Arizona Fall League Hot Sheet (Nov. 18)

This is the final edition of the Arizona Fall League Hot Sheet, and takes into account what AFL players did from Nov. 11-17.

Contributing: J.J. Cooper, Josh Norris, Kyle Glaser and Vince Lara-Cinisomo.

1. Travis Demeritte, 2b, Braves

Team: Salt River
Age: 22
Why He’s Here: .400/.444/1.000 (6-for-14) 5 R, 2 2B, 2 3B, HR, RBIs, 2 BB, 3 SO

The Scoop: The Braves’ rebuilding effort has focused heavily on enhancing pitching depth, but they have made moves to find position prospects as well. For example, they stole Dansby Swanson from the Diamondbacks and acquired Demeritte from the Rangers in a the minor Lucas Harrell-Dario Alvarez deal. Demeritte has outstanding power for a middle infielder and plenty of athleticism, though he strikes out frequently. He finished the AFL season first in total bases, first in triples and second in home runs—but he also struck out 25 times in 107 at-bats. (JJC)

2. Bradley Zimmer, of, Indians

Team: Mesa
Age: 23
Why He’s Here: .333/.444/.867 (5-for-15), 5 R, 2 2B, 2 HR, 7 RBIs, 3 BB, 5 SO

The Scoop: Teams covet players who combine power and speed, and Zimmer has both in spades. He finished the AFL season with with eight stolen bases and four home runs, both of which landed him among the league leaders. That combination, plus the ability to stick in center field, places him among Cleveland’s elite prospects. (JN)

3. Francis Martes, rhp, Astros

Team: Glendale
Age: 20
Why He’s Here: 2-0, 1.00, 2 GS, 9 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 HR, 3 BB, 11 SO

The Scoop: Martes saved his best for last. With Glendale playing for a spot in the AFL championship game, he threw five scoreless innings, allowing two hits and two walks while striking out seven. Martes has sat at 95-97 mph in the AFL, showing the kind of premium velocity that has long impressed scouts. While he’s on the short side for a premium pitching prospect, he mitigates that with his excellence in every other department. (JJC)

4. Brandon Dixon, 3b/1b, Reds

Team: Peoria
Age: 24
Why He’s Here: .385/.529/.846 (5-for-13), 3 R, 3 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBIs, 4 BB, 5 SO

The Scoop: Scouts struggle to figure out which position Dixon will play, but they generally agree that he’s going to hit. He ranked among the top five in the AFL in batting average(.333), on-base percentage (.429) and slugging percentage (.550). He played first base, third base and left field in Arizona after focusing on second base at Double-A Pensacola. He has a solid bat, but Dixon has work to do to be adequate in the infield. (JJC)

5. Gleyber Torres, ss, Yankees

Team: Scottsdale
Age: 19
Why He’s Here: .455/.500/.545 (5-for-11), 2 R, 1 2B, 1 RBIs, 1 BB, 2 SO

The Scoop: Torres closed out a boffo AFL campaign with a strong final week. The No. 1 prospect in the Yankees system finished the mini-season as the leader in average (.403), on-base percentage (.513) and OPS (1.158). Combine his offensive skills with his stellar defensive chops and you have one of the game’s most enticing prospects. (JN)

6. Andrew Stevenson, of, Nationals

Team: Glendale
Age: 22
Why He’s Here: .429/.571/.579 (6-for-14), 6 R, 1 3B, 5 BB, 2 SO, 2-for-2 SB

The Scoop: Stevenson’s best tool is his speed, but he’s shown he can hit as well. Scouts project he’ll be a gap hitter with occasional power and a stolen-base threat. He hit .353 in the AFL with 10 walks, eight extra-base hits and nine stolen bases in 21 games. (VLC)

7. Kade Scivicque, c, Braves

Team: Salt River
Age: 23
Why He’s Here: .455/.500/.636 (5-for-11), 1 R, 2 2B, 1 RBIs, 1 BB, 0 SO

The Scoop: The former Louisiana State star was acquired in August for Erick Aybar and immediately impressed the Braves with his poise and leadership, not to mention improving receiving skills and footwork. Scivicque has shown the ability to barrel the ball as well. (VLC)

8. Austin Gomber, lhp, Cardinals

Team: Glendale
Age: 22
Why He’s Here: 1-0, 0.00, 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 SO

The Scoop: Gomber delivered six shutout innings in his final start. In seven starts this fall, he went 5-1, 2.14 with 33 strikeouts and 12 walks in 33.2 innings. The durable lefthander has a fastball that ranges 89-91 mph that he’s not afraid to pound inside, and a changeup that gets swings and misses. He also honed a curveball that shows real depth. (VLC)

9. Brent Honeywell, rhp, Rays

Team: Peoria
Age: 21
Why He’s Here: 0-0, 2.45, 3.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 6 SO, 1 BB

The Scoop: The Rays’ top pitching prospect got off to a shaky start in the AFL but finished in style, allowing just six hits and one run over his final 10.2 innings with 11 strikeouts. That doesn’t include his star turn in the Fall Stars Game, where he struck out five of the six batters he faced over two perfect frames. Honeywell has five pitches he can throw for strikes—including a screwball—and is in line to pitch at Triple-A Durham in 2017. (KG)

10. Andy Ibanez, 2b, Rangers

Team: Surprise
Age: 23
Why He’s Here: .417/.462/.583 (5-for-12), 3 R, 2 2B, 4 RBIs, 1 BB, 2 SO

The Scoop: The Cuban émigré began his U.S. career in low Class A this season and jumped straight to Double-A and held his own at both levels. He finished his debut year with a solid showing in the AFL, batting .281/.324/.391. Ibanez’s power hasn’t shown up against more advanced prospects, but he continues to make contact at a respectable rate as he climbs the system. (KG)