Paul Articulates – Arizona Fall League update

The Arizona Fall League is just about two thirds of the way through, with the Glendale Desert Dogs in fifth place with a 9-13 record.  It is not as bad as it looks, as they got off to a rough start and then surged with a seven game winning streak before dropping their last three.

There are nine Mets prospects playing for the Desert Dogs, and a few of them are really standing out.  Coaches in the AFL are expected to generously distribute playing time amongst their roster, so players have to make the most of their time on the field.

On the offensive side of the statistics, first baseman JT Schwartz has continued to prove that he can hit at this level and has also shown some improvements in power.  Schwartz was named hitter of the week for the AFL in the recently completed week 3.  As of Saturday his slash line was .306/.364/.551 and his OPS was .915 with six doubles and 2 HR in 13 games played.  

Schwartz would be making an even higher contribution to the team if he were not splitting time with Minnesota Twins prospect Aaron Sabato who wields a power bat for the Wichita Wind Surge in the AA Texas League during the summer.

Fellow 2023 Rumble Pony Rowdey Jordan has also hit well with a .255/.327/.383 slash line.   He has been working at 3B with the team after playing mostly outfield positions in the 2023 AA season.  Jordan is second in the AFL in doubles, with half of his 12 hits being two-baggers this season.  He is showing as a very speedy, versatile player this season across the AA and AFL contests, but will have to continue to raise the bar on his hitting to move up.

Unfortunately, Kevin Parada has not seen the ball well in Arizona, as he only has a .182 batting average so far.  D’Andre Smith has struggled as well with a .175 batting average and a .624 OPS in 12 games of action.

There are five Mets prospect pitchers on the staff, and most are showing well.  Jordan Geber has seen the most action, getting 15 innings of work with a 5.40 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP.  He has been working on developing his pitching mechanics and has found some success this fall with more carry on his fastball and a sharper cutter and slider.  Geber spent time at four different levels in the Mets organization this past summer, and hopes to continue his upward rise in 2024.

Teammates Nolan Clenney (0.00/1.00) and Trey McLoughlin (0.00/1.05) have pitched very well, showing their ability to keep runners off the bases and not giving up any earned runs thus far.  McLoughlin has one of the five saves tallied by Desert Dog relievers this fall season.

Tyler Thomas (3.52/1.17) and Brendan Hardy (9.82/2.45) have also seen action on the mound with less favorable results.  Hardy has only pitched 3-2/3 innings so the statistics are still recovering from that eighth inning HR that cost him a game back on October 5th.  His four walks and two hit batsmen in less than four innings are the biggest concern.

To stay on top of the AFL stats, please check our link in the header bar above to get all the action.