Arizona Fall League MLB Prospects Hot Sheet (11/5/18)
Image credit: Braxton Davidson (Photo by Bill Mitchell)
1. Braxton Davidson, OF, Braves
Team: Peoria
Age: 22
Why He’s Here: .438/.471/1.250 (7-for-16), 5 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 5 HR, 7 RBIs, 1 BB, 6 SO, 0-for-0 SB
The Scoop: Entering the week, Davidson had just four hits over his first eight AFL games. Then he got hot. Really hot. He collected six hits between Oct. 30-31, including four longballs. The home runs were enough to vault him past Peter Alonso and Keston Hiura for the AFL lead. He’s still striking out quite a bit (his 213 whiffs were second in the minors behind fellow AFLer Monte Harrison), but now it’s starting to come with some power.
2. Luis Robert, OF, White Sox
Team: Glendale
Age: 21
Why He’s Here: .455/.538/.727 (5-for-11), 5 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 3 RBIs, 2 BB, 1 SO, 2-for-2 SB
The Scoop: Robert’s first full season as a pro was disjointed by a pair of thumb injuries that kept him out for lengthy periods. He’s in the AFL making up at-bats, and in the process showing the well-rounded tool set that made him such a tantalizing prospect in the first place. He’s shown well in his 10-game stint (shortened by a minor injury in the first week), with a bit of power and speed and patience.
3. Yu Chang, 3B, Indians
Team: Glendale
Age: 23
Why He’s Here: .313/.389/.688 (5-for-16), 5 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 3 RBIs, 1 BB, 7 SO, 0-for-0 SB
The Scoop: Chang played in the AFL in 2016, and he’s back for more. This time, he’s in the desert to get reps at third base, a position he started playing down the stretch with Triple-A Columbus. As his defensive home changes, his offensive profile needs to do the same. He showed the power this week with two homers and so far has put together a .931 OPS in his return to the desert.
4. Cavan Biggio, OF, Blue Jays
Team: Surprise
Age: 23
Why He’s Here: .357/.471/.673 (5-for-14), 1 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 4 RBIs, 3 BB, 3 SO, 0-for-1 SB
The Scoop: After a tremendous season with the Eastern League-champion New Hampshire Fisher Cats, Biggio is getting reps in the outfield as part of a stacked Surprise club. In the meantime, he’s continuing to show an excellent batting eye and some power too. He’s walked as often as he’s struck out (11 times apiece) and has socked a pair of home runs, including one this week.
5. Carter Kieboom, SS, Nationals
Team: Salt River
Age: 21
Why He’s Here: .400/.471/.467 (6-for-15), 3 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 1 RBIs, 2 BB, 3 SO, 0-for-0 SB
The Scoop: After an excellent season between high Class A and Double-A, Kieboom has continued to show he belongs among the game’s best prospects with his turn in the AFL. He’s racked up 13 walks against 12 whiffs, and his .455 on-base percentage is fifth in the league. There are questions as to whether he’ll ultimately stick at shortstop, but he should hit regardless of where he plays.
Comments are closed.