Cleveland Sports Forum

11/1/16

Arizona Fall League

Yu-Cheng Chang (SS, Mesa Solar Sox): 1-3, 1 K. Scoring was at a premium in Surprise on Tuesday as Mesa won 1-0 and pitched a combined no-hitter against the Saguaros. Chang logged one of the Solar Sox' seven hits as he extended his hit streak to four games. So far in nine games, the 21-year-old shortstop is now batting .333 with three doubles and three RBI's as he has recorded a hit in all but one of his games played so far in Arizona.

Bradley Zimmer (DH, Mesa Solar Sox): 0-4, 3 K. After Zimmer had posted an impressive 8-5 strikeout to walk ratio in his first 10 games of the AFL, Zimmer has suddenly begun to struggle with his plate discipline striking out six times in his last three games while walking only once. His three strikeouts on Tuesday were tied for the most he's had so far in a Fall League Game this season and his second such game in the past week.

Venezuela Winter League

Jesus Aguilar (1B, Leones del Caracas): 3-3, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 BB. It took Leones 13 innings, but they emerged victorious by a 5-4 margin. Jesus Aguilar got his winter ball campaign started on Tuesday and kicked it off on a high note with a 3-for-3 performance clubbing a solo homer and drawing a walk. Aguilar set a new career high in home runs with Columbus this season with 30 bombs. His future with the Indians is currently in question, however, as he went hitless in his third stint with the big league club.

Yandy Diaz (3B, Leones del Caracas): 2-5, 1 3B, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 3 K. Diaz continues to hit in winter ball as he now has a six-game hit streak to start his campaign with Caracas this offseason. Plus, with his two-hit performance on Tuesday, the Cuban infielder now has multiple hits in four of those six contests so far. In a rare display of a lack of plate discipline, however, Diaz struck out three times as he now has fanned seven times versus drawing just one walk thus far.

Giovanny Urshela (3B, Aguilas del Zulia): 0-4. Urshela's hit streak to start this year's winter ball campaign was snapped at nine games after his 0-for-4 performance in a 5-0 loss to Tigres de Aragua. The Columbian third baseman has been off to an impressive start in Venezuela this offseason batting .316 with a homer, two doubles and seven RBI's in 10 games so far as he pushes to make another run at a spot on the big league roster.

Jesus Aguilar premiered this season with a perfect night going 3-3 with a homer, a run driven in, and walk (Photo: Elio Rojas / AVS Photo Report)

LIONS BEAT MAGALLANES IN EXTRA INNING

Javier Betancourt singleD in the 13TH inning that broke the tie and gave the Leones del Caracas a 5-4 victory against the Navegantes del Magallanes.

The classic game between the arch rivals of the Venezuelan baseball league lasted 13 innings and a total of 20 pitchers paraded to the mound between the two teams.

" It was an excellent game , " said manager Alfredo Pedrique . "Both teams played to win and I'm sure the fans enjoyed this great game. There was good pitching, defense and hitting but thank God we were able to take the victory. "

Magallanes started with two runs in the first inning off starter Luis Diaz . However, the Lion offensive did not take long to react as Wilfredo Tovar and Yandy Diaz drove in one run each to even the game.

Diaz hung zeros until the fourth when he was relieved by lefty Carlos Piña . Loiger Padron followed on the mound and allowed the Magallanes to score a run in the fifth but a solo homer by Jesus Aguilarwho opened his season with a perfect day in which he went 3-3, tied the score and then singled home Danry Vásquez to give the advantage to the Lions.

With the game tied at four runs, the Lions and Magellanes went to extra innings and was finally ended in the 13th inning after consecutive walks to Henry Rodriguez and Vasquez when Betancourt who sealed the game with a single to left.

11/2/16

ARIZONA FALL LEAGUE

Mesa Solar Sox

Greg Allen (LF): 0-4, BB, K – Allen has now gone hitless in his last two games (six at-bats) after collecting a hit in six of his previous eight games. He has still found a way to be productive in the last couple games, however, drawing three free passes and moving his offseason OBP to an impressive .418 in 13 AFL games.

Bradley Zimmer (CF): 1-4, R – Zimmer has now collected exactly one hit in seven of his past nine games. He’s only hitting .234 (11-for-47) in 14 AFL games this offseason, but he’s reaching base at the .400 clip thanks to 11 walks. He’s also 7-for-7 in stolen bases so far.

Eric Haase (C): 2-4, R, 2B, K – In just his third AFL game this offseason, Haase put together his second straight multi-hit game. He’s gone 4-for-10 so far with two doubles, a walk and three strikeouts, following up his .208 minor league regular season with the Akron RubberDucks.

Michael Peoples (SP): L (0-2), 4.0 IP, 5 H, 5 R (2 earned), 0 BB, 2 L, HB – Peoples was hung with his second loss of the AFL season, but only two of the five runs he allowed were earned. He’s had some issues this offseason, pitching his way to a 4.76 ERA in 17 innings (five starts) with seven walks, but he does have 18 strikeouts.

VENEZUELAN WINTER LEAGUE

Giovanny Urshela (Aguilas del Zulia, 3B): 1-4, RBI, K – Urshela has still only had one hitless game in 11 contests this offseason. He’s hitting .310 (13-for-42) with two doubles, one homer, eight RBI, two walks, three strikeouts, one stolen base and a .333 OBP so far.

Randy Valladares (Bravos de Margarita, RP): 0.1, 0 H, 0 R/ER, 0 BB, 1 K – Valladares did his job on Wednesday, striking out the only batter he faced. It was just hos fourth game pitched this offseason, and he’s still only tossed one inning in total. He’s given up two hits and no runs thus far, and he’s gotten all three of his outs via a strikeout.

DOMINICAN WINTER LEAGUE

Nellie Rodriguez (Leones del Escogido, 1B): 1-4, 2B, RBI, 2K, HBP – Rodriguez may only be hitting .217 (5-for-23) in seven games with Leones del Escogido this offseason, but he’s reaching base at an impressive .400 mark thanks to six walks.

Ronny Rodriguez (Aguilas Cibaenas, SS): 1-4, R, HR (1), RBI, K, 2 E – Rodriguez’s first long ball of the offseason drove in his fourth run of the Dominican Winter League season. But he had a rough night in the field, committing two errors and driving his season error total up to four.

