Tag: fall stars game

Red Sox prospects at the Fall Stars Game: How did Stephen Scott, Nick Yorke fare in Arizona Fall League showcase?

Red Sox prospects Stephen Scott and Nick Yorke participated in the 16th annual Arizona Fall League Fall Stars Game at Mesa’s Sloan Park on Sunday afternoon.

Scott got the start behind the plate for the American League squad and batted out of the nine-hole. The left-handed hitter went 1-for-2 with a walk and run scored. He grounded out in the second inning, walked and scored on an RBI single off the bat of Heston Kjerstad in the fifth, and singled with two outs in the top of the sixth.

In the latter half of the frame, Scott was replaced at catcher by Brewers prospect David Fry. Yorke also came off the bench in the sixth inning as he pinch-hit for Twins infielder Edouard Julien. The right-handed hitter struck out in his first plate appearance and then took over for Julien at second base. He later grounded out to lead off the ninth as he finished the day having gone 0-for-2.

The National League ultimately defeated the American League by a convincing score of 9-3. Cubs prospect Matt Mervis earned Fall Star Game Most Valuable Player honors after accounting for the contest’s lone home run.

Scott, who also took part in the first-ever Arizona Fall League Home Run Derby on Saturday, was deservedly named a Fall Star earlier this weekend. The 25-year-old backstop has batted .315/.393/.648 with one double, one triple, five home runs, 16 RBIs, 15 runs scored, one stolen base, seven walks, and 10 strikeouts in his first 14 games (61 plate appearances) with the Scottsdale Scorpions.

Among qualified AFL hitters, Scott currently ranks tied for second in homers, fourth in RBIs, tied for fifth in runs scored, sixth in slugging percentage, third in isolated power (.333), and fifth in OPS (1.041), per MLB.com. The North Carolina native was originally selected by the Red Sox in the 10th round of the 2019 amateur draft out of Vanderbilt University. He can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft later this winter if he is not added to Boston’s 40-man roster by November 15.

Yorke, meanwhile, has been one of the more productive hitters in the fall league despite missing some time recently with left wrist soreness. Across 19 games (92 plate appearances) with Scottsdale, the 20-year-old second baseman has slashed .342/.424/.526 with eight doubles, two home runs, 18 RBIs, 18 runs scored, one stolen base, 12 walks, and 16 strikeouts.

According to MLB.com’s AFL leaderboards, Yorke is second in doubles and runs driven in, fifth in runs scored, 15th in on-base percentage, 12th in slugging percentage, and 11th in OPS (.950). The former first-round pick out of Archbishop Mitty High School is currently ranked by MLB Pipeline as the No. 4 prospect in Boston’s farm system.

Following Sunday’s Fall Stars Game, the AFL regular season will resume on Tuesday and conclude on Thursday. The top three teams make the playoffs. The No. 1 seed receives a first-round bye of sorts while a play-in game between the Nos. 2 and 3 seeds will determine who they take on in the championship next Saturday.

At 13-13, the Scorpions are currently tied with the Peoria Javelinas for sole possession of the second seed. At the same time, they hold a half-game lead over both the Glendale Desert Dogs and Mesa Solar Sox (13-14) for the third and final playoff spot.

(Picture of Stephen Scott and Nick Yorke: Barry Gossage/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

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Red Sox prospects Stephen Scott, Nick Yorke selected to 2022 Fall Stars Game

Red Sox prospects Stephen Scott and Nick Yorke have been selected to the 2022 Fall Stars Game, the Arizona Fall League announced earlier Friday morning.

Scott and Yorke will represent the American League in the 16th annual Fall Stars this coming Sunday, November 6, at Mesa’s Sloan Park.

One of four catching prospects selected from the junior circuit, Scott comes into play Friday batting .327/.386/.673 with one double, one triple, five home runs, 15 RBIs, 15 runs scored, one stolen base, five walks, and 10 strikeouts across 13 games (57 plate appearances) for the Scottsdale Scorpions.

