, throwing it down in the zone with some late running action, and commanded it well so as to set up a sharp, late-breaking slider at 82-83 mph that he consistently spotted on the back foot of right-handed hitters.

"The breaking ball has always been in my back pocket," Williams said of the pitch that netted him four of his six strikeouts.

However, it was the 24-year-old southpaw's fastball command that was a difference maker in the outing as well as overall so far in the Fall League, where he's registered a 1.35 ERA with 21 strikeouts and seven walks in 20 innings.

"When I have the fastball command, it makes the breaking ball that much sharper and that much harder to hit," said Williams, who posted a 6.06 ERA with 73 strikeouts and 61 walks in 81 2/3 frames at Double-A Richmond during the regular season.

"I treat this as a new season ... kind of clear my mind," he said. "Came out here and started attacking the zone, got my confidence up and really relied on my fastball command. I'm happy with the way I've been throwing."

 

[Stokes1931]

Tuesday 11/6

Scottsdale (10-12) lost 3-2

Heath Quinn 1-3, run, walk, 2 K's (.156) also a stolen base

C.J. Hinojosa 0-3, 2 K (.143)

Chase Johnson 0.1-0-0-0-1-0

Inherited runners-scored: Johnson, C 1-0

 

[Stokes1931]

Toolshed: AFL players flipping scripts

Melvin Adon, Giants right-hander, Scottsdale: San Francisco has tried to make its No. 19 prospect into a starter since signing him out of the Dominican Republic in 2015, but Adon has shown this autumn that he might be better suited as a bullpen stud. The No. 19 Giants prospect has touched triple-digits at times in the Fall League and been nearly untouchable in shorter stints. (None of his appearances have lasted longer than two innings.) His 0.52 WHIP in seven outings is lowest among AFL qualified pitchers while he's fanned 19 and walked only two. The 24-year-old right-hander also showed off an impressive slider when he caught Guerrero looking for a strikeout in the Fall Stars Game. Adon is coming off a regular season in which he posted a 4.87 ERA and a 1.49 WHIP over 77 2/3 innings at Class A Advanced San Jose, so given his age, it might be time to abandon the starting pitching experiment anyway. The way his stuff is dominating a good group of bats in the Fall League, it is time to see how quickly he can move toward the Bay Area in a relief role.

 

[Stokes1931]

Wednesday, 11/7

Scottsdale (10-13) lost 5-4 giving up 4 runs in the bottom of the 9th

Heath Quinn 0-3, run, 2 K (.143)

C.J. Hinojosa 1-2, run, 3 RBI, homer (1) (.162)

Melvin Adon (H, 1) 1.0-0-0-0-0-2 (0.84) (WHIP = 0.47)

10.2 innings

3 hits

2 runs

1 ER

1 HR

2 BB

21 K

 

[calsnowskier]

So what’s the biggest story for the Giants out of Arizona so far this year?

Adon?
Williams?
The hitters in general?

 

[LHG]

So what’s the biggest story for the Giants out of Arizona so far this year?

Adon?
Williams?
The hitters in general?

How about most overlooked story - Chase Johnson, the forgotten short reliever?

 

[calsnowskier]

How about most overlooked story - Chase Johnson, the forgotten short reliever?

4.76 ERA, 1.765 WHIP, 5/4 K/BB

Far from “dump him” numbers, but not Adon or Williams or Wolff.

 

[LHG]

4.76 ERA, 1.765 WHIP, 5/4 K/BB

Far from “dump him” numbers, but not Adon or Williams or Wolff.

I was trying to refer to the fact that he is being used in short relief stints (6 innings in 7 games) and somewhat sporadically at that. His numbers aren't good at all and he is not young at all (turns 27 in January), which makes it more concerning. I thought that he'd make the AAA rotation in 2019 but now I wonder if he'll be stuck into Richmond's bullpen in 2019.

 

[calsnowskier]

I was trying to refer to the fact that he is being used in short relief stints (6 innings in 7 games) and somewhat sporadically at that. His numbers aren't good at all and he is not young at all (turns 27 in January), which makes it more concerning. I thought that he'd make the AAA rotation in 2019 but now I wonder if he'll be stuck into Richmond's bullpen in 2019.

Gotcha. Didn’t catch that aspect...

 

[LHG]

Gotcha. Didn’t catch that aspect...

What!?!? You cannot read my mind!?!? cal, you are slipping.

 

[calsnowskier]

What!?!? You cannot read my mind!?!? cal, you are slipping.

I whole heartedly apologize for my increasing incompetence. Please find it in your heart to forgive my shortcomings.