2ND PHASE 2016-2017

Second Phase leader Matanzas continued their after 16 straight wins in the 1st phase. Matanzas defeated Camaguey 6-1 at the start of the second phase of the Cuban baseball championship. Matanzas Crocodiles (43 wins and only three losses) have been dominant. Ciego de Avila Tigers, champions in the last two editions of the Cuban baseball championship unleashed 11 hits, including home run No. 11 by Luis Robert, in their win over Holguin by a score of 6-1. Granma also had an easy time of it banging out 13 hits off of five orange pitchers, including the star of that staff, the right-hander Freddy Asiel Alvarez, who gave up seven hits, but left the game with a 4-2 lead after six complete innings of work in a 6-2 win.

MICHAEL CHOICE

Michael Choice is quietly having a steady go of it down Mexico way. Choice's stats to date:

TAYLOR MURPHY

In Puerto Rico, Taylor Murphy is having a nice start to his winter season on a bad team so far. Aquadilla is back. Their last appearance was during the 1950-1951 campaign.

Taylor Murphy's stats to date:

11/3/16

ARIZONA FALL LEAGUE

Mesa Solar Sox

Greg Allen (LF): 0-5, K, SB, Outfield Assist – Allen didn’t have a great day at the plate, going 0-for-5 with a strikeout, but he still found a way to be productive. He threw out the would-be go-ahead run at home in the fourth, and stole his sixth base of the AFL season after reaching on a fielding error in the seventh.

Yu-Cheng Chang (SS): 0-2, 2 K, SAC, HBP – Chang got on base only once, and it was thanks to him getting hit with a pitch, but the shortstop has now reached base safely in nine of his 10 AFL games this season. He’s batting .314 (11-for-35) with three RBI and three walks, but he has struck out 15 times already (only one game without a K).

David Speer (RP): W (3-1), 2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R/ER, 0 BB, 2 K – Speer got his fourth win of the AFL season in just his seventh outing. The left-hander’s 6.97 ERA in 10.1 innings in deceiving, as he allowed six earned runs in 0.1 innings of work on Oct. 22 and has allowed just two earned runs in other 10 frames.

Trevor Frank (RP): H (1), 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R/ER, 0 K – Frank has settled into the AFL season nicely after a rough season debut. He allowed three earned runs in 0.2 innings in his offseason debut on Oct. 11, but since, he’s given up just one runs on two hits in five outings (3.2 innings).

VENEZUELAN WINTER LEAGUE

Yonathan Mendoza (Cardenales de Lara, 2B): 1-3, BB – Mendoza has now appeared in seven games with the Cardenales de Lara this offseason, but he’s only recorded an at-bat in four games and has six at-bats overall. This was Rodriguez’s first offseason game with more than one at-bat, and he fared well, reaching base twice.

Jesus Aguilar (Leones del Caracas, 1B): The slugger has had a nice start to his offseason, managing four hits in seven at-bats with a homer, an RBI and a walk. This minor league regular season, in 13 games with the Columbus Clippers, Aguilar batted .247 with 30 homers and 92 RBI.

Yandy Diaz (Leones del Caracas, CF-LF): Diaz picked up two more hits to continue his red hot start to the offseason. He has a hit in all seven game that he’s played in, and that includes five multi-hit games. Overall, he’s batting .414 (12-for 29) with a home run, five RBI, two walks and seven strikeouts. The combination of his continued outfield experiment and his great contact skills at the plate make a virtual lock to play for the Tribe at some point in 2017.

DOMINICAN WINTER LEAGUE

Ronny Rodriguez (Aguilas Cibaenas, SS): 3-4, R, HR (2), RBI – Rodriguez was the only member of his club to record multiple hits on Thursday, and his long ball was his second in as many games. Over his past three contests, the infielder has driven in five runs and collected six hits in 12 at-bats.

PUERTO RICAN LEAGUE

Leandro Linares (Tiburones de Aguadilla, RP): 1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R/ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 1 HR – Linares hasn’t fared too well in his first three outings of the offseason. He’s given up at least one run in each, including allowing three earned runs before recording an out on Oct. 31, and he’s given up six runs total in two innings of work now with four walks and just one strikeout.

Doosan Bears players celebrate winning this year's Korean Series title by crowding starting pitcher Yu Hui-kwan, after defeating the NC Dinos 8-1 in the fourth game at Masan Stadium in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, Wednesday. With the victory, the Doosan Bears completed a clean sweep of the best-of-seven match-up. / Yonhap

Doosan capture second-straight Korean Series title with clean sweep

The Doosan Bears beat the NC Dinos 8-1 in Game 4 of the Korean Series to clinch the title for the second straight year, Wednesday, sweeping the best-of-seven championship of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) league.

The Seoul-based club's fifth overall series victory came in Masan, the home turf of the Dinos whose hitters struggled throughout the four matches ― they managed to score just two runs in the series.

The credit should belong to the four starters for the Bears, all of whom recorded more than 15 wins respectively in the regular season, for the first time in the KBO league's 35 year history. They joined forces to chalk up 68 wins during the 144-game pennant race where Doosan topped the podium.

The "fantastic four" of Dustin Nippert, Jang Won-jun, Michael Bowden and Yu Hui-kwan started the four series outings in order so as to combine to rack up four wins by throwing 29 1/3 innings, allowing merely a run.

The performance of the Doosan relievers, led by southpaw closer Lee Hyun-seung, was by no means inferior to that of the starters because they hurled 8 2/3 innings to give up one run.

And Doosan hitters manufactured a total of 20 runs to complete the sweep, the first in six years after SK Wyverns' clean defeat of the Samsung Lions in 2010 and the seventh in the KBO history.

In the final game, the go-ahead run came on a solo homer from catcher Yang Eui-ji in the second inning. The slugger helped the Bears double the lead in the sixth inning with an RBI single, which was followed by a two-run double by Hur Kyoung-min.

Oh Jae-won's three-run home run in the ninth inning was the fireworks to celebrate the team's back-to-back triumphs.

The NC Dinos, which made it to the Korean Series for the first time after it was founded in 2011, had good opportunities in the first and sixth innings but failed to make things happen.

With runners on the corner and no outs, in particular, the formidable cleanup trio of the NC Dinos ― Na Sung-bum, Eric Thames and Park Sok-min ― faced the second Doosan pitcher Lee Hyun-seung in the sixth inning but they could not produce a run.

The three are the league's representative clutch hitters but they remained unproductive throughout the series. Thames cleared the wall in the ninth but it was too late.

From the perspective of the Dinos, however, this season is a success as it finished second in the pennant race.