The left-handed hitting 25-year-old is currently in a five-way tie for the league lead in homers. As such, he will participate in the first-ever Arizona Fall League Home Run Derby on Saturday.

Defensively, Scott has logged 88 innings behind the plate for the Scorpions so far this fall. In that time, the 5-foot-11, 207-pound backstop has thrown out four of 20 potential base stealers.

The Red Sox originally selected Scott in the in the 10th round of the 2019 amateur draft out of the esteemed Vanderbilt University. The North Carolina native began his professional career in the outfield but has since transitioned to become a full-time catcher.

After splitting the 2022 minor-league season between High-A Greenville and Double-A Portland, Scott can become Rule 5-eligible for the first time this winter. The Red Sox would need to add him to their 40-man roster at some point this month if they want to prevent that from happening.

Yorke, meanwhile, recently missed about a week of action due to left wrist soreness. Since returning to Scottsdale’s lineup on Tuesday, though, the 20-year-old second baseman has gone 3-for-10 (.300) with one home run, three RBIs, and two runs scored.

On the AFL campaign as a whole, the right-handed hitting Yorke is slashing .324/.414/.507 with seven doubles, two homers, 18 RBIs, 17 runs scored, 12 walks, and 15 strikeouts over 18 games (87 plate appearances) with the Scorpions. All of his playing time on the field has come at second base.

Yorke was taken by the Sox with the 17th overall pick in the 2020 amateur draft out of Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose, Calif. The 6-foot, 200-pound infielder spent the entirety of the 2022 minor-league season with Greenville and is currently regarded by Baseball America as the fifth-ranked prospect in Boston’s farm system.

(Picture of Nick Yorke: Jill Weisleder/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

Red Sox catching prospect Kole Cottam selected to 2021 Fall Stars Game, joining Triston Casas

Red Sox catching prospect Kole Cottam has been added to the East Division’s roster for Saturday night’s Arizona Fall League Fall Stars Game, per his agency True Gravity Baseball.

Cottam will join fellow Red Sox prospect Triston Casas in representing the Scottsdale Scorpions in the 15th installment of Fall Stars Game at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick.

The 24-year-old backstop was one of eight prospects Boston sent to Arizona last month to participate in the fall league. Through 14 games with Scottsdale, he has slashed an impressive .283/.370/.543 to go along with three doubles, three home runs, 10 RBIs, seven runs scored, five walks, and 11 strikeouts over 54 plate appearances.

Among all Arizona Fall League hitters this year, Cottam ranks 31st in doubles, 12th in home runs, 32nd in RBIs, 64th in runs scored, 39th in batting average, 53rd in on-base percentage, 19th in slugging percentage, 29th in OPS (.914), 16th in isolated power (.261), and 14th in at-bats per home run (15.33), per MLB.com.

Regarded by Baseball America as the top defensive catcher in the Sox’ farm system, Cottam will be one of three backstops on the East Division’s roster alongside the likes of Blue Jays prospect Gabriel Moreno and Giants prospect Kole Cottam.

The 6-foot-3, 235 pound right-handed hitter was originally selected by the Red Sox in the fourth round of the 2018 amateur draft out of the University of Kentucky. After receiving an invite to major-league spring training, he opened the 2021 minor-league season with High-A Greenville and earned a promotion to Double-A Portland in late July.

With the Scorpions, Cottam has caught six games for a total of 51 innings behind the plate. He has also played one game at first base while primarily serving as Scottsdale’s designated hitter.

The Red Sox likely sent Cottam, who does not turn 25 until next May, knowing that he can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft for the first time in his career this winter. Boston would need to add the native Tennessean to their 40-man roster by November 19 — or next Friday — in order to prevent that from happening.

While Cottam is starting Saturday’s Fall Stars Game on the bench, Casas is in Scottsdale’s starting lineup, batting sixth while getting the start at first base. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. eastern time on MLB Network, MLB.com, and the MLB app.

Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom and senior vice president of baseball operations Ben Crockett are among those expected to be in attendance.

