Arizona Fall League 2023

[Stokes1931]

We are a week into the AFL.

The Scorpions won their first three, and have lost their last four.

Pitchers
Will Bednar, RHP, 0-0, 10.80 ERA (A) (23) He has been wild.
Jack Choate, LHP, 0-1, 5.79 ERA (A, A+) (22) He's 6' 6"
Marques Johnson, RHP, 0-0, 4.50 ERA (A) (23) Grew up in San Jose, traded from Red Sox
Seth Lonsway, LHP, 0-0, 7.94 ERA (A+) (25)
Hayden Wynja, LHP, 0-0, 0.00 ERA (A, A+) (24) He is 6' 9" tall!

Catcher
Zack Morgan, R, .500, 3 RBI, (23) (A, A+) From Stockton

Infielders
Reggie Crawford, L, .111, (22), (A, A+)

Outfielders
Carter Howell, CF, R, .357, 1 HR, 1 RBI, (A, A+)

 

[LHG]

Any idea if Crawford is going to pitch in the AFL?

 

[Stokes1931]

Any idea if Crawford is going to pitch in the AFL?

He hasn’t so far.

 

[LHG]

He hasn’t so far.

I think I found my answer.

A left-handed Skenes? Giants love top pick on mound but have him hitting in the AFL

Reggie Crawford has better pure stuff than almost any left-hander in baseball. His fastball sits at 95-97 mph and tops out at 100 with plenty of carry at the top of the strike zone. He backs up his heater with a mid-80s slider that reaches 88 mph while combining velocity

www.mlb.com

I understand that the guy had TJ surgery early in 2022 but does anyone else feel like the Giants are being even more cautious than typical with him? He's a first round pick. It seems like he should be getting more steam by now.

 

[Stokes1931]

Today, Crawford went 2-4 with 4 RBI's, a double and a homer. The homer was an inside the park job.

Crawford's inside-the-park homer | 10/13/2023

Giants' No. 8 prospect Reggie Crawford swats a two-run inside-the-park home run in the bottom of the 2nd for Scottsdale

www.mlb.com

Raised his average to a robust .160

 

[calsnowskier]

Today, Crawford went 2-4 with 4 RBI's, a double and a homer. The homer was an inside the park job.

Crawford's inside-the-park homer | 10/13/2023

Giants' No. 8 prospect Reggie Crawford swats a two-run inside-the-park home run in the bottom of the 2nd for Scottsdale

www.mlb.com

Raised his average to a robust .160

He is already set to hit 5th in the Giants lineup this year.

 

[Stokes1931]

Law: Scouting the top prospects I saw at the Arizona Fall League

Law empties the notebook on the top players he saw in the desert, and makes a suggestion on how the league can be more useful in the future.

theathletic.com

 

[calsnowskier]

Law: Scouting the top prospects I saw at the Arizona Fall League

Law empties the notebook on the top players he saw in the desert, and makes a suggestion on how the league can be more useful in the future.

theathletic.com

Pay wall…

 

[Stokes1931]

We are two weeks into the AFL.

Pitchers
Will Bednar, RHP, 0-0, 13.50 ERA (A) (23) He has been wild. 2.2 innings, 6 walks, 5 K's
Jack Choate, LHP, 0-1, 4.91 ERA (A, A+) (22) He's 6' 6". 7.1 innings, 6 walks, 11 K's
Marques Johnson, RHP, 0-0, 4.50 ERA (A) (23) Grew up in San Jose, traded from Red Sox. Hasn't pitched this week.
Seth Lonsway, LHP, 0-0, 7.94 ERA (A+) (25) Hasn't pitched this week.
Hayden Wynja, LHP, 0-0, 0.00 ERA (A, A+) (24) He is 6' 9" tall!

Catcher
Zack Morgan, R, .500, 3 RBI, (23) (A, A+) From Stockton (hasn't played this week, injury?)

Infielders
Reggie Crawford, L, .143, (22), (A, A+) 16 K's in 28 at bats. Law writes that he should stick to pitching!