The club also defeated the LG Twins 3-1 in the best-of-five playoff series so as to take on the Doosan Bears in the championship battle only to find that the latter was way too strong and experienced for the first-comer in such a big showdown.

The Doosan Bears has been next to none throughout this year both in offense and defense ― it hit the most homers; its hitting average was the highest; and the number of team errors was the lowest.

Doosan catcher Yang was selected as the most valuable player of the Korean Series.
Yang Eui-ji, center, of the Doosan Bears, celebrates with his teammates after claiming the MVP award for the Korea Baseball Organization's Korean Series at Masan Baseball Stadium in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, Wednesday. / Yonhap

Yang Eui-ji wins Korean Series MVP

Doosan Bears' catcher Yang Eui-ji ascended to the Korean Series Most Valuable Player Award Wednesday following his team's championship title win.

Yang is the second catcher in the history of the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) to win the MVP award in the final postseason series since 1991 when Jang Che-geun of the now defunct Haitai Tigers was honored.

On Wednesday, the Bears were crowned again with four straight wins in the best-of-seven Korean Series after their 8-1 win against the NC Dinos in Game 4.

Bear's catcher Yang, 29, was thankful for his fellow pitchers' support in winning the championship series.

"I think our pitchers are so great that our team would have made it even with any other catcher, instead of me, behind home plate," he said after winning the MVP award.

Yang named each of the four starting pitchers -- Dustin Nippert, Jang Won-jun, Michael Bowden and Yu Hui-kwan all of whom he had caught in Games 1, 2, 3 and 4 -- for their great pitching and said he would not have been able to win the award without them.

This year was his best year since 2010 when he first played in the KBO as a catcher. During the regular season, he produced 22 home runs with a batting average of .319. His performance during the Korean Series was even better. He had 7 hits out of 16 at-bats with four runs batted in and a batting average of .438.

Bears' manager Kim Tae-hyung lauded Yang for his decisive role in the Bears' win in the series, calling him "a seasoned catcher quick on the uptake."

"Great pitchers make great catchers," Kim said. "If the pitching is not great, the catcher will be in trouble. Poor pitching makes it harder for the catcher to call pitches."

Yang's chubby face and smart ordering of pitches earned him the nickname of "a fox in the guise of a bear."

His winning the MVP award was considered long overdue. Along with Lotte Giants' Kang Min-ho, Yang is cited as one of the two greatest pitchers in the KBO.

However, for some reason his role for his team was underappreciated.

Yang remained an unsung hero partly because of the nature of his position as catcher. In baseball, catchers play an extensive role and for this reason, some call them on-field leaders.

Catchers are responsible for calling pitches and reacting to all situations happening on the field. The demanding job requires catchers to hone their leadership skills, as well as a certain level of ability to read the minds of the rival team's batters. Some say great catchers are psychologists.

Like Yang, competent catchers call for varied pitches to make it harder for the batters to predict what kinds of pitches will come next.

Because of the key role they play on the field, catchers can make or break a team's performance.

However, it's rare for catchers to steal the show, partly because their roles are not easily appreciated except by the most astute baseball fans.

Yang came into the spotlight because this year's Korean Series took the form of a competition among pitchers. Yang was behind the great pitching of the four Bears' pitchers, better known as the "Fantastic Four." He was the man who ordered them to make the winning pitches.

His role in Game 4 was critical. He had three hits in four at-bats. His single home run in the second inning helped the Bears take a 1-0 lead in the crucial game. He doubled to leftfield and singled to centerfield in the following innings, helping his team score more to crush the Dinos.

The Bears have won the Korean Series five times in total. They are the winners of both the regular season and the Korean Series again in 21 years since the team first did this in 1995.

The Dinos, which advanced to the Korean Series for the first time since the founding of the club four years ago, had struggled in all four games against the Bears. In Game 4, the Dinos scattered hits in scoreless innings. Na Sung-bum and Eric Thames missed opportunities to score in the sixth inning when two Dinos batters were at first and third bases. Na was struck out while Thames grounded out.

Thames' solo home run in the ninth inning was too late for the Dinos to turn back the tide because of the wide gap in the score. The Bears had led the game 8-0 before his home run.
New baseball dynasty is born

The Doosan Bears won their second consecutive Korean Series title Wednesday night and are expected to become the new baseball dynasty in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO).

The Bears' fans called the Seoul-based team "a miracle" as their previous Korean Series wins in the 21st century were achieved after great struggles. However, the team dominated this season and won the title convincingly.

The Bears took the pennant with the most wins in the history of the KBO, 93, and took the Korean Series crown after rolling over the NC Dinos in four straight games.

Winning the Korean Series title last year, the team also broke their jinx where they plunged in the standings the season following a championship crown. After winning the inaugural Korean Series title in 1982, the Bears placed sixth in the first half and fifth in the latter half of the following season. They hit bottom in 1996 and ranked fifth in 2002 after winning their second and third Korean Series titles in 1995 and 2001.

Given that most of the key players are still in their late 20s -- the oldest players in Game 4 of the Korean Series line up were second baseman Oh Jae-won and shortstop Kim Jae-ho who are 31-years-old -- the Bears have a strong chance of becoming the new baseball dynasty in the late 2010s. Korea's baseball scene in the 21st century has been dominated by previous dynasties -- the Samsung Lions and the SK Wyverns. This year's Korean Series was the first time one of these two baseball powerhouses missed playing in it.

There had been concerns about the team's outlook this season as their leading hitter Kim Hyun-soo left for Major League Baseball (MLB) during the offseason. But thanks to the outstanding performances of the new players including Kim Jae-hwan, Park Kun-woo and Oh Jae-il and their strong starting pitchers collectively called the "Fantastic Four," the Bears smashed the hoodoo.

The Bears manager Kim Tae-hyung gave the most credit to Kim. The 28-year-old leftfielder, who had only hit 13 career home runs through last season, blasted 37 this year with 124 RBIs. "Every player has been great but if I have to pick one for MVP, I would like to go with Kim. I had certain expectations of him, but never imagined he would do such things as he did," the manager told reporters after Game 4.

Centerfielder Park, who only had six career homers and 36 career RBIs through last year, also blossomed into a franchise player. The 26-year-old recorded a batting average of .335 with 20 homeruns and 83 RBIs. The first baseman Oh also had a career high season, hitting 27 home runs with 92 RBIs.

Boog Powell lifts a single to left field, plating two runs before advancing to second base on Scott Schebler's error

Prospect Powell off to strong start in Dominican League

Other Minor Leaguers competing for various winter ball clubs

After missing the final three months of Triple-A Tacoma's season because of an 80-game suspension, Mariners outfield prospect Boog Powell is performing well in his first week of play in the Dominican Winter League.

