Arizona Fall League Names 2009 Top Prospects Team
Published on December 9, 2009 under Arizona Fall League (AzFL) News Release
Phoenix, Arizona - The Arizona Fall League announces its 2009 Top Prospects Team. Selected by Fall League managers, coaches, and administrators, the Top Prospects Team identifes the players who distinguished themselves throughout the league's six-week 2009 schedule against other top prospects from every organization in Major League Baseball. Voters were asked to consider Fall League performance and major league projectability.
Outfelders
- Grant Desme (Phoenix Desert Dogs/Oakland Athletics) - The league's most valuable player ... frst Fall League MVP without Double-A or Triple-A experience ... blistering start to his season, belting eight home runs in a 10-game span during the season's frst two weeks ... fnished the campaign with 11 league- leading home runs plus a 12th in the championship game ... 11 home runs equal the fourth-highest total in league history ... also led the circuit in home run/at bat ratio (1/9.82), extra-base hits (16 with one other) and total bases (72) ... second in runs (30), runs batted in (27), and slugging percentage (.667), fourth in at bats (108) and OPS (1.079), ffth in hits (34 with two others) and sixth in walks (16 with two others) ... seven consecutive games with RBI ...hit .511 with 3 doubles, 10 home runs, 22 RBI, and 19 runs during an 11-game hitting streak (Oct. 14-28) ... week two player-of-the-week.
- Jose Tabata (Scottsdale Scorpions/Pittsburgh Pirates) - The Scorpions' center felder was one of the league's offensive headliners, leading the circuit in at bats (120) and hits (47) ... fnished third in the batting race (.392) and total bases (62), fourth in runs (21) and triples (3 with fve others), eighth in on-base percentage (.448) and ninth in runs batted in (21 with two others) ... struck out only once every 10.31 plate appearances, the ffth-best ratio in the league ... hit .422 during a 10-game hitting streak ... six RBI on Oct. 27 ... one multi-homer game ... hit safely in frst six at bats in fnal game to start six-for- seven day ... six hits were the league's 2009 single-game best.
- Bryan Petersen (Mesa Solar Sox/Florida Marlins) - The scrappy center felder fnished fourth in the league batting race at .379 ... also ranked third in hits (36), fourth in total bases (57 with three others) and triples (3 with fve others), and ffth in runs (20 with one other) ... hit .411 during 12-game hitting streak ... 11 multi-hit games ...week fve player-of-the-week.
- Chris Heisey (Peoria Saguaros/Cincinnati Reds) - Top fve in home runs (5), triples (3), and extra-base hits (14) ... homered in Rising Stars Game.
- Jordan Danks (Peoria Javelinas/Chicago White Sox) - League leader with 31 runs scored ... worked pitchers for 20 walks to rank second in the circuit ... .456 on-base percentage ranked ffth ... hit .343 ... 21-game two-year Fall League hitting streak, batting .329 with a .462 on-base percentage ... batted .462 during 11-game 2009 hitting streak.
- Domonic Brown (Scottsdale Scorpions/Philadelphia Phillies) - Tied for league lead in games played with 30 ... second in at bats (118), tied for third in doubles (9).
Third Basemen
- Mike Moustakas (Surprise Rafters/Kansas City Royals) - One home run every 15 at bats to tie for second in the league in ratio ... seven-RBI game on Oct. 15 ... 11 of 20 hits were extra-base hits.
- Josh Vitters (Mesa Solar Sox/Chicago Cubs) - The league's no. 9 hitter at .353 ... fnished season with a 12-game hitting streak, batting .358 during the span.
Shortstops
- Starlin Castro (Mesa Solar Sox/Chicago Cubs) - Ranked sixth in league batting at .376 ... second in hits (38), third in stolen bases (9) ... 14 multi-hit games ... .956 felding percentage (2 errors, 45 total chances).
- Danny Espinosa (Phoenix Desert Dogs/Washington Nationals) - Strong-armed defender also contributed offensively for the divsion-winning Desert Dogs, scoring 24 runs to rank third in the league ... tied for the league lead with three sacrifce fies ... also top 10 in walks (15) ... hit .345 ... only three errors in 113 total chances for a .973 felding percentage.
Second Basemen
- Jemile Weeks (Phoenix Desert Dogs/Oakland Athletics) - Tied with teammate Nevin Ashley for second in the league with four triples ... 10-game hitting streak ... six-game extra-base streak ... .970 (3 errors, 99 total chances) ... week three player-of-the-week.