Outfielders
Carter Howell, CF, R, .333, 2 HR, 2 RBI, (A, A+)

 

[Stokes1931]

Pay wall…

Pertinent info:

Reggie Crawford, TWP, San Francisco Giants​

The Giants sent first baseman/pitcher Reggie Crawford to the desert, but only to hit, and after several games with him, my evaluation of him as a hitter is I sure hope he’s better as a pitcher. He’s got 16 strikeouts in 33 PA already, and it’s everything — he’s behind velocity and he’s not picking up pitch types. Crawford was always seen as a superior prospect on the mound, where he’s in the upper 90s from the left side, but it’s probably time for the Giants to convince him to give up the hitting part.
-------
• San Francisco right-hander Will Bednar was 94-95 with some ride and a good but not elite slider, while he had well below-average control and is now at six walks in 2 2/3 innings. He was the Giants’ first-round pick in 2021 but has struggled with injuries and poor control, missing all of 2023 outside of some rehab appearances with a back issue.
------
Pitching, or lack thereof, is the real story of the AFL this year, though. Even with the changes to reduce some of the wear and tear on players, like those later start times for afternoon games that reduce the league’s value to scouts, clubs just aren’t sending enough pitching. The talent in Arizona was probably the weakest I’ve ever seen, but that’s not entirely a surprise given how many prospects debuted in the majors this year or played deep into September as their parent clubs bumped them up to Double A and even Triple A to gain an extra week or two of playing time.

The lack of pitching is a chronic issue, though, and this year it is incredibly thin. In past years, you could generally expect to see a lot of relievers who throw hard and don’t know where it’s going, and some relievers with barely average fastballs but good command or at least control. This year, I saw a lot of guys with barely average fastballs who didn’t know where it was going, and let me tell you, I don’t think those guys are going to make my top 100 this winter. It is tougher to evaluate players when the level of competition is weaker.

There’s no easy solution here; I would love to see MLB penalize teams that send pitchers who have no business being here — if you send a pitcher who walks a man an inning in the AFL, you should lose a draft pick! — but that’s not going to happen. What I would love to see, and have suggested before (as have others), is for teams to use the AFL as a rehab spot for big-league pitchers who need more innings after the regular season has ended. Cleveland got Triston McKenzie back on the mound for two outings in September, one where he walked six guys and then a better one where he went 4 1/3 innings and walked three, but then the season was over. Wouldn’t he benefit from a few outings in Arizona to build up his innings total and maybe continue to work on regaining his command? Given the sheer number of pitchers we have recovering from Tommy John surgery at any given time, the AFL’s spot in the calendar could allow some of those guys to pitch in games when the alternative is waiting until March. It would help the league, and help the pitchers and their teams as well.

 

[LHG]

Pertinent info:

Reggie Crawford, TWP, San Francisco Giants​

The Giants sent first baseman/pitcher Reggie Crawford to the desert, but only to hit, and after several games with him, my evaluation of him as a hitter is I sure hope he’s better as a pitcher. He’s got 16 strikeouts in 33 PA already, and it’s everything — he’s behind velocity and he’s not picking up pitch types. Crawford was always seen as a superior prospect on the mound, where he’s in the upper 90s from the left side, but it’s probably time for the Giants to convince him to give up the hitting part.
-------
• San Francisco right-hander Will Bednar was 94-95 with some ride and a good but not elite slider, while he had well below-average control and is now at six walks in 2 2/3 innings. He was the Giants’ first-round pick in 2021 but has struggled with injuries and poor control, missing all of 2023 outside of some rehab appearances with a back issue.
------
Pitching, or lack thereof, is the real story of the AFL this year, though. Even with the changes to reduce some of the wear and tear on players, like those later start times for afternoon games that reduce the league’s value to scouts, clubs just aren’t sending enough pitching. The talent in Arizona was probably the weakest I’ve ever seen, but that’s not entirely a surprise given how many prospects debuted in the majors this year or played deep into September as their parent clubs bumped them up to Double A and even Triple A to gain an extra week or two of playing time.

The lack of pitching is a chronic issue, though, and this year it is incredibly thin. In past years, you could generally expect to see a lot of relievers who throw hard and don’t know where it’s going, and some relievers with barely average fastballs but good command or at least control. This year, I saw a lot of guys with barely average fastballs who didn’t know where it was going, and let me tell you, I don’t think those guys are going to make my top 100 this winter. It is tougher to evaluate players when the level of competition is weaker.

