Almonte highlights Rockies' Fall League cast
DENVER -- Right-hander Yency Almonte headlines a group of seven Rockies prospects who will participate in the Arizona Fall League this offseason.
Almonte, the Rockies' No. 10 overall prospect according to MLBPipeline.com, has split time between Double-A Hartford and Triple-A Albuquerque this year. He excelled with Hartford, pitching to a 2.00 ERA in 14 starts, but has struggled since making the jump to Albuquerque on July 25. In six starts for the Isotopes, Almonte has given up 19 earned runs in 29 innings (5.90 ERA).
Joining Almonte will be catcher Dom Nunez (No. 15 prospect), right-handers James Farris (No. 21), Zach Jemiola and Shane Broyles, and outfielder Yonathan Daza. A seventh infielder slot labeled "TBA" is reserved for the Rockies on the Salt River Rafters' roster.
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2017 Arizona Fall League rosters
More about these prospects:
• Almonte: His walks-per-nine rate has jumped from 3.7 to 5.6 since his promotion to Triple-A. Also, his strikeout rate has fallen from 8.4 to 5.9. Almonte is on the 40-man roster.
• Nunez: He is slashing .190/.328/.337 in 90 games for Hartford this season, with 11 home runs and 27 RBIs.
• Farris: Similar to Almonte, Farris has struggled after moving from Hartford to Albuquerque. A reliever, Farris had a 1.45 ERA with the Yard Goats but a 4.95 mark with the Isotopes.
• Jemiola: He spent most of the year in Albuquerque, minus three rehab starts with Class A Boise. In 14 Triple-A games (13 starts), Jemiola has a 5.83 ERA and 36 strikeouts. Jemiola is on the 40-man roster.
• Broyles: He struggled with Hartford last season but has excelled there this year. In 45 appearances (51 2/3 innings) Broyles owns a 1.57 ERA and has struck out 74 batters.
• Daza: Splitting time between center and right field with Class A Advanced Lancaster, Daza performed well all season. He is slashing .342/.375/.466 with 33 doubles, 11 triples, 26 stolen bases and 80 RBIs.
The Arizona Fall League is a "finishing school" for prospects who are close the Majors. Generally speaking, if a team sends a player to the Fall League, it's an indication that the club thinks he has the chance to contribute in the big leagues in the near future. In other words, it's generally a short leap from the AFL to MLB.
The league has a total of six teams, with five organizations represented on each. Every MLB team is required to send at least six players from its organization. The Rockies' players will share time with prospects from the Brewers, D-backs, Marlins and Orioles.