Entering Wednesday, the 23-year-old has hit .368 (7-for-19) with one walk and two stolen bases through his first five games with Aguilas Cibaenas as he looks to make up for lost time in the 2016 season, which was his first in the Mariners' organization after being acquired from the Rays as part of a six-player trade last November.

Powell drew an 80-game suspension on June 23 for testing positive for a banned performance-enhancing substance. At the time, he was batting .270/.326/.359 with nine doubles, two triples, three home runs, 27 RBIs and 10 stolen bases in 64 games with the Rainiers.

Powell was the Mariners' eighth-ranked prospect at the time, according to MLBPipeline.com. He has since dropped to No. 20 on that list.

The 5-foot-10, 185-pounder missed Tacoma's final 71 regular-season games and four postseason contests, so he'll still need to sit out five more games to start the 2017 season before his suspension is completed.

In other winter ball news involving Mariners players:

• Catcher Jesus Sucre, who finished out the regular season swinging a hot bat for Seattle, has continued that in his first five games for Navegantes del Magallanes in the Venezuelan League as he has batted .294 (5-for-17) with two runs. The 28-year-old hit .647 (11-for-17) with two doubles, a home run and five RBIs in six games for the Mariners after being recalled in September, raising his career average to .209 in 90 Major League games over the past four years.

• Kevin Gadea, a 21-year-old right-hander who finished up last season with Class-A Clinton, has been outstanding in his first two starts for Tigres de Aragua in the Venezuelan League. Gadea has yet to allow a run in 10 innings over his first two outings, earning a win and a no-decision while scattering just hits with three walks and five strikeouts. The 6-foot-5, 188-pounder out of Nicaragua was a bit of a late starter in his pro career after converting from third base to the mound when signing with the Mariners as an 18-year-old. He opened this past season in the Arizona Rookie League before being promoted to Clinton in July and going 3-0 with a 2.15 ERA in 50 1/3 innings over 10 appearances (six starts).

• Former University of Washington right-hander Forrest Snow threw four scoreless innings in his debut for Aguilas Cibaenas in the Dominican League on Tuesday, permitting just two hits with no walks and six strikeouts in a start. Snow, 27, split time between Double-A Jackson and Tacoma last year, compiling a 2.83 ERA in 28 games, primarily as a reliever. Aguilas wound up losing that game 5-4 to Gigantes del Cibao after another Mariners prospect, Andrew Kittredge, gave up three runs on three hits in 1/3 inning in the eighth and veteran Al Alburquerque, who finished last season with Tacoma, took the loss when he surrendered two hits and a run in the 10th.

• Bryan Evans, a 29-year-old right-hander who started three games for Jackson at the end of the season after having his contract purchased from Lancaster of the independent Atlantic League, has yet to allow a run in six innings over two games, including one start, for Toros del Este in the Dominican League. Evans has given up just two hits with no walks and five strikeouts, including five innings of one-hit ball in Monday's 4-3 win over Licey.

• While outfielder Tyler O'Neill and catcher Tyler Marlette have received considerable attention for their early hitting success in the Arizona Fall League, the Mariners have also gotten a promising start from right-hander Dylan Unsworth as he works back from a left hamstring strain that wiped out most of his second half with Jackson. Unsworth is 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA in his first two starts for Peoria in the AFL, allowing eight hits with no walks and three strikeouts over six innings. The 24-year-old from South Africa went 3-1 with a 1.16 ERA in nine starts for Jackson and was named to the Futures Game, but he hadn't been able to pitch since June 7 due to his hamstring issue.

11/4/16

ARIZONA FALL LEAGUE (MESA SOLAR SOX)

Bradley Zimmer (CF) - 2-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 K - It's been a while since Zimmer had a multi-hit game, but he had one on Friday on the eve of he AFL's Fall Stars Game. He also hit his second homer of the fall and increased his AFL RBI total to nine.

VENEZUELAN WINTER LEAGUE (LVBP)

Giovanny Urshela (Aguilas del Zulia, 3B) - 3-5, 2 R, 2 2B, 1 K - Urshela's big night at the plate continued a solid winter ball season in which he is hitting .340.

Alex Monsalve (Bravos de Margarita, PH-backup DH) - Monsalve grounded into a double play in the seventh inning as a pinch hitter for starting DH Jose Osuna (a Pirate farmhand who spent the 2016 season with Triple-A Indianapolis and Double-A Altoona). Not how Alex wanted to make his winter ball debut, but it's only one game (and one at-bat) in a long Venezuelan season.

Yandy Diaz (Leones del Caracas, LF) - 1-4, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI,1 BB - Diaz extended his season-opening hitting streak to eight games on Friday night and is now batting .394/.459/.636 with six RBI.

Jesus Aguilar (Leones del Caracas, starting 1B) - 0-3, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K - Even in his worst performance in his three games played this offseason, the RBI Machine still drove a run in on a bases loaded walk in the bottom of the 4th.

Yhoxian Medina (Leones del Caracas, backup 3B) - no plate appearances - Yhoxian continues to see limited playing time this winter in the LVBP.

Guillermo Quiroz (Tigres de Aragua, C) - 0-3, 2 K, 1 HBP - While Quiroz is now 0-for-11, he did reach base for the first time since a walk in his season debut on a hit by pitch.

DOMINICAN WINTER LEAGUE (LIDOM)

Nellie Rodriguez (Leones del Escogido, PH) - Nellie-Rod grounded out in the eighth inning pinch hitting for starting 3B Rafael Devers (Red Sox minor leaguer - 2016 in High-A Salem). Given that Rodriguez is having trouble staying above the Mendoza Line (batting exactly .200 following last night's plate appearance), a reduction in playing time is to be expected.

Ronny Rodriguez (Aguilas Cibaenas, SS) - 1-4, 1 2B, 1 BB, 2 K - Ronny-Rod extended his hitting streak to five games on Friday after starting the season with two hitless efforts.

Águilas 8 Navegantes 10

Valencia.-

Frank Diaz, who committed a costly defensive mistake in the top of the seventh, corrected the mistake in the bottom of the same inning when he drove in the winning rin to give the navigators of Magellan a 10-8 win over the Eagles of Zulia.

Giovanny Urshela, went 3-5 with two doubles, two runs scored and Eleardo Cabrera was 3-4 two scored, one driven in. Zulia is 16-7 and Magallanes is 9-13.

