Arizona Fall League weekly round-up

The San Francisco Giants sent eight prospects to the Arizona Fall League this year: infielders Marco Luciano and Will Wilson, outfielder Hunter Bishop, catcher Patrick Bailey, and pitchers R.J. Dabovich, Seth Corry, Cole Waites, and Gregory Santos.

A little over a week of games have been played, and I’m taking the unconventional route and calling Thursday the end of the week, because I don’t work on weekends and don’t want to work until 10 p.m. on a Friday to cram one more game into the weekly round-up.

It wasn’t a good first week for the Scottsdale Scorpions, the affiliate that the Giants share with Boston, Cleveland, Minnesota, and Tampa Bay. The team went just 3-5, falling to the back of the three-team AFL East standings.

But we don’t really care how the team does. Let’s see how the Giants did.

Here’s a link to the 2021 McCovey Chronicles Community Prospect List (CPL)

Marco Luciano (No. 1 CPL, 20, 2018 J2)

This week’s stats: 5-20, 2 home runs, 4 RBI, 6 walks, 7 strikeouts, .994 OPS

The team’s top prospect has been the talk of town after two rather impressive home runs kicked the AFL off in style.

Luciano struggled to end the season after a promotion to High-A Eugene, so it’s good to see him back to his dinger-mashing ways, especially as the youngest player in the AFL. That strikeout to walk ratio is also quite lovely!

Patrick Bailey (No. 8 CPL, 22, 2020 1st round)

This week’s stats: 4-12, 1 home run, 1 double, 1 RBI, 2 walks, 5 strikeouts, 1.095 OPS

Bailey picked up where he left off after ending his debut rookie season in a flurry, admittedly at Low-A San Jose after early-season struggles and injuries. The power is really starting to show for the switch-hitting catcher.

Will Wilson (No. 10 CPL, 23, 2019 1st round pick via LAA)

This week’s stats: 2-13, 1 double, 2 RBI, 3 walks, 3 strikeouts, .543 OPS

Not the hottest of starts for Wilson, who struggled quite a bit to end the Minor League season. Keep an eye on the strikeouts and walks: he had a 36.7% K rate in 2021, with a 10.0% BB rate.

He’s also been playing center field, rather than his usual middle infield, so that’s interesting.

Hunter Bishop (No. 4 CPL, 23, 2019 1st round)

This week’s stats: 0-6, 4 strikeouts, .000 OPS

Perhaps no one in the Giants farm had a more difficult season than Bishop, who struggled mightily with injuries, had just 54 plate appearances, and finished with a .464 OPS across the ACL, Low-A, and High-A.

Unfortunately, the struggles have continued in Arizona.

Seth Corry (No. 6 CPL, 22, 2017 3rd round)

This week’s stats: 2 innings, 1 hit, 1 walk, 0 runs, 2 strikeouts

Corry is one to keep an eye on. He had a rough season from a control standpoint, walking 63 batters in 67.2 innings in High-A. Things improved late in the season, and he’s trying to carry that improvement into the AFL.

Gregory Santos (No. 15 CPL, 22, 2015 J2 via BOS)

This week’s stats: 3.2 innings, 4 hits, 1 walk, 0 runs, 4 strikeouts

It had been nearly four months since Santos had pitched in a game, after a late-June suspension cost him 80 games.

It’s good to have him back out there, and he’s reportedly touched 103 mph with his fastball. And this slider is just nasty.

R.J. Dabovich (No. 36 CPL, 22, 2020 4th round)

This week’s stats: 3.2 innings, 2 hits, 5 walks, 1 earned run, 7 strikeouts

Dabovich’s debut Minor League season was phenomenal, with 62 strikeouts to 13 walks in 32.1 innings across High-A and AA.

In the AFL he’s kept the absurd strikeout numbers running, but has struggled with the previously excellent walk suppression.

Cole Waites (23, 2019 18th round)

This week’s stats: 2 innings, 3 hits, 4 walks, 6 earned runs, 2 strikeouts

Waites gave up just 1 hit and 1 earned run this Minor League season, though he admittedly pitched just 13.1 innings. Safe to say the AFL has not been treating him quite as kindly as the ACL and Low-A did.

Though here’s a funny anecdote: of the 124 pitchers who have thrown a pitch in the AFL this year, only two have a worse ERA than Waites. One of them is Caleb Kilian, whom the Giants traded to the Chicago Cubs as part of the Kris Bryant package.

We’ll check back in on these prospects next week.