 

[LHG]

I whole heartedly apologize for my increasing incompetence. Please find it in your heart to forgive my shortcomings.

I'm thinking about it . . .

 

[Stokes1931]

Friday, 11/9

Scottsdale (10-14) lost 6-5

Heath Quinn 0-4, walk, 2 K (.128)

Matt Winn 1-2, 2 runs, RBI, walk, homer (2) (.111)

Melvin Adon (L, 0-1) 1.0-3-1-1-1-0 (guy is human after all.)

Saturday, 11/10

Scottsdale (11-14) won 5-3

Matt Winn 1-3, run, RBI, triple, walk (.128)

Chase Johnson (H, 2) 1.0-0-0-0-0-1 (3.86)

Sam Wolff (S, 2) 1.0-0-0-0-0-0 (0.00)

No games on Sundays. 'Tis the Lord's Day, you know. Or something.

 

[Stokes1931]

Monday 11/12

Scottsdale (12-14) won 5-4 with three runs in the bottom of the 9th

Matt Winn 0-2, walk, K (.122)

C.J. Hinojosa 0-3, run, walk, K (.150)

Garrett Williams 4.0-4-2-2-4-6 (1.88) 74 pitches, only 38 strikes. His command reverted to his previous wild ways in this game.

 

[Stokes1931]

Arizona Fall League interview with right-handed relief pitcher Sam Wolff

 

[Stokes1931]

Arizona Fall League Review: Week Five

The Hitters
C.J. Hinojosa: 3 G, 1 for 5, HR, 3 RBI, 2 K. Season totals: .162/.225/.270
Matt Winn: 3 G, 3 for 8, 2 HRs, 3b, 3 walks, 1 K. Season totals: .128/.320/.333
Heath Quinn: 4 G, 1 for 13, 2 BB, 7 K. Season totals: .128/.222/.128

Matt Winn broke an 0 for 22 streak on Monday night when he went deep for his first AFL home run. That was the start of a big week for the Catcher, who came back with another HR on Friday and a triple Saturday afternoon. He has just five hits in his 39 AFL at bats, but he’s supplemented that with 10 walks.

Later in the week, CJ Hinojosa also hit his first HR, a three-run shot after subbing into the game as a defensive replacement in the 6th inning. CJ has six RBI in the AFL and they’ve come on just two swings of the bat: a three-run bases clearing PH double and this HR. Those are his only XBH of the AFL and interestingly, both came in games in which he came off the bench. Heath Quinn also came up with a hit this week, his fifth in 35 ABs. Five hits for the trio — best week so far!

The Pitchers
Garrett Williams: 1 GS, 5 IP, 5H, 3 R, 1 BB, 6 K. Season Totals: 1.35 ERA, 21 K/20 IP
Melvin Adon: 2 G, 2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 2 K. Season Total: 1.54 ERA, 21 K/11.2 IP
Chase Johnson: 1 G, 0.1 IP, 1 BB, 0 K. Season Totals: 4.50 ERA, 5 K/6 IP
Sam Wolff: 2 G, 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 2 Sv. Season Totals: 0.00 ERA, 12 K/9 IP

Williams and Adon each had their poorest outings of the year as we reach the drag zone for the pitchers. Williams allowed 3 runs (2 earned) on 5 hits on Monday — he’d allowed just one run total prior to that game over four starts and 15 innings. Still he’s had the K pitch going lately, striking out 18 in his past three games (14 IP). Adon allowed a run on three hits and a walk in his last game of the week. That was the first run he’d allowed since his first game of the Fall way back on October 10, and the first hits he’d given up (aside from the Fall Stars game) in his last five outings. It was also just the second time he’s failed to K a batter in an outing in the AFL. Still, he’s racked up 21 Ks in less than 12 innings and has really been a revelation in a relief role.

Sam Wolff kept his perfect AFL campaign going as he moved into a closer role, closing out two of the Scorpions victories this week. Wolff hasn’t shown Adon’s eye-popping stuff, but he’s allowed just two hits and walked no one in his 9 AFL innings.

We’re into the final week of the fall as next Saturday marks the AFL Championship game (which the Scorpions are almost certainly not going to be a part of).

 

[Stokes1931]

Tuesday 11/13

Scottsdale (13-14) won 4-2

Melvin Adon 0.2-1-2-2-0-0 (2.92)

Sam Wolff (S, 3) 1.0-0-0-0-2-2 (0.00)

 

[Stokes1931]

Wednesday 11/14

Scottsdale (14-14) won 10-3

C.J. Hinojosa 1-4, walk, K (.159)