- Scott Sizemore (Peoria Javelinas/Detroit Tigers) - Hit .368 with 7 runs, 2 doubles, 3 home runs, 9 RBI, 5 walks, .462 on-base percentage and .947 slugging percentage in six games ... injury-shortened season due to fractured leg on Oct. 22.
First Basemen
- Russ Mitchell (Peoria Javelinas/Los Angeles Dodgers) - Recipient of the 2009 Dernell Stenson Sportsmanship Award ... tied for league lead in doubles (10) and extra-base hits (16) ... 25 RBI ranked third ... fourth with fve home runs ... batted .439 during 11-game hitting streak ... hit .383 during 17- game on-base streak ... hit .319 ... only one error in 162 total chances for a .994 percentage ... week one co-player-of-the-week.
- Ike Davis (Surprise Rafters/New York Mets) - Narrowly missed top 10 batting average at .341 ... reached base safely in 20 of 21 games, including 18-game on-base streak to close the season when he hit .388 and reached base at a .405 clip during the span.
Catchers
- Nevin Ashley (Phoenix Desert Dogs/Tampa Bay Rays) - Only catcher among the league's top 10 hitters, ranking seventh at .366 ... ffth in slugging percentage (.648) ... uncharacteristic statistic for a catcher - four triples tied for second in the league ... hit safely in frst 17 games ... eight multi-hit games ... three doubles and three triples over a three-game stretch (Nov. 11-13) ... no errors in 129 total chances for a 1.000 felding percentage.
- Buster Posey (Scottsdale Scorpions/San Francisco Giants) - Hit .225 in 19 games with 13 runs, 16 hits, 2 doubles, 2 home runs, 12 RBI ... .345/.338/.683 OBP/SLG/OPS ... threw out 26.1 percent of stolen-base attempts.
Designated Hitters
- Matt McBride (Peoria Saguaros/Cleveland Indians) - Led the league with a .511 on-base percentage ... also third in walks (19), fourth in slugging percentage (.649) and ffth in batting (.378) ... struck out only once every 10.44 at bats to rank fourth ... 15-game on-base streak, hitting .500 during the span ... versatile player with games as catcher (11), designated hitter (2), frst baseman (5) and outfelder (5) ... game-winning two-run homer in eighth inning of Rising Stars Game.
- Brandon Laird (Surprise Rafters/New York Yankees) - Tied for second in the league with six home runs ... tied for third in doubles (9) and extra-base hits (15) ... one home run every 15 at bats to tie Moustakas for second in the league in ratio ... 10 RBI over a 10-game span ... fve-hit game ... week one co-player-of-the-week.
Starting Pitchers
- Stephen Strasburg (Phoenix Desert Dogs/Washington Nationals) - The frst selection in the 2009 draft tied for the league lead with four wins despite missing starts due to minor neck and back ailments ... also posted the best strikeout/innings pitched ratio at 10.89 per nine innings and fewest baserunners per nine innings ratio at 10.42 among starting pitchers ... second among starters with a .217 opponent batting average ... week four pitcher-of-the-week ... allowed only two earned runs in his four wins ... ... week four pitcher-of-the-week.
- Donnie Veal (Scottsdale Scorpions/Pittsburgh Pirates) - Top 10 in ERA (2.14), innings pitched (21), strikeouts (22) and WHIP (1.14 )... one of eight pitchers to share league lead with seven starts ... .221 opponent batting average ranked third among starters ... allowed 10.71 baserunners per nine innings to rank third among starters ... 9.43 strikeout per nine innings ratio ranked ffth among starters ... week three pitcher-of-the-week.
Relief Pitchers
- Drew Storen (Phoenix Desert Dogs/Washington Nationals) - A 2009 frst-round draft choice, Storen shared the league ERA crown (0.66) with teammate Toshiyuki Yanuki ... led the league in saves (4) ... second in games fnished (10)... tied for third in appearances (12).
- Tanner Scheppers (Surprise Rafters/Texas Rangers) - No decisions with a 5.73 ERA in seven appearances, all in relief ... nine strikeouts in 11 innings pitched ... WHIP of 1.18 ... opponent batting average of .237.
Arizona Fall League Stories from December 9, 2009
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