(Picture of Kole Cottam: Arizona Fall League)

Red Sox top prospect Triston Casas selected to 2021 Fall Stars Game

Red Sox top prospect Triston Casas has been named a 2021 Arizona Fall League Fall Star, the league announced on Wednesday morning.

Casas will represent the Sox and the Scottsdale Scorpions when he suits up for the East Division Fall Stars team this coming Saturday. Fellow Red Sox prospect Jeter Downs was also named a final vote candidate.

One of eight prospects Boston sent to Arizona, Casas has put together a strong showing in his brief time with the Scorpions. Through 17 AFL games, the 21-year-old first baseman is slashing an impressive .333/.457/.424 to go along with three doubles, one home run, nine RBIs, 15 runs scored, 13 walks, and 17 strikeouts over 81 plate appearances thus far.

Among the top hitters in this year’s installment of the Arizona Fall League, Casas ranks seventh in hits (22), ninth in runs scored, ninth in walks, ninth in batting average, fifth in on-base percentage, 23rd in slugging percentage, and 19th in OPS (.881), per MLB.com.

Casas, who turns 22 in January, has certainly had an action-packed 2021 season. He began the year with Double-A Portland, left the team on two separate occasions to ultimately help the United States baseball team win a silver medal in the Summer Games in Tokyo, and was promoted to Triple-A Worcester in late September.

The left-handed hitting infielder is currently regarded by Baseball America as the top prospect in Boston’s farm system a little more than three years after he was selected by the Sox in the first round of the 2018 amateur draft out of American Heritage High School (Plantation, Fla.).

Downs, meanwhile, will have a chance to join Casas in this weekend’s Fall Stars Game in Scottsdale.

The 23-year-old infielder, who also hails from the Miami-area, comes into play Wednesday batting .196/.393/.522 with five homers, 14 RBIs, nine runs scored, four stolen bases, 14 walks, and 15 strikeouts across 13 games (61 plate appearances) for the Scorpions.

Fans have until 2 p.m. eastern time on Friday to vote Downs into the Fall Stars Game, as he is competing against the likes of Giants prospect Marco Luciano and Rockies prospect Michael Toglia. Voting can be done by following this link.

As previously mentioned, the Fall Stars Game itself takes place on Saturday night. First pitch from Salt River Fields at Talking Stick is slated for 7 p.m. eastern time. The game will be broadcasted on MLB Network and streamed on MLB.com.

(Picture of Triston Casas: Taylor Jackson/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

Three Red Sox Prospects Selected to 2019 Fall Stars Game

Three Red Sox prospects will be representing the Peoria Javelinas in the 2019 Arizona Fall League Fall Stars Game on Saturday night, as announced by MLB.com earlier Tuesday.

Outfielders Jarren Duran and Marcus Wilson, as well as infielder C.J. Chatham, have impressed thus far with Peoria despite the club only sporting a 8-7 record with 13 games remaining in the AFL season.

Ranked as the club’s top prospect out of the three and fourth overall, Duran is slashing .262/.340/.381 with one home run, two doubles, two stolen bases, and three RBI over 11 games played. The 23-year-old will be one of six prospects who participated in the All-Star Futures Game in Cleveland back in July.

Chatham, who turns 25 in December, is ranked as the Sox’ ninth overall prospect, and has put together a .300/.364/.400 slash line to go along with three stolen bases, four doubles, and six RBI through 10 games.

Wilson, meanwhile, has only played in six games for the Javelinas, but is slashing .318/.423/.500 with one home run, two stolen bases, and eight RBI over that span. He is second on the team in terms of OPS (.923), trailing only Pittsburgh Pirates prospect Jared Oliva (1.174). in that category.

Acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks this past April, the 23-year-old Wilson is ranked as the Sox’ 17th overall prospect, per MLB.com.

According to SoxProspects.com, both Chatham and Wilson will need to be added to Boston’s 40-man roster come November in order to avoid protection from the Rule 5 Draft.

Bobby Dalbec, the club’s No. 2 prospect, will also need to be added, so it will be interesting to see what moves the Red Sox make in order to create space for three of their prospects.