AFL Prospect Report: Heston Kjerstad Lights Up The Desert
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — It’s no secret that the Orioles’ farm system has been on an incredible roll of late. Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson were the No. 1 prospect in the preseason and at midseason, respectively, and both are expected to play key roles in the team’s return to prominence.
Righthander Grayson Rodriguez might have been in that mix, too, were it not for an injury that wiped out most of his year.
And there’s more on the way soon. Colton Cowser, Jordan Westburg, Connor Norby and Joey Ortiz each showed promise at the upper levels this season.
After a trying two seasons thanks to the pandemic, a bout of myocarditis and a hamstring strain, Heston Kjerstad is reminding people why he belongs firmly in that mix as well. The No. 2 overall pick in 2020 obliterated Low-A and then struggled in High-A.
On Monday, opening night of the Arizona Fall League, he stole the show. The lefty slugger slammed a monstrous home run over everything in right-center field at Scottsdale Stadium in one at-bat. A few innings later, he sliced a double down the left field line. Two hits, each showcasing a different part of Kjerstad’s game: Power and hittability.
And while filling up the box score is nice—he finished a triple shy of the cycle—Kjerstad is happy to simply be on a field doing what he loves.
“It feels better than what I remembered after everything I’ve been through,” he said. “It’s just a lot of fun being out here. You show up to the park every day hoping to do damage and help your team win and just keep getting better.”
There’s another aspect of the AFL that helps Kjerstad keep his ultimate goal close at hand. Although he’s suiting up for the Scottsdale Scorpions, he gets to put on a crisp orange and white Orioles jersey every day. Orioles on the front, the Maryland flag on the left sleeve and his name on the back in capital letters.
It’s a small touch, but it’s meaningful.
“The big league unis are sick,” Kjerstad said. “They fit a little bit better, they look way nicer and it’s fun to throw it on now and hope you get to wear them in the future.”
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Kjerstad wasn’t the only player in orange and white who made a big impression for Scottsdale. Giants prospect Luis Matos ripped a line drive triple to center field.
The swing that produced the triple was a thing of beauty: Quick, powerful and with the barrel in the zone for a long time. Matos showed a weakness against spin later in the game, but the three-bagger was a reminder of the potential he has if everything clicks.
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The afternoon game in Glendale featured a pitching matchup that lived up to its billing. Dodgers righthander Emmet Sheehan and Mariners righty Bryan Woo threw three and four hitless innings, respectively. Sheehan struck out one while Woo whiffed five.
Woo was particularly nasty in the first inning, when he needed just eight pitches—all fastballs—to cut through Glendale’s lineup. He maxed at 97 mph in the frame, which included a whiff of Reds prospect Matt McLain.
Woo’s fellow Mariners prospects made impacts on Monday as well. Center fielder Alberto Rodriguez showed off a smooth lefthanded swing to record two hits (he was the game’s only multi-hit player), and first baseman Robert Perez‘s massive home run gave the Javelinas the lead in the ninth inning.
Padres shortstop Jackson Merrill made an outstanding diving play in the 5.5 hole, but the throw was just out of Perez’s reach at first base.
White Sox outfielder Terrell Tatum made a pair of excellent plays in left field for Glendale. He ranged to his right to haul in a fly ball just before it hit the net, then finished the inning with a diving play in short left field.