Notes: the defense of Zulia manufactured four doubleplays

So who has the best tools in tonigiht's Fall Stars Game? You can watch live on MLB Network and MLB.com at 8 p.m. ET. But for now, here's a closer look, broken down by tool.

All players are graded on the 20-80 scouting scale when they are evaluated by scouts. Those grades are used on all of our Prospect Watch rankings to break down each individual tool: hitting, power, speed, arm and defense for position players and the full array of pitches, along with control, for those on the mound.

Players are graded for future tools: 20-30 is well below average, 40 is below average, 50 is average, 60 is above average and 70-80 is well above average.

HIT

Franklin Barreto (A's No. 1), Nick Gordon (Twins No. 2): The two shortstops carry the only 60-hit tools into the Fall Stars Game (though an argument can be made that Gleyber Torres should join that group). Barreto has a very quick bat and makes explosive contact. Gordon has a simple, line-drive approach that should allow him to continue to hit for average.

POWER

Eloy Jimenez (Cubs No. 2), Tyler O'Neill (Mariners No. 2): Jimenez and O'Neill both grade out with 60 power. The 19-year-old Jimenez is still growing into his power, but still had 57 extra-base hits during his full-season debut. O'Neill has hit 56 homers the last two seasons combined. Both have gone yard three times this fall.

RUN

Anthony Alford (Blue Jays No. 1), Michael Gettys (Padres No. 10): This pair of outfielders both earn 70 grades for their speed, which helps them on both sides of the ball. Alford, the former college football player, was slowed by a knee injury during the regular season, but has four steals this fall. Gettys topped 30 steals for the first time in his career in 2016 and has added a pair in the AFL.

ARM

Gettys, Brett Phillips (Brewers No. 7), Miguel Andujar (Yankees No. 7): A pair of outfielders and a third baseman with 70 arms. Gettys had 21 outfield assists in 2015 and 15 more this past season. Phillips also had double-digit assists two years running, with 21 combined in '15-'16. Andujar might have the best infield arm in the Minors, one that with some feel could throw mid-90s heat from the mound.

FIELD

Gettys: If you haven't figured it out by now, Michael Gettys is perhaps the toolsiest (raw tools at least) in the Fall League. He grades out as a 65 defender and takes tremendous pride in his work in center field, and he uses that plus speed to run down balls.

FASTBALL

Michael Kopech (Red Sox's No. 5): The right-hander has a 75 grade on his fastball, but that might be splitting hairs, as he does show a true 80 heater at times. Kopech can touch triple digits with good late life. He's been sitting in the upper 90s this fall and has 18 strikeouts (against just one walk) in 14 innings.

CURVE

Francis Martes, David Paulino (Astros No. 4): The pair of Astros right-handers both have 60 curveballs at their disposal. Martes has improved his breaking ball considerably, and it's developed into a true power curve that can serve as an out pitch. The same can be said for Paulino's power breaking ball, coming from his 6-foot-7 frame.

CHANGEUP

Brent Honeywell (Rays No. 2), Trey Ball (Red Sox): Both Honeywell and Ball have above-average off-speed offerings that grade out as 55s. Honeywell uses his changeup as one of four pitches he mixes in to keep hitters guessing and off balance. Ball struggles with overall command, but he throws his changeup with very deceptive arm speed.

OTHER

Honeywell: You don't see screwballs very often these days, but Honeywell has one. And it's not just a trick pitch. It's a 65 and he uses it extremely effectively as his best secondary pitch.

CONTROL

Honeywell: His ability to command the baseball (55 control grade) is a big part of Honeywell's success. He can throw all four of his pitches for strikes, and he goes right after hitters with his arsenal.

Team-by-team guide to AFL's Fall Stars



ANGELS

C Taylor Ward (Angels No. 3 prospect)

A surprise first-round pick in 2015, Ward certainly opened some eyes during his summer debut, advancing to full-season ball and hitting a combined .348/.457/.438 over 201 at-bats. After a slow start at Class A Advanced Inland Empire in 2016, he hit .274/.359/.415 with nine of his 10 home runs on the season in the second half.

ATHLETICS

SS Franklin Barreto (A's No. 1, MLB No. 42)

Barreto enjoyed another strong year at the plate, hitting .281/.340/.413 with 10 home runs and 30 steals at Double-A Midland before advancing to Triple-A Nashville. The 20-year-old shortstop also made strides defensively, trimming his error total to 15 this season from a career-high 34 in 2015.

RHP Sam Bragg

Bragg enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2015, but the move up to Midland in 2016 resulted in a career-high 4.29 ERA and nine home runs allowed, although he still generated more than one strikeout per inning while holding opposing hitters to a .238 average.

BLUE JAYS

OF Anthony Alford (Blue Jays No. 3, MLB No. 86)

After an impressive first full season in which he had hit .298/.398/.421 with 36 extra-base hits and 27 stolen bases between Class A Lansing and High A Dunedin, Alford was limited to just 33 first-half games in 2016 due to a knee injury and a concussion. Once healthy, he settled in to hit .257/.381/.449 with eight home runs and 13 steals over his final 59 contests.

RHP Matt Dermody

Dermody, 26, saw his career take off in 2016, beginning the season in Dunedin before advancing to Double- and Triple-A and then making five appearances out of the Blue Jays' bullpen as a September callup. The left-hander's fastball-changeup pairing allows him to get outs on both sides of the plate, as he held right-handed hitters to a .261 average and one home run across 145 plate appearances during the regular season.

ASTROS

RHP Francis Martes (Astros No. 1, MLB No. 29)

Martes went 9-6 with a 3.30 ERA and 131 strikeouts in 125 1/3 innings with Double-A Corpus Christi during the regular season. The 20-year-old righty features a mid-to-upper-90s fastball with a power curveball and a developing changeup. After a rocky start in the Fall League, Martes rebounded to yield two hits and stike out seven in 4 2/3 scoreless innings in his last start.

RHP David Paulino (Astros No. 4, MLB No. 70)

Paulino was acquired via a trade with the Tigers in 2013 and missed the entire 2014 season recovering from Tommy John surgery, but he came full circle in 2016 as he received his first taste of the Majors. The 22-year-old righty spent the bulk of the season with Corpus Christi, where he went 5-2 with a 1.83 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 14 games (nine starts).

