Vilade after 4-hit AFL night: 'Doing my thing'

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Ryan Vilade has seen the promised land already. He is one of the few players in this year’s Arizona Fall League to have played in the Major Leagues, as he did for three games with the Rockies last month. So while some may treat the AFL as a prospect finishing school, the extra games Vilade picks up here are verified opportunities to build his Major League case for next spring.

“They’re watching every game,” Vilade said. “I’m going out and doing my thing, showing what I can do. They know what I can do. I’m not really too worried about it. Come out here and play winning baseball, that’s what I do.”

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He certainly helped his cause in a number of ways Saturday night.

The Rockies’ No. 5 prospect went 4-for-5 with a double, two RBIs and a walk -- all while playing first base for the first time in the AFL -- to lead visiting Salt River to an 8-1 win over Scottsdale at Scottsdale Stadium.

It was Vilade’s first multihit performance through nine games in the Fall League to this point. He entered Saturday 5-for-25 (.200) to begin the autumnal campaign, but he pushed his AFL slash line to .300/.382/.433 in a single contest.

“It’s a confidence-booster for sure to see some of those balls land,” he said. “I’ve been having good at-bats. Just not much has fallen. So it’s nice to see those fall, especially getting a win with it. … Baseball’s all about confidence. When you have it, you’re at your best.”

The right-handed slugger reached in each of his first five plate appearances in the victory. He walked in the first inning before picking up singles in the second, fourth and seventh. His double in the sixth provided his personal highlight of the evening. Vilade endured eight pitches from Scottsdale right-handed reliever Cole Waites before striking a 3-2 fastball the opposite way to the right-center gap before hustling in to second, scoring Joey Wiemer in the process.

“Whenever I’m going, you see a lot of line drives to right-center and [when it’s] offspeed, pulling it,” Vilade said. “That’s just who I am, and that was a good example of it.”

It shouldn’t be overlooked that Vilade took over duties at first base in Saturday’s big showing.

Salt River started the season with a pair of big names at first base in No. 4 overall prospect Spencer Torkelson and Rockies 2019 first-rounder Michael Toglia. An ankle injury ended Torkelson’s Fall League early, leaving the Rafters short at the position. Enter Vilade, who played five games at first base with Triple-A Albuquerque this summer. The 22-year-old says he might play first maybe once or twice per week going forward, but he expects his priority to remain on the outfield grass.

“It shows the versatility that I can have, playing outfield and infield,” said Vilade, a second-round choice in 2017, who played shortstop earlier in his career. “I think it’s going to help me in the long run, for sure. But it’s been fun being able to play everywhere. I think now in the big leagues, you see a lot of guys doing that. It helps me for my future.”

Vilade’s bat is the reason why Colorado has wanted to move him around in the first place. The more avenues to get in the lineup the better. Playing in his age-22 season, he hit .284/.339/.410 with seven homers in 117 games at Triple-A during the regular season. Those are solid numbers anywhere other than the hitter’s haven that is Albuquerque, but there’s expected to be more power to come as he gains experience against quality arms -- experience that comes in the Arizona Fall League.

“'Go out and have fun and enjoy the experience,' is what they told me,” Vilade said of the Rockies’ instructions. “Get some more at-bats. Just keep doing me. Really just enjoy this. A lot of great players here. [Enjoy] being able to play another month and a half of ball.”

Wiemer -- the 23rd-ranked prospect in the Brewers' system -- went 3-for-4 with a pair of walks and now has seven hits in his last two games for Salt River. Tigers outfield prospect Eric De La Rosa also hit his second Fall League homer in as many days in the win.

Slade Cecconi, the D-backs' No. 7 prospect, earned the victory after striking out five, walking none and allowing just one earned run on five hits in four frames.