Penultimate Statistical Report for the Arizona Fall League

The author has published a weekly statistical report for the Arizona Fall League each week since its brief season commenced back in October — not necessarily because such a thing is of great utility to prospect analysis, but more because, for those of us not currently present in the Greater Phoenix area, it’s one of the few ways to participate in that very compelling league.

What follows is the the penultimate edition of this site’s weekly statistical report for the AFL, which league concludes with this Saturday’s championship game.

Penultimate SCOUT Leaderboard: AFL Hitters
What follows represents the penultimate SCOUT batting leaderboard for all Arizona Fall League hitters. SCOUT+ combines regressed home-run, walk, and strikeout rates in a FIP-like equation to produce a result not unlike wRC+, where 100 is league average and above 100 is above average. Note that xHR%, xBB%, and xK% stand for expected home run, walk, and strikeout rate, respectively.

Penultimate SCOUT Leaderboard: AFL Pitchers
What follows represents the penultimate SCOUT pitching leaderboard for the AFL. SCOUT- combines regressed strikeout and walk rates in a kwERA-like equation to produce a number not unlike ERA-, where 100 is league average and below 100 is better than average. Note that xK% and xBB% stand for expected strikeout and walk rate, respectively.

On Thomas La Stella
Atlanta middle-infield prospect Thomas La Stella appears to remain indefatigable so far as his plate-discipline is concerned in the AFL. The relevant figures for The Star over the past week: 12 PA, 3 BB, 0 K. “Decidedly indefatigable,” one is compelled to say.

On Alex Meyer and Kyle Crick
For various reasons, the AFL doesn’t generally feature as much in the way of pitching as hitting talent. Very hard-throwing and equally right-handed prospects Alex Meyer (Minnesota) and Kyle Crick (San Francisco) are somewhat the exception in this regard, then. Meyer appeared in last week’s report, since which time he’s made an additional start, recording a 7:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio against 19 batters over 5.2 innings in same. Crick makes his debut on the pitching leaderboard this week, following a Friday start during which he struck out five of 10 batters faced over 3.0 innings, walking none.

On Nick Wittgren
Former ninth-round pick and current Miami relief prospect Nick Wittgren was excellent this week, producing the following line: 2.0 IP, 10 TBF, 5 K, 0 BB. He was excellent in 2013 at High-A Jupiter, as well, producing this different line: 54.1 IP, 214 TBF, 27.6% K, 4.7% BB. One supposes it’s entirely possible that he’ll be something like excellent as a major-leaguer at some point. Excellent for a reliever, at least.

Here’s video of Wittgren from one of his recent appearances, during which one finds him throwing an 80 mph breaking ball for a strikeout (0:12), an 82 mph breaking ball for a strikeout (0:20), and then a probably less well-placed breaking ball at 81 mph for a fly out (0:35).