BRAVES

RHP Evan Phillips

Phillips came to the Braves as a 17th-round pick of the 2015 Draft out of UNC Wilmington. A starter in college, he's done nothing but pitch in relief in the Braves system, using a mid-90s fastball and good slider to post a 1.27 ERA with eight saves with Class A Advanced Carolina to reach Double-A in his first full season.

BREWERS

C Jacob Nottingham (Brewers No. 14)

Acquired in February from the A's, Nottingham struggled with the move up to Double-A Biloxi this season, hitting .234 with 138 strikeouts in 112 games. Concerns remain regarding the 21-year-old's ability to stick behind the plate, but there's enough offensive upside there to support a move down the defensive spectrum.

OF Brett Phillips (Brewers No. 7, MLB No. 62)

Phillips, after batting .310 and .309 in back-to-back years, had his average drop to .229 this season at Biloxi. An increased strikeout rate heavily influenced the 22-year-old outfielder's struggles, although he still managed to hit 16 home runs and steal 12 bases in 124 games, highlighting his power-speed potential.

CARDINALS

OF Harrison Bader (Cardinals No. 3, MLB No. 82)

Bader has shown average to above-average tools across the board as a pro, jumping on the fast track and reaching Triple-A in his first full season. He projects to be a Major League average hitter, if not above-average, with a good approach at the plate, to go along with average power.

3B/SS Paul DeJong (Cardinals No. 15)

The Cardinals' 2015 fourth-round pick, DeJong finished in the top 10 in the Texas League in home runs, slugging percentage and total bases this year. In addition to working on refining his approach (26.1 percent strikeout rate; 7.2 percent walk rate), he's also playing shortstop exclusively this fall after spending the vast majority of his time during the regular season at third.

C Carson Kelly (Cardinals No. 11)

Originally drafted as a third baseman with power potential, Kelly moved behind the plate after his first full season. His development hasn't taken a typical path, as he's become more of a defensive-minded backstop. His arm that fired 92-mph fastballs as a high school pitcher works very well at catcher, and he's a natural leader who works with pitchers and frames well.

RHP Rowan Wick

A 2012 ninth-round pick as a catcher who quickly moved to the outfield, Wick made it as far as the Florida State League before transitioning to the mound. He's taken to it well, reaching Double-A in 2016, his first full season of pitching. He missed plenty of bats (11.6 K/9 ratio) and was tough to hit (.186 BAA). He's auditioning for a spot on the 40-man roster this fall.

CUBS

OF Eloy Jimenez (Cubs No. 2, MLB No. 23)

Jimenez has plenty of power that he has put on display with a few massive home runs in the AFL. After going deep 14 times with Class A South Bend, he has homered three times in 12 AFL games. Jimenez has raised his average in each of his three professional seasons. He hit .312 in a career-high 112 games this season and was named the Midwest League MVP.

RHP James Francis

Farris has given up three hits across six scoreless innings in six total appearances in the Fall League. The 24-year-old got his first experience at the Double-A level this season and put up a 2.75 ERA in 26 games. His low 90s fastball has a natural cut to it, and he's working on both a changeup and a curveball to complete his arsenal.

D-BACKS

3B Dawel Lugo (D-backs No. 11)

Lugo had a breakout season in many ways, setting career highs in a host of offensive categories including average (.311), OPS (.831) and home runs (17). While much of the numbers came in the hitter-friendly California League, he hit well over 48 games after being promoted to Double-A. Lugo also spent a majority of his time defensively at third after playing shortstop almost exclusively earlier in his career.

LHP Jared Miller

Miller, an 11th-round Draft pick in 2014 out of Vanderbilt, spent all of 2015 as a starter without much success. The 6-foot-7 lefty moved to the bullpen in 2016 and took off, pitching at four levels and striking out 11.7 per nine along the way. He had 24 strikeouts, with just one walk and four hits allowed, in 13 innings of shutout ball over his first seven Fall League outings.

1B Kevin Cron

A 14th-round pick in 2014, Cron -- the younger brother of Angels first baseman C.J. Cron -- showcased his impressive power this year by hitting 26 home runs in 127 games with Double-A Mobile, falling one homer shy of the career-high total he posted during his 2015 full-season debut in the hitter-friendly California League. However, Cron's big swing keeps him from making consistent contact, as he hit just .222 with a 26.3 percent strikeout rate in the Southern League.

DODGERS

1B Cody Bellinger (Dodgers No. 1, MLB No. 31)

After breaking out for a monster season in 2015 (30 HR, 103 RBIs), Bellinger missed the first month of the 2016 season but had a solid year at Double-A Tulsa, hitting .271 with 26 homers and 71 RBIs.

2B Willie Calhoun (Dodgers No. 4, MLB No. 87)

Despite being listed at just 5-foot-8, Calhoun has shown that there's plenty of power in his frame. The second baseman challenged for the Texas League home run title with 27 homers in 132 games with Tulsa. He hit .254 but profiles as someone able to hit for average, as well, with a quick swing and a patient approach at the plate.

GIANTS

RHP Chris Stratton (Giants No. 26)

Stratton has seen his stuff level off since the Giants drafted him 20th overall out of Mississippi State in 2012, and he now works with a low-90s fastball and an average slider. The 6-foot-3 righty made his big league debut with seven relief appearances this summer and spent most of his time as a starter in Triple-A, where he went 12-6 with a 3.87 ERA and 103 strikeouts in 125 2/3 innings.

RHP Tyler Rogers

The twin brother of Twins left-hander Taylor Rogers, Tyler is a submarining righty reliever who was a 10th-round senior sign out of Austin Peay State in 2013. He was lights out in Double-A this year but got rocked in Triple-A, putting up a combined 3.27 ERA with 46 strikeouts in 66 innings.

OF Bradley Zimmer (Indians No. 1, MLB No. 25)

Zimmer, whose older brother Kyle was drafted fifth overall by the Royals in 2012, has average or better tools across the board, allowing him to impact the game in a variety of ways. The Indians' 2014 first-round pick (21st overall) drives the ball across the whole field with a clean and controlled stroke, and he should continue to get on base at a high clip thanks to his knowledge of the strike zone and selective approach.

MARLINS

LHP Jarlin Garcia (Marlins No. 3)

Limited to 50 2/3 innings and 12 starts this season due to a triceps injury that landed him on the disabled list from May 31 to Aug. 8, Garlin is back to full strength, operating at 93-95 mph and bumping 96 in the Fall League with his usual plus changeup (83-85 mph).

