Prospects of the Week: Arizona Fall League – Week 1

Zac Veen, Hartford Yard Goats, August 21, 2022, Dunkin' Donuts Park, Hartford, CT. Photo credit Scott Greene.

Each week during the Arizona Fall League season we pick the hitting and pitching prospects who, in our opinion, had the best week. The team awards the Prospects of the Week hitters and pitchers, while also presenting other names that are just as deserving of POTW honors. Feel free to reply in the comments with any player who deserves to be mentioned that may not have made our cut.

Any issues with this week’s POTW? Did we miss anyone deserving? Hit us up and set us straight! As always, tweet us @Prospects1500 when you see a great performance that warrants consideration for Prospect of the Week. Enjoy, and make sure you’re keeping an eye out for these prospects in your dynasty leagues.


HITTER: Luisangel Acuña, SS (Rangers #11)
Surprise Saguaros (4 G, .353/.353/.824/1.177, 6 H, 2 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 4 R, SB)
After a successful 2022 season splitting time between High-A Hickory and AA Frisco saw Acuña put up a .277/.369/.795 line, he was assigned to the Surprise Saguaros of the Arizona Fall League. Through 17 at-bats, he has 6 hits (including 2 HR) and 5 RBI. He’ll likely begin 2023 in AA again, but shouldn’t be there long. (@byrontx)

Honorable Mentions:
Luis Matos, OF (Giants #3)
Scottsdale Scorpions (5 G, .318/.347/.727/1.075, 7 H, 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 4 R, BB)
Zac Veen, OF (Rockies #2)
Salt River Rafters (4 G, .500/.588/.833/1.421, 6 H, 2B, HR, 4 RBI, 3 R, 4 BB, 4 SB)
Lawrence Butler, 1B/OF (Athletics #19)
Mesa Solar Sox (3 G, .455/.500/1.000/1.500, 5 H, 3 2B, HR, 5 RBI, 2 R, 2 BB)
Rece Hinds, OF (Reds #8)
Glendale Desert Dogs (4 G, .313/.421/.688/1.109, 5 H, 3 2B, HR, 3 RBI, 6 R, 3 BB, SB)

PITCHER: Joey Wentz, LHP (Tigers #13)
Salt River Rafters (1 GS, 4 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K)
Wentz is one of the few bright spots of the old Avila regime, coming to Detroit via the Shane Greene trade in 2019 with Atlanta. Wentz impressed the Tigers’ coaches this year, pitching 32.2 innings with an encouraging 3.03 ERA. In the AFL, he’ll work on zone control as he had a 3.6 BB/9 rate. Wentz only gave up two Home Runs during the season, showing his ability to pitch to contact and limit run damage. (@DET_Guru_Kurt)

Honorable Mentions:
Allan Winans, RHP (Braves NR)
Scottsdale Scorpions (1 GS, 5 IP, H, R, 0 BB, 4 K)
Bryan Woo, RHP (Mariners #36)
Peoria Javelinas (1 GS, 4 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, 5 K)
Emmet Sheehan, RHP (Dodgers #47)
Glendale Desert Dogs (1 GS, 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, K)
Juan Then, RHP (Mariners #25)
Peoria Javelinas (2 G, 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, 2 K, 2 SV)

Jeremy covers the St Louis organization and contributes on Prospects of the Week for Prospects1500. Born and raised in the Midwest, he is a lifelong fan of the Birds on the Bat. You can follow him on Twitter @JMahyfam for more baseball content.

"Love is the most important thing in the world, but baseball is pretty good, too." -Yogi Berra




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