There’s no easy solution here; I would love to see MLB penalize teams that send pitchers who have no business being here — if you send a pitcher who walks a man an inning in the AFL, you should lose a draft pick! — but that’s not going to happen. What I would love to see, and have suggested before (as have others), is for teams to use the AFL as a rehab spot for big-league pitchers who need more innings after the regular season has ended. Cleveland got Triston McKenzie back on the mound for two outings in September, one where he walked six guys and then a better one where he went 4 1/3 innings and walked three, but then the season was over. Wouldn’t he benefit from a few outings in Arizona to build up his innings total and maybe continue to work on regaining his command? Given the sheer number of pitchers we have recovering from Tommy John surgery at any given time, the AFL’s spot in the calendar could allow some of those guys to pitch in games when the alternative is waiting until March. It would help the league, and help the pitchers and their teams as well.

I like his suggestion to use the AFL for big league pitchers who need some extra innings due to rehab from injuries. It would improve the quality of the competition and allow the true prospects to get a better taste of higher caliber pitching.

But I want to circle back on Crawford. I understand that he had TJ surgery in 2022 and had to rehab so the Giants were gentle with him this year. However, he only threw a total of 19 innings across 13 starts in 2023. His numbers were good to decent (32 Ks in 19 IP, 2.84 ERA, 1.316 WHIP) and he pitched better in Eugene than San Jose will hitting much less in Eugene (1 AB, a K) than in San Jose (4 for 16, 2 doubles, 1 home run, no walks, 4 Ks). So why is he focused solely on hitting in the AFL!?!? Isn't this the perfect opportunity to build up his arm? Why shut down his hitting in Eugene, only to pivot him to hitting solely in the AFL? He is a 1st round pick and will be 23 by the start of spring training. I know that he can move quickly up the farm (the Giants are pretty good with this now) but I'm a bit concerned that he is already leaning toward bust status.

As for Bednar, he has thrown a total of 60.2 IP in his professional career. He has yet to make it past low A ball. He's been very injury prone and his time in the AFL hasn't looked good, a repeat of last AFL season for him. I think he has already hit bust status. I guess we'll see how 2023 shakes out for him.

 

[calsnowskier]

I like his suggestion to use the AFL for big league pitchers who need some extra innings due to rehab from injuries. It would improve the quality of the competition and allow the true prospects to get a better taste of higher caliber pitching.

But I want to circle back on Crawford. I understand that he had TJ surgery in 2022 and had to rehab so the Giants were gentle with him this year. However, he only threw a total of 19 innings across 13 starts in 2023. His numbers were good to decent (32 Ks in 19 IP, 2.84 ERA, 1.316 WHIP) and he pitched better in Eugene than San Jose will hitting much less in Eugene (1 AB, a K) than in San Jose (4 for 16, 2 doubles, 1 home run, no walks, 4 Ks). So why is he focused solely on hitting in the AFL!?!? Isn't this the perfect opportunity to build up his arm? Why shut down his hitting in Eugene, only to pivot him to hitting solely in the AFL? He is a 1st round pick and will be 23 by the start of spring training. I know that he can move quickly up the farm (the Giants are pretty good with this now) but I'm a bit concerned that he is already leaning toward bust status.

As for Bednar, he has thrown a total of 60.2 IP in his professional career. He has yet to make it past low A ball. He's been very injury prone and his time in the AFL hasn't looked good, a repeat of last AFL season for him. I think he has already hit bust status. I guess we'll see how 2023 shakes out for him.

Crawford was drafted as a completely raw 22 year old. In the first round.

I hated it at the time and there has been no evidence presented thus far countering my initial opinion.

 

[Stokes1931]

I like his suggestion to use the AFL for big league pitchers who need some extra innings due to rehab from injuries. It would improve the quality of the competition and allow the true prospects to get a better taste of higher caliber pitching.