3B Brian Anderson (Marlins No. 4)

After batting just .115 (3-for-26) in the Fall League last year, Anderson has been one the circuit's better hitters this year, ranking first in batting average (.386) and second in OPS (1.085) through 13 games. The performance is a continuation of what was a breakthrough 2016 campaign for the Marlins' No. 4 prospect.

MARINERS

OF Tyler O'Neill (Mariners No. 2, MLB No. 59)

O'Neill checked every box this year in his first Double-A campaign, batting .293/.374/.508 with 24 home runs and a league-leading (and career-high) 102 RBIs for Jackson, winning Southern League MVP honors. He has also made strides in the outfield, recording a career-high 10 outfield assists this year, doubling his 2015 total.

METS

RHP, Corey Taylor

In his first full season as a Met after being taken in the seventh round of the 2015 Draft as a Texas Tech senior, Taylor led the system with 20 saves. He also had a 1.87 ERA, and while he didn't miss a ton of bats, he did strike out more hitters in the second half. That trend continued in the Fall League (nearly a strikeout per inning) as he prepares for the upper levels.

NATIONALS

OF Drew Ward (Nationals No. 10)

After struggling (.097 in 12 games) as the youngest player in the Arizona Fall League in 2015, Ward has shown vast improvement this year, hitting safely in 13 straight games to start the season.

RHP Ryan Brinley

Brinley, 23, thrived as Class A Advanced Potomac's closer, saving 16 of 18 games and posting a 1.37 ERA with a 0.89 WHIP in 39 1/3 innings (32 appearances). He allowed just one home run in that span and held opposing hitters to a paltry .196 average.

ORIOLES

OF D.J. Stewart (O's No. 12)

Stewart's first two months this season were much like his 2015 pro debut, when he hit .218 over 62 games in the New York-Penn League after the Orioles selected him with the No. 25 overall pick. But he began to find his stroke with a move up to the Class A Advanced Carolina League, hitting .279/.389/.448 with 16 extra-base hits, including six home runs, across 59 games. Altogether, he posted a .776 OPS with 10 home runs and 26 steals.

PADRES

OF Michael Gettys (Padres No. 10)

Gettys possesses the plus-plus speed and arm strength that one day could make him a dynamic big league center fielder. And after returning to Class A Fort Wayne this year after struggling there last year, he hit .304/.369/.416 in 68 games for the TinCaps and earned a promotion to Lake Elsinore, where he posted a .306 average with an .823 OPS and nine home runs over 60 games.

PHILLIES

2B Scott Kingery (Phillies No. 13)

Kingery is used to showing what he can do in Arizona. Born in Phoenix, he spent three years excelling at the University of Arizona before the Phillies made him a second-round pick in the 2015 Draft. Kingery has the tools to be a dynamic presence at the top of a lineup. He can flat out hit, using a quick, short stroke to make consistent hard contact. Kingery uses all fields, works counts and doesn't strike out much.

PIRATES

RHP Edgar Santana (Pirates No. 29)

Santana began the year in the Florida State League and ended it in Triple-A, knocking on the big league door. After 79 1/3 relief innings across three levels, Santana is simply trying to tighten up a few things so he's ready should Pittsburgh need him for the big league bullpen in 2017.

3B Connor Joe

Joe is trying to build off of a second half that saw him hit .313 with an .824 OPS, not to mention his .333 with three homers in six playoff games. Injuries kept the 2014 draftee from making his pro debut until May 2015, but he managed to play in 107 games in '16, a big step in the right direction.

RANGERS

C Jose Trevino (Rangers No. 20)

Trevino played all over the field in college at Oral Roberts, and it wasn't until the Rangers selected him in the sixth round of the 2014 Draft that he started catching full-time. The 23-year-old has plenty of arm strength to make it as a catcher and has made significant strides with his release. After throwing out 34 percent of base stealers in 2015, Trevino threw out 48 percent of base stealers in 2016.

RAYS

LHP Brett Honeywell (Rays No. 2, MLB No. 39)

Honeywell reached Double-A for the first time in 2016 and -- between Class A Advanced Charlotte and Montgomery -- pitched to a 2.34 ERA, the best mark among Rays prospects with at least 100 innings pitched. In 115 1/3 innings, he notched 117 strikeouts vs. 25 walks. Following the season, the Rays named Honeywell their Minor League Pitcher of the Year.

RHP Diego Castillo

Castillo's power stuff has been on display in the Fall League in the form of a 97-99 mph fastball and a sharp slider in the upper 80s. The pairing gives the 22-year-old righty two genuine swing-and-miss offerings and could make him a late-inning weapon for the Rays in the coming years.

REDS

RHP Barrett Astin

Originally a third-round pick of the Brewers in 2013, Astin went to the Reds in the Jonathan Broxton trade back in August 2014. A ground-ball machine, Astin, 25, had success as a starter and reliever for the Blue Wahoos in 2016, when he posted a 2.26 ERA in 103 1/3 innings but has been coming out of the bullpen for the Javelinas this fall. Rule 5 eligible this offseason, he owns a 1.86 ERA through seven appearances in Arizona.

RED SOX

RHP Michael Kopech (Red Sox No. 5, MLB No. 67)

Kopech went 4-1 and posted a 2.25 ERA with 86 strikeouts over 11 starts with Salem, one of which the 20-year-old righty reportedly hit 105 mph on the radar gone. But because he broke his hand during an altercation in Spring Training and finished the regular season with just 56 1/3 innings under his belt, Kopech is using the Fall League to build up his workload. Through four starts, he owns a 1.93 ERA and 0.86 WHIP, with 18 strikeouts and one walk in 14 innings.

SS Mauricio Dubon (Red Sox No. 12)

Added to the West squad after winning the Fan Final 2 Vote, Dubon has been impressive offensively. The Honduran native doesn't have exceptional power, but he has good bat control and hit .323 in 124 games across two levels this season. After a second-half promotion to Double-A, the 22-year-old shortstop posted a .339 clip and hit all six of his home runs over 62 games.

LHP Trey Ball (Red Sox No. 14)

Ball, whom Boston selected with the No. 7 overall Draft pick in 2013, saw better results in 2016, posting a 3.84 ERA in 23 starts with Salem. The highly-projectable 6-foot-6 lefty has a low-to-mid 90s fastball, a cutter that is still developing and a changeup that serves as his best offspeed pitch.

ROCKIES

3B/1B Ryan McMahon (Rockies No. 6)

A second-round pick in 2013, McMahon breezed through his first three years in pro ball before struggling in 2016. He hit just .242/.325/.399 with 161 strikeouts at Hartford, spending the much of the season on the road with a franchise that lacked a home ballpark for several months. McMahon did finish on a high note, hitting .263/.347/.450 after the All-Star break as one of the Eastern League's youngest regulars at age 21.

