Whatley using hot start in AFL as proving ground

MESA, Ariz. -- Though the Surprise Saguaros have less star power on their roster than most other Arizona Fall League teams, that hasn't stopped them from dominating the developmental circuit in the first half of the season.

The Saguaros feature only two of MLB Pipeline's Top 100 Prospects (Royals left-hander Daniel Lynch and Nationals infielder Luis Garcia) and their batting order Wednesday night featured nearly as many players who aren't on organizational Top 30 lists (four) as those who made those prospect lists (five). Yet they improved their league-best record to 9-3 with an 8-7 victory over the Mesa Solar Sox.

The four non-Top 30 Prospects in Surprise's lineup -- first baseman Brandon Wagner (Yankees), right fielder Nick Banks (Nationals), third baseman Travis Jones (Royals) and catcher Matt Whatley (Rangers) -- combined to score five runs and drive in six. Making just his third appearance of the season, Whatley reached base in all four trips to the plate with a pair of singles, a walk and a hit by pitch. He also tagged out the potential tying run at the plate in the bottom of the ninth, handling a low throw from Wagner and swiping behind his back to retire a leaping Ernie Clement (Indians).

"It's been a lot of fun," Whatley said. "We've got a lot of great guys, and we know that every day we can put in someone different and get the job done."

A third-round pick out of Oral Roberts in 2017, the 23-year-old Whatley has impressed more with his defense than his bat in pro ball. Illness limited him to 52 games in 2018, and he moved down a level this year to Class A, where he hit .234/.349/.321 with 29 steals in 117 games. He threw out 37 percent of basestealers and stood out with his receiving and athleticism behind the plate.

"It's tough, but you've got to make the most of it," Whatley said of getting demoted in 2019. "I started off slow, but I thought I ended the year on a good note. The Rangers sent me out here and I'm trying to make the most of it."

Whatley has gone 5-for-9 (.556) in his three starts for the Saguaros. His two-run single tied the game in the third inning before he came around to score the go-ahead run, and he plated what proved to be the winning run after walking in the sixth.

Surprise overcame another huge performance from Mesa center fielder Jo Adell (Angels), MLB Pipeline's No. 5-ranked prospect and the AFL's hottest hitter. Adell led off the game with a mammoth home run and later doubled and singled while scoring two runs, driving in two more and stealing a base. He's 14-for-26 with seven extra-base hits after 1-for-24 start in the Fall League, though he struck out on a 96-mph fastball from right-hander Jacob Congra-Bogan (Nationals) with two runners on to end the game.

Third baseman Nolan Jones (Indians) homered for the second straight game for the Solar Sox. Banks did the same for the Saguaros.

Mesa's loss dropped it to 6-6 and into a second-place tie in the East Division, two games behind the Salt River Rafters.