League MVP Torres leads All-AFL team
The Arizona Fall League's six-week season concluded with Saturday's championship game. And while it can be difficult to evaluate players in such a limited amount of time, especially with frequent roster fluctuations, some performances in the Fall League simply stand out more than others.
Here is a lineup of prospects who impressed in this year's Fall League as MLBPipeline.com's All-AFL Team:
C: Carson Kelly (Cardinals' No. 11 prospect)
After spending the final month of the regular season with the Cardinals, Kelly performed like a big leaguer in this year's fall league as he consistently put together quality at-bats while exhibiting his usual strong defense behind the plate. The 22-year-old backstop hit .286 with three homers and an impressive 13-4 walk-to-strikeout ratio in 21 games for Glendale, also tying for second in the league with 18 RBIs.
Runner-up: Mitch Garver (Twins' No. 23)
1B: Cody Bellinger (Dodgers' No. 1)
Bellinger, 21, missed the first month of the 2016 season but had a solid year at Double-A Tulsa, hitting .263 with 23 homers and 65 RBIs before an impressive late-season showing in Triple-A. The No. 31 overall prospect was a clear standout in the AFL, where he hit .314 with three homers in 20 games for Glendale. Bellinger also paced the circuit in doubles (eight) and finished third in RBIs (17) and OPS (.981).
Runner-up: Ryan O'Hearn (Royals' No. 7)
2B: Travis Demeritte (Braves' No. 9)
Demeritte's name was all over the AFL leaderboard, as he led the league in triples (four), tied for the league lead in total bases (48), finished second in runs scored (23) and tied for second in home runs (four). Equally impressive was the 22-year-old's defense, as he received glowing reviews from scouts for his athleticism and glove work at both second and third base for Salt River.
Runner-up: Ian Happ (Cubs' No. 1)
3B: Brian Anderson (Marlins' No. 4)
Anderson, 23, matched his career high with 11 home runs during the regular season, including eight at the Double-A level. The 2014 third-rounder connected on five more in the desert to lead the Fall League, and then went deep once more in the AFL title game to give Mesa an early lead.
Runner-up: Miguel Andujar (Yankees' No. 7)
SS: Gleyber Torres (Yankees' No. 2)
At 19, Torres was the youngest player in the AFL, and not only did he hold his own in the league, he was named MVP. The Venezuelan shortstop hit .403 to become the youngest batting champ in the history of the league, while posting a nearly 2-to-1 walk-to-strikeout ratio (14 walks, eight strikeouts) and leading the circuit in on-base percentage (.513) and OPS (1.158). He also finished second in slugging (.645).
Runner-up: Nick Gordon (Twins' No. 2)
OF: Bradley Zimmer (Indians' No. 1)
One of many offensive standouts on Mesa's roster, Zimmer led the AFL in runs scored (25) and tied for the lead in walks (19). The No. 25 overall prospect also finished tied for second in doubles (seven) and home runs (four) while ranking fifth in on-base percentage (.421) and OPS (.935).
OF: Tyler O'Neill (Mariners' No. 2)
O'Neill, No. 59 on the Top 100, had eight of his 21 hits go for extra bases in the Fall League (3 HR, 5 2B) as he posted a .292/.395/.486 batting line in 19 games for Peoria. He also received raves for his defense in right field, where he showcased plus arm strength while making several highlight-reel plays in the season's final week.
OF: Andrew Stevenson (Nats' No. 8)
Stevenson quietly put together one of the better seasons among Fall Leaguers, finishing first in hits (30), second in average (.353) and total bases (44) and third in steals (9) and runs scored (18).
Runners-up: Anthony Alford (Blue Jays' No. 3); Harrison Bader (Cardinals' No. 3); Greg Allen (Indians' No. 19)
DH: Zach Vincej, SS (Reds)
Few players improved their stock more than the 25-year-old Vincej, who finished second in the AFL with a 1.101 OPS and third with a .352 average. He showed surprising pop (league-leading .676 SLG), too, tallying 13 extra-base hits including four homers in 71 ABs, and he finished tied for second with 18 RBIs, all while playing a very solid shortstop.
Runner-up: Eric Wood (Pirates)
SP: Austin Gomber, LHP (Cardinals' No. 18)
Gomber enjoyed a breakthrough campaign in 2016 before impressing in Arizona, where he went 5-1 with a 2.14 ERA in seven starts for Glendale while pacing the league with 33 2/3 innings pitched -- the second-highest total since 2002 -- and 33 strikeouts, the fourth-most in the past 10 years.
SP: Michael Kopech, RHP (Red Sox's No. 5)
Kopech's electric stuff was on display in the Fall Stars Game as he used his high-90s fastball to record three strikeouts while throwing 14 of his 20 pitches for strikes en route to two perfect frames. The No. 67 overall prospect went 3-0 with a 2.01 ERA -- the lowest among qualified starters in the Fall League -- in six starts, compiling 26 strikeouts and eight walks in 22 1/3 innings.
Runner-up: Josh Staumont (Royals' No. 10)
RP: Jared Miller, LHP (D-backs' No. 30)
Few hurlers in this year's Fall League improved their stock more than Miller. The 23-year-old posted 10 scoreless appearances for Salt River, during which he allowed six hits and four walks with 30 strikeouts in 18 1/3 innings. He set a league record for most innings pitched without allowing a run, and is one of three qualifying pitchers in AFL history to finish a season without allowing a run.
Runner-up: Edgar Santana, RHP (Pirates' No. 29)