Article: AFL Recap Week 3: Walker Brings The Boom

[Seth Stohs]

The Scottsdale Scorpions, who host Twins prospects this season in the Arizona Fall League, had a dominant week with a 5-1 record. They outscored their opponents 41-21 and Twins prospects had a lot to do with that. The Scorpions are now tied with the Salt River Rafters atop the Eastern Division at 9-6.

 

Taylor Rogers had a fantastic start on Wednesday but was betrayed by his bullpen (not his fellow Twins prospects), one catcher continued his hot hitting, and Adam Brett Walker came up big in multiple games.

 

Read on to check out how each prospect did in week two of the 2015 Arizona Fall League season!(links provided to each player’s overall stats by clicking their name)

 

Adam Brett Walker – 4 games, 5-15 (.333), 3 R’s, 1 2B, 2 HR’s, 6 RBI, 1 BB, 3 K’s.

 

Walker started the week off with a bang, collecting a home run and three RBI in his first two games.

 

In Monday’s win, Walker punctuated the scoring with his three-run homer in the ninth inning to make the final score 10-3. He was also hit by a pitch in the game and singled in the seventh inning to reach base in three of six plate appearances. He struck out once.

 

In his next game on Wednesday, Walker was even more pivotal for his team. His double in the fourth inning gave Scottsdale their first runs of the game and closed the lead to 4-2. He scoredthe third run when the next batter (another Twins farmhand) followed with a double. The inning ended with the game tied 4-4. With the game still tied in the sixth, Walker sent a blast into the left field bleachers for a solo home run that proved to be the game winner, as the Scorpions went on to beat Glendale 5-4. Walker also singled in the game to finish 3-4.

 

For the rest of the week, Walker cooled off with an 0-3 day in Scottsdale’s 4-2 win on Thursday, and 0-4 effort in their 6-2 win on Saturday. But positives from those games included the fact he struck out only once and he also drew a walk in Saturday’s game.

 

This is the type of week that one wants to see from Walker. Not many wasted at-bats, big impacts in a few games with his power, and clutch performances at that.

 

Stuart Turner – 2 games, 2-7 (.286), 1 R, 1 2B, 2 K’s.

 

Turner again made the start at catcher for the Scorpions in two games on the week, playing in the games on Wednesday and Thursday.

 

On Wednesday he followed Walker’s double in the fourth inning with one of his own to drive him in and make the score 4-3, and came around to score the game-tying run on a single. He finished the day 2-4 with two strikeouts.

 

In Thursday’s second consecutive win against the Glendale Desert Dogs, Turner was 0-3, but picked up an RBI when his fly ball in the second inning was turned into a force out of a runner at second base, but the runner on third scampered home.

 

Turner had one base stolen on him in the two games, and did not get any other chances to throw runners out.

 

Mitch Garver – 2 games, 3-9 (.333), 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 K.

 

Garver saw action at catcher on Tuesday and Friday this week, and picked up hits in each contest. He has collected at least one hit in each of his five games on the season, and has two hits in four of those contests. His average stands at .409.

 

In Tuesday’s 9-4 loss to Salt River, Garver picked up an RBI on a single in the seventh inning to make the score 7-2, but did not reach base in any other plate appearance. On defense, he caught one runner stealing second base in the seventh inning.

 

In Friday’s 12-1 blowout win for Scottsdale against Mesa, Garver got the three-run fourth inning started with a double to right. He later scored on Christian Arroyo’s three-run homer to make the score 7-0. Then in the three-run seventh inning, his single brought the tenth run of the game for the Scorpions. He finished 2-5 with the double, a run scored, and an RBI.

 

Nick Burdi – 2 games, 2 IP, 0 R’s, 0 H’s, 0 BB’s, 2 K’s, 0.00 ERA.

 

Burdi made two appearances on the week, pitching the ninth inning in Monday’s 10-3 win, and the eighth inning in Friday’s 12-1 win.

 

He was flawless, recording one-two-three innings in both appearances.

 

On Monday, he struck out the first two hitters he faced, one looking and one swinging, and a fly-out ended the game.

 

On Friday, he got a quick three ground ball outs on just seven pitches.

 

He’s allowed just one hit and walked none in his brief appearances so far, striking out one per inning.

 

Trevor Hildenberger – 1 game, 2.1 IP, 2 R’s, 4 H’s, 0 BB’s, 1 K, 7.71 ERA.

 

Twins Daily’s 2015 Minor League Relief Pitcher of the year got in on just one game this week, and it didn’t go as well as Hildenberger may have hoped. He was tasked with going multiple innings early in the game.

 

Scottsdale’s starter Antonio Romero left the game after collecting just two outs in the first inning, as three consecutive walks scored the game’s first two runs. Hildenberger ended the early bases-loaded threat by inducing a groundout.

 

In the second inning, the lead-off man picked up an infield single, but was quickly erased on a double play ball, and another ground ball ended the scoreless inning for Hildenberger.

 

Hildenberger’s third inning is where he ran into trouble as his workload was extended. He struck out the first batter of the inning, but a double, triple and single from the next three hitters brought in two runs and 4-0 lead for Glendale. He escaped the inning without any further damage by getting two more ground balls.

 

Scottsdale came back to win the game 5-4 via the heroics of Walker detailed above.

 

Jake Reed – 2 games, 2.0 IP, 1 H, 3 BB’s, 0 K’s, 0.00 ERA.