But I want to circle back on Crawford. I understand that he had TJ surgery in 2022 and had to rehab so the Giants were gentle with him this year. However, he only threw a total of 19 innings across 13 starts in 2023. His numbers were good to decent (32 Ks in 19 IP, 2.84 ERA, 1.316 WHIP) and he pitched better in Eugene than San Jose will hitting much less in Eugene (1 AB, a K) than in San Jose (4 for 16, 2 doubles, 1 home run, no walks, 4 Ks). So why is he focused solely on hitting in the AFL!?!? Isn't this the perfect opportunity to build up his arm? Why shut down his hitting in Eugene, only to pivot him to hitting solely in the AFL? He is a 1st round pick and will be 23 by the start of spring training. I know that he can move quickly up the farm (the Giants are pretty good with this now) but I'm a bit concerned that he is already leaning toward bust status.

As for Bednar, he has thrown a total of 60.2 IP in his professional career. He has yet to make it past low A ball. He's been very injury prone and his time in the AFL hasn't looked good, a repeat of last AFL season for him. I think he has already hit bust status. I guess we'll see how 2023 shakes out for him.

With limited experience, Bednar was a stud pitcher in college so I understand why he was chosen so high. He went from 15.1 innings to 92.1 innings.

107.2 IP (23 G, 17 starts)
81 H
32 BB
162 K
12 HR
2.93 ERA

His older brother, David, has been very good with the Pirates, so a lot was expected of Bednar. He does look like a bust at this stage.

 

[calsnowskier]

With limited experience, Bednar was a stud pitcher in college so I understand why he was chosen so high. He went from 15.1 innings to 92.1 innings.

107.2 IP (23 G, 17 starts)
81 H
32 BB
162 K
12 HR
2.93 ERA

His older brother, David, has been very good with the Pirates, so a lot was expected of Bednar. He does look like a bust at this stage.

I am much more “forgiving” of the Bednar Flop than I am of the Crawford Flop. Bednar may have been a SLIGHT overdraft, but not by much, and he was a Friday starter for a major program, and was expected to be very close to ready. Injuries happen. Was he an injury risk? No idea. But he was a legit 1st rounder regardless.

Crawford was a head scratcher from the go. Not to say he was unknown and he was a complete shock, but he was new to the game and trying something that really only one person has done successfully in the last 100 years. If we drafted him in the 3rd or 4th round, fine. That is where you pick someone like that. But using a first rounder is just FZ being FZ.

 

[LHG]

I am much more “forgiving” of the Bednar Flop than I am of the Crawford Flop. Bednar may have been a SLIGHT overdraft, but not by much, and he was a Friday starter for a major program, and was expected to be very close to ready. Injuries happen. Was he an injury risk? No idea. But he was a legit 1st rounder regardless.

Crawford was a head scratcher from the go. Not to say he was unknown and he was a complete shock, but he was new to the game and trying something that really only one person has done successfully in the last 100 years. If we drafted him in the 3rd or 4th round, fine. That is where you pick someone like that. But using a first rounder is just FZ being FZ.

It will be interesting to see if Eldridge pitches next year. I would assume not since he didn't pitch during the season in the Giants' farm and isn't playing offseason. But that may just be the Giants resting his arm before going full 2 way in 2023.

 

[Stokes1931]

It will be interesting to see if Eldridge pitches next year. I would assume not since he didn't pitch during the season in the Giants' farm and isn't playing offseason. But that may just be the Giants resting his arm before going full 2 way in 2023.

2024?!?

 

[Stokes1931]

Not sure where to put this, but this is from tonight's Philth win over the Snakes, 10-0

CS - B Harper (1, 0th base off M Kelly)

0th base?!? You mean, like, home?

Also, in Scottsdale, Crawford is 1-2 with a walk, a strikeout, and a solo homer (his 2nd)

 

[Stokes1931]

Bednar came on in the 9th inning for the save tonight.

Walk
Single
Flyout
Stolen base
Strikeout
Groundout

He gets the save.

 

[LHG]

2024?!?

Don't you know that time travel is the new moneyball?

 

[Stokes1931]

Last night 10/20

Howell, 3-5, run, 3 RBI, homer (3)

Crawford, 0-2, 3 walks, 1 K

Morgan, 1-5, run, RBI, homer (1)