RHP Rayan Gonzalez

A 21st-rounder from Bethune-Cookman in 2012, Gonzalez has used a sinking and cutting 92-95 mph fastball and a deep curveball to generate a lot of strikeouts and groundouts since turning pro. After a rough 2015 in the Class A Advanced California League, the reliever rebounded in Double-A this season with a 3.12 ERA and 49 whiff in 52 innings.

ROYALS

1B/OF Ryan O'Hearn (Royals No. 7)

The Royals made O'Hearn an eighth-round pick from in 2014, targeting the Sam Houston State product for his power potential. He won Rookie-level Pioneer League MVP honors in his pro debut, led the Class A South Atlantic League with 19 homers in his first full season and slammed 22 homers this year between Class A Advanced Wilmington and Double-A Northwest Arkansas.

ROCKIES

3B/1B Ryan McMahon (Rockies No. 6)

A second-round pick in 2013, McMahon breezed through his first three years in pro ball before struggling in 2016. He hit just .242/.325/.399 with 161 strikeouts at Hartford, spending the much of the season on the road with a franchise that lacked a home ballpark for several months. McMahon did finish on a high note, hitting .263/.347/.450 after the All-Star break as one of the Eastern League's youngest regulars at age 21.

RHP Rayan Gonzalez

A 21st-rounder from Bethune-Cookman in 2012, Gonzalez has used a sinking and cutting 92-95 mph fastball and a deep curveball to generate a lot of strikeouts and groundouts since turning pro. After a rough 2015 in the Class A Advanced California League, the reliever rebounded in Double-A this season with a 3.12 ERA and 49 whiff in 52 innings.

ROYALS

1B/OF Ryan O'Hearn (Royals No. 7)

The Royals made O'Hearn an eighth-round pick from in 2014, targeting the Sam Houston State product for his power potential. He won Rookie-level Pioneer League MVP honors in his pro debut, led the Class A South Atlantic League with 19 homers in his first full season and slammed 22 homers this year between Class A Advanced Wilmington and Double-A Northwest Arkansas.

WHITE SOX

OF Courtney Hawkins (White Sox No. 14)

The 13th overall pick in the 2012 Draft, Hawkins has big raw power but has yet to show that he can make enough consistent contact to do damage at the plate. He repeated Double-A in 2016, batting .203/.255/.349 with 12 homers and 137 strikeouts in 106 games.

LHP Brian Clark (White Sox No. 16)

A ninth-round pick from Kent State in 2014, Clark already has ridden his low-90s sinker and solid slider to Triple-A. He had a 2.70 ERA and 48/12 K/BB ratio in 56 2/3 relief innings this year at the two highest levels in the Minors.

YANKEES

SS Gleyber Torres (Yankees No. 2, MLB No. 17)

At 19, Torres is the youngest player in the Fall League. Originally signed by the Cubs for $1.7 million out of Venezuela in 2013, he went to the Yankees as their key acquisition in the Aroldis Chapman trade in July. The 19-year-old shortstop has solid all-around tools and is an advanced hitter for his age, as evidenced by his .270/.354/.421 line with 11 homers in 125 Class A Advanced games this season.

3B Miguel Andujar (Yankees No. 7)

The highest-priced signee in the Yankees' 2011-12 international class ($750,000 out of the Dominican Republic), Andujar offers well above-average raw power and arm strength. He had his best full season in 2016, hitting .273/.332/.410 with 12 homers in 130 games between Class A Advanced and Double-A at age 21.

Fall Stars Game rosters include 15 Top 100 prospects

Contest will be broadcast on MLB Network and MLB.com on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. --

For the past 25 years, the Arizona Fall League has been a place to see some of the best up-and-coming talent around baseball. For the past decade -- edition No. 11 arrives on Saturday -- that talent has been funneled onto one field in the Fall Stars Game.

The AFL's version of the Futures Game will take place at Surprise Stadium at 5 p.m. local time (8 p.m. ET) and will be broadcast on MLB Network and streamed live on MLB.com and once again will feature many of the game's top prospects. A total of 15 members of MLBPipeline.com's Top 100 prospects list are on the rosters, with an additional 21 players from team Top 30s to once again make the Fall Stars Game a veritable who's who for prospects.

Noticeably absent from the game is No. 1 prospect Yoan Moncada, whose Fall League season officially came to an end on Friday when the Red Sox decided to shut him down due to his thumb injury. That makes the Yankees' Gleyber Torres, at No. 17 overall, the top-ranked player participating in the game. The 19-year-old has also been one of the top performing prospects in the AFL this season, carrying the fourth-best OPS (1.077) in the league into Monday's competition.

Cubs phenom Eloy Jimenez (No. 23) and the Indians' Bradley Zimmer (No. 25) round out the top 25 prospects, all on the East squad. The A's Franklin Barreto (42), Brewers outfielder Brett Phillips (62) and Anthony Alford (86) of the Blue Jays are the other Top 100 players on the East roster.

While the West doesn't have as high-ranked prospects, it does have more, nine Top 100 players in total. The roster also has the four Top 100 pitchers slated to participate in the game. The Rays' Brent Honeywell (No. 39) will start the game for the West (Giants prospect Chris Stratton gets the ball for the East), and he's joined by the Astros' pair of Top 100 arms in the Fall League, No. 29 Francis Martes and No. 70 David Paulino. Michael Kopech (No. 67) of the Red Sox is the fourth of that very talented quartet.

Offensively, the West roster has a pair of Dodgers in Cody Bellinger (No. 31) and Willie Calhoun (87), Twins shortstop Nick Gordon (47), Mariners outfielder Tyler O'Neill (59) and Harrison Bader (82) of the Cardinals.
Four of these players know what this kind of setting is like, having played in the Futures Game just this past July in San Diego. Jimenez and O'Neill played for the World Team, while Calhoun and Cardinals catcher Carson Kelly suited up for the United States squad.

Fans had the opportunity to add more talent to these rosters in the Final 2 Fan Vote, and they chose Yankees No. 7 Miguel Andujar for the East roster and Red Sox's No. 12 prospect Mauricio Dubon for the West
If last year's rosters are any indication, this year's Fall Stars Game will once again be an excellent predictor of players who will impact the big leagues next season. Last year's contest included the Yankees' Gary Sanchez and the A's Sean Manaea, among others.