| ORG | CLASS | RANK | PLAYER | AB | R | H | RBI | NOTES |
| WIN | #0 | Lawrence Butler, 1B | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2B | |
| WIN | #0 | Zack Gelof, SS | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 BB | |
| WIN | #0 | Tyler Hardman, 1B | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | ||
| WIN | #0 | Victor Mesa, CF | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| WIN | #0 | Jose Salas, SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | E | |
| WIN | #0 | Robert Perez, 1B | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | HR, E | |
| WIN | #0 | Luke Ritter, 2B | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | E | |
| WIN | #0 | Angel Martinez, IF | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | BB | |
| WIN | #0 | Robert Hassell, CF | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| WIN | #0 | Drew Millas, C | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| WIN | #0 | Kevin Kendall, SS | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | BB | |
| WIN | #0 | Mason Auer, OF | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| WIN | #0 | Jasson Dominguez, CF | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | BB | |
| WIN | #0 | Joe Mack, C | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 BB | |
| WIN | #0 | T.J. Rumfield, 3B | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | BB | |
| WIN | #0 | Jackson Merrill, SS | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | BB | |
| WIN | #0 | Edouard Julien, 2B | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | BB | |
| WIN | #0 | Matt McLain, SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 BB | |
| WIN | #0 | Noelvi Marte, SS | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| WIN | #0 | Jeferson Quero, C | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | BB | |
| WIN | #0 | Alex Isola, C | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
| WIN | #0 | Rece Hinds, SS | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2B | |
| WIN | #0 | Tyler Black, 2B | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| WIN | #0 | Terrell Tatum, OF | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| WIN | #0 | Samad Taylor, 2B | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| WIN | #0 | Scott Schreiber, LF | 5 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2B | |
| WIN | #0 | Trevor Hauver, 2B | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | HR, 2 BB | |
| WIN | #0 | Johan Rojas, CF | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | BB, SB | |
| WIN | #0 | Luisangel Acuna, SS | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2B | |
| WIN | #0 | Henry Davis, C | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2B, BB, E | |
| WIN | #0 | Tyler Gentry, OF | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | BB | |
| WIN | #0 | Will Wagner, 2B | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3B | |
| WIN | #0 | Aaron Zavala, OF | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | HR, BB | |
| WIN | #0 | Stephen Scott, 3B | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | SB | |
| WIN | #0 | Wilyer Abreu, RF | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | BB | |
| WIN | #0 | Gage Workman, SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| WIN | #0 | Parker Meadows, CF | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | HR | |
| WIN | #0 | Pedro Pages, C | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | BB, E | |
| WIN | #0 | Tanner Morris, SS | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | BB, 2 E | |
| WIN | #0 | Zac Veen, OF | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | BB, SB | |
| WIN | #0 | Colt Keith, 3B | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | BB | |
| WIN | #0 | Jordan Walker, 3B | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | BB | |
| WIN | #0 | Jordan Lawlar, SS | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | HR, 2 BB, 2 SB | |
| WIN | #0 | Deyvison De Los Santos, 3B | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| WIN | #0 | Heston Kjerstad, OF | 5 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2B, HR | |
| WIN | #0 | Justyn-Henry Malloy, 1B | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 BB | |
| WIN | #0 | Cal Conley, SS | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2B, SB, E | |
| WIN | #0 | Luis Matos, OF | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3B, BB | |
| WIN | #0 | Logan Wyatt, 1B | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | BB | |
| WIN | #0 | Werner Blakely, SS | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | BB | |
| WIN | #0 | Nick Yorke, IF | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | BB |
| ORG | CLASS | RANK | PLAYER | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | NOTES |
| WIN | #0 | Zac Leigh, RHP | 0.2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | ||
| WIN | #0 | Bailey Horn, LHP | 1.1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | ||
| WIN | #0 | Holt Jones, RHP | 3.2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | ||
| WIN | #0 | Riley Martin, LHP | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| WIN | #0 | Leam Mendez, RHP | 2.0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | L | |
| WIN | #0 | Mason Hickman, RHP | 1.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | W | |
| WIN | #0 | Lucas Knowles, LHP | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| WIN | #0 | Alek Jacob, RHP | 1.1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| WIN | #0 | Cade Smith, RHP | 0.2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 | ||
| WIN | #0 | Bryan Woo, RHP | 4.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | ||
| WIN | #0 | Tahnaj Thomas, RHP | 1.2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | ||
| WIN | #0 | Colin Selby, RHP | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| WIN | #0 | Omar Cruz, LHP | 2.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | W | |
| WIN | #0 | Quinn Priester, RHP | 3.0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | ||
| WIN | #0 | Ben Harris, LHP | 0.1 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 0 | L | |
| WIN | #0 | Lane Ramsey, RHP | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| WIN | #0 | Ryan Shreve, RHP | 2.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| WIN | #0 | Sam Benschoter, RHP | 2.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| WIN | #0 | Emmet Sheehan, RHP | 3.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
| WIN | #0 | Ryan Middendorf, RHP | 0.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| WIN | #0 | Alex Segal, LHP | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| WIN | #0 | Kelvin Caceres, RHP | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | W | |
| WIN | #0 | Connor Van Scoyoc, RHP | 3.0 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | ||
| WIN | #0 | Nick Richmond, RHP | 2.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| WIN | #0 | Jacob Webb, RHP | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | Sv | |
| WIN | #0 | Jackson Goddard, RHP | 1.0 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 2 | L | |
| WIN | #0 | Blair Calvo, RHP | 1.1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| WIN | #0 | Kyle Leahy, RHP | 2.0 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 3 | ||
| WIN | #0 | Connor Thomas, LHP | 3.2 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | ||
| WIN | #0 | Tyler Mattison, RHP | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
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