Arizona Fall League Review: Week Three

Hey, we’ve got some legit actual baseball drama in the AFL Review this week!

Giants LHP prospect Garrett Williams busted out with his finest performance of the Fall League with four innings of no-hit ball that included 7 Ks. That performance included 70% of Williams’ strikeouts thus far in the AFL, as he entered the game with 3 Ks in 6 IP and exited it with 10 Ks in 10 IP! Nice what one stellar outing will do for you. Now, he did walk 3 more to give him 6 BBs in those 10 IP, but breezing through an AFL quality lineup definitely says something about the major league potential of one’s stuff.

The outing dropped Williams’ AFL ERA down to 0.93 with just 1 Run allowed in three starts. Let’s listen to Garrett’s view of his experience thus far (I believe you have to exit the post unfortunately to hear the interview embedded below):

The Scorpions would complete 9 innings of no-hit ball on that night before winning 2-1 in 10 innings with five pitchers combining on a one-hitter.

And Williams wasn’t the only Giants’ rep who had a moment of glamour in this week’s AFL action. C.J. Hinojosa ended an 0 for 18 drought with a bases-clearing pinch-hit double to key a five-run 7th inning that gave the Scorpions a big come-from-behind victory. Hinojosa hadn’t had a hit since the AFL opening day before his pinch-hit dramatics. Here he is talking about his big hit.

CJ followed that up with a two-hit game on Saturday night to conclude a nice bounceback week.

And, lastly, Melvin Adon continued to shine, capturing the attention of radar guns and notebooks everywhere in the scouting section.

Working only in relief has seemed to have a good effect on the consistency of Adon’s slider. He’s now struck out 15 of the 28 batters he’s faced in the AFL, allowing just one run on three hits (that coming on a solo HR).

To the Lines!

The Hitters

C.J. Hinojosa: 3 G, 3 for 7, 1 2b, 3 RBIs, 1 BB, 1 K. Season totals: .192/.250/.231
Matt Winn: 5 G, 0 for 10, 2 walks, 7 Ks. Season totals: .080/.258/.080
Heath Quinn: 2 G, 1 for 7, 1 walk, 2 K. Season totals: .136/.208/.136

Even with CJ’s big hit it was another down week for the batters. Matt Winn is displaying his strong defensive skills enough to get in steady action behind the plate, but he’s been overmatched with a bat in his hand, striking out 15 times in 25 ABs, though he does have 6 walks to his name. Heath Quinn, whose potential future value is entirely resting on his offense, hasn’t done a great deal better, going 3 for 22 with 9 Ks and 0 XBH. Hinojosa is going to be one of the trickier 40 man decisions this year, with Alen Hanson and Abiatal Avelino already on the roster in front of him. With Kelby and Miguel Gomez both gone this week, there is still a need for depth at MI utility though.

The Pitchers

Garrett Williams: 1 GS, 4 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 7 K. Season Totals: 0.90 ERA, 10 K/10 IP
Melvin Adon: 2 G, 3.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 Ks. Season Total: 1.13 ERA, 15 K/8 IP
Chase Johnson: 2 G, 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 K. Season Totals: 5.79 ERA, 5 K/4.2 IP
Sam Wolff: 2 G, 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 Ks. Season Totals: 0.00 ERA, 7 K/5.1 IP

The Giants’ arms are getting it done, however. In 28 innings as a unit they’ve allowed just 5 ER while striking out 37 batters. Chase Johnson has surrendered 3 of those 5 ER and is not showing the same bat missing stuff as his bullpen colleagues Adon and Sam Wolff, both of whom have been nearly perfect. I’d anticipate both Adon and Wolff getting 40-man adds next month, and it is possible that one of them could come at the expense of Johnson’s spot on the roster.

You might want to set your DVR next Saturday night for the AFL Fall Stars Game! It is televised live (I believe on MLB Network) starting at 5:08 MST, November 3rd. No announcements of rosters yet, but I’d be surprised if Adon didn’t get a spot in the pen.

Out in the greater Winter League world, some Giant’s prospects were flexing their muscles. Recently departed (from the 40 man) Miguel Gomez had a huge week, going deep three times in four games, though he’s hitting just .229 down in the Dominican Winter League. Over in Venezuela, Diego Rincones kept on a-swinging, going deep for the first time this winter.

But the best night of all, might have come from Manuel Geraldo, who opened his Winter League campaign and Dominican League debut by tripling and homering.

As always, you can follow all of the Giants’ prospects Off Season exploits here.