 

Reed made two appearances on the week, pitching the ninth inning in Wednesday’s 5-4 win to pick up his first save and the ninth inning on Saturday to close out their 12-1 win.

 

It wasn’t particularly pretty at times, but Reed got the jobs done with scoreless innings.

 

On Wednesday, Reed ran into trouble with two walks and a throwing error that moved the first of those runners to second base, but got a double-play ground ball to end the game and pick up the save.

 

On Saturday, a ground rule double and a walk put runners on first and third with two outs, but a ground ball to short ended that game as well.

 

Reed threw thirty-six pitches in those two games, with twenty going for strikes and he did not pick up any punchouts.

 

Taylor Rogers – 1 game started, 5.0 IP, 4 ER’s, 2 H’s, 2 BB’s, 3 K’s. 0.00 ERA.

 

Rogers got the start in Tuesday’s 9-4 loss, but the loss wasn’t because of anything he did.

 

He was effective and efficient in his five innings, leaving the game with his team up 1-0 and in line for the win before the bullpen imploded behind him. He allowed no runs on two hits and two walks, while striking out three to lower his ERA in the AFL to 3.46.

 

He retired nine in a row at one point and did not really get into any trouble as he scattered the two hits and two walks. He finished the fifth inning with runners on first and second for the best chance Salt River had to that point in the game.

 

QUICK HITS:

 

- MLB.com’s prospect guru Jonathan Mayo was in Arizona this week, and filed a report on Twins prospects. His main topic, the focus on improved plate discipline for Adam Brett Walker.

 

- More details of Walker’s monster day in the come-from-behind 5-4 victory on Wednesday. First line of the article: “Adam Brett Walker II is a strong man” (duh).

 

- More Walker details from Twitter, as Seth tells you how far, and how fast, Walker’s home run from Wednesday’s game traveled, Bernie Pleskoff adds some confirmation, and another observer shows us just how far it went.

 

Please feel free to ask questions and discuss the performances during the week!

 

Click here to view the article

[DocBauer]

Flight of fantasy?

 

Or, impending reality?

 

Buxton

Gordon

Kepler

Sano

Dozier

Vargas

Rosario

Walker

Garver/Turner

[BoomBoom]

Not a bad 2017 line up. 

 

Does anyone know if All Star game is televised from Arizona Fall League next Saturday?   Which will be more competitive (Futures Games or Fall Star Game?

[h2oface]

Burdi seems to only be used for mop up duty in blowouts. I wish that would change..

[HitInAPinch]

 

Flight of fantasy?

Or, impending reality?

Buxton
Gordon
Kepler
Sano
Dozier
Vargas
Rosario
Walker
Garver/Turner

Hmmm, not this year.  Still a possibility late in the year.  But that probably wouldn't  happen unless Terry Ryan suddenly turned into Trader Jack.

 

P.S.  Walker batting 8th?

[DocBauer]

Hmmm, not this year.  Still a possibility late in the year.  But that probably wouldn't  happen unless Terry Ryan suddenly turned into Trader Jack.

 

P.S.  Walker batting 8th?

 

Two years with Mauer on the bench or taking a day off?

 

Lineup construction could vary slightly, but yeah, Walker 8th due to Avg/contact issues that will persist to some degree. And an attempt to break up LH/RH through the lineup. 6-7-8 could move around.

[Seth Stohs]

 

Not a bad 2017 line up. 

 

Does anyone know if All Star game is televised from Arizona Fall League next Saturday?   Which will be more competitive (Futures Games or Fall Star Game?

 

It''s been on mlb.com the past several years... not sure about MLB Network because I don't get that.

[Seth Stohs]

 

Hmmm, not this year.  Still a possibility late in the year.  But that probably wouldn't  happen unless Terry Ryan suddenly turned into Trader Jack.

 

P.S.  Walker batting 8th?

 

He hit 7th most of the year in AA this year, and is hitting 7th in the AFL so far. 

[TNLooky2015]

ABW II and Burdi made the AFL Fall Star Game.  

 

http://m.mlb.com/news/article/156166350/afl-fall-stars-game-rosters-announced?topicid=153494546

 

Once you get to link - If you scroll down to other articles in link - They have a nice piece on Taylor Rogers who is arguably having best showing of all Twins prospects.  He should have made the fall star game.

[Seth Stohs]

 

ABW II and Burdi made the AFL Fall Star Game.  

 

http://m.mlb.com/news/article/156166350/afl-fall-stars-game-rosters-announced?topicid=153494546

 

Once you get to link - If you scroll down to other articles in link - They have a nice piece on Taylor Rogers who is arguably having best showing of all Twins prospects.  He should have made the fall star game.

 

The Fall Stars game isn't about who is performing the best. It's about the top prospects - right or wrong. Rogers is pitching very well... take away one inning in which he gave up 4 runs and he'd have an ERA under 1.

[sane]

Garver  1.148 OPS tops on team.

Walker .900 OPS 6th on team, 20th in AFL

Burdi 0.50 WHIP tops on team

Reed 0.94 WHIP 6th on team

Rogers 1.00 WHIP 7th on team

[TNLooky2015]

I'm more impressed with the .389 OBP despite same K rate.

Some AFL ABs - found on youtube

 

 

 

  

 

 

[jsteve96]

Mitch Garver has a 7 game hit streak and has 5 walks in 9 PA's the last 2 games, thats pretty impressive. this kids plate discipline will not go unseen by the Twins. 2017 opening day starter if they don't trade for a highly rated one