The Arizona Fall League Update: The Golden Saguaro

By: Anthony

               The AFL Championship Game occurred this past weekend and the Peoria Javelinas triumphed, winning the coveted Golden Saguaro. Ok, I don’t actually know what the trophy is called but it should be called the Golden Saguaro. As a far reaching and comprehensive blog, we of course had a few sources watching the game in Arizona. Much more importantly than the Golden Saguaro is how the Mariners’ prospects did in the AFL and what that means for them going forward. And since I can’t write an article without doing something that makes Patrick throw his arms up in frustration, I made up my own nicknames for each player.

The Javelinas gathered around the Golden Saguaro (Photo Credit Aubrey Davis)

Nick “Flapjack” Franklin

Frankin needed to show he could hit in Arizona if he wanted to make a serious case for playing time in the MLB next year. He did just that, posting a .338 batting average and an OPS of .942. He did struggle from the right side of the plate, which could prompt an abandonment of his switch hitting. When I talked about Flapjack in an earlier post, I mentioned his strike out problems as a major problem, along with his defense. In Arizona he played second base, with no reported problems. Meaning the log jam at second base is still a looming threat. His K rate in Arizona was 19.4% but his walk rate was 15.5%, a trade off that I will accept. He should get a shot at backing up Ryan and Ackley in the middle infield.

 "Help me Aslan"

Mike “The Chronicles of Narnia” Zunino

The future backstop of the franchise went down to Arizona to get more reps after his brief season in Everett and Jackson. While he couldn’t keep up his ridiculous numbers from Everett, he still hit at a decent clip posting a .288 average and an OPS of .800. His strike out rate went up to 20% while his walk rate was 6%. That is not good and signals that he still needs some seasoning. His defense was also fairly shaky, something that is worrying after hearing good things about his defense in college. He is also dealing with a new staff that he didn't have much time to get used to so there is an excuse, but his defense is something to monitor going forward. He should start the year in Tacoma and could see time in Seattle about mid-season.

Stefan “The Wooly Mammoth” Romero

Romero only saw limited action, playing in 11 games versus 19 and 20 for Franklin and Zunino respectively. However, he did put up solid numbers and is listed at 3B for the Javelinas. Romero hit .333 with an OPS of .886 but his K rate was 22%, a number that spiked up from his 17% K rate in Jackson and 13.5% in High Desert. I will attribute the K’s in Arizona to a small sample size. All Romero has to do now is find a position he can play at the MLB level and he should be fine. I see him starting in Tacoma and hopefully getting somevtime in Seattle in September. He could get some reps in the corner outfield since that is the only position on the Mariners where playing time would be available.

"There's gold in those hills! Gold!"

Vinnie “Old Prospector” Catricala

Quite simply, 2012 was a throw away year for Catricala. Coming off a 2011 where he won Hitter of the Year in the M’s system, the expectations were high and he did not meet them. He was just awful in Tacoma. He came to Arizona to try to turn things around and started off on the wrong foot. However, he turned things around to end with a respectable .279 average and .741 OPS. He absolutely needs a good spring to be considered for the team but he will probably end up doing another year in Tacoma and is in the same boat as Romero with trying to learn the corner outfield.

James “Sushi Chef” Paxton

Paxton was in Arizona to get more reps after a knee injury cost him a month in Jackson. He had some starts where he looked ready to make the next step to the MLB (3 innings, 5 K's, twice) and others where he struggled greatly. His command still appears to be shaky and needs to improve for him to succeed. He may have fatigued toward the end after putting up some very good numbers to start the year and was shut down early after he reached his innings limit. Paxton will start the year in Tacoma and, like Danny Hultzen, will need to dominate there to make it to the MLB.

Carson “Big Bird” Smith

 I did not know who Carson Smith was before the AFL started. I now know that he went to Texas State University.  He is also a pretty talented reliever. Not quite in the mold of Capps or Pryor but he throws a low 90’s sinker that gets a lot of ground balls and a lot of K’s. Both really good things. He struck out over a guy an inning in Arizona and had an ERA of 2.40. He should start the year in Jackson but should move up to Tacoma mid season.

Logan “Nacho Cheese” Bawcom

Bawcom was acquired for Brandon League and was lights out for Jackson as a reliever, despite some command issues. While he was not as good for the Javelinas as he was for the Generals, he was not awful and showed better command. His ERA of 5.27 is inflated by a few poor outings and his 11 K’s in 13 innings bodes well for his future. Bawcom should start the year again in Jackson.

 The Zucchini prepares to levitate mid-pitch

Bobby “The Levitating Zucchini” LaFramboise

LaFromboise profiled as a lefty matchup guy in the George Sherrill/ Arthur Rhodes role but has stepped up his stuff and looks to be a big piece in the future bullpen. He was auditioning for a big league spot next year. Like Bawcom, he didn’t dazzle like he did in Tacoma. But his 5.44 ERA isn’t as bad when you look at his 17 K’s in 13.0 innings and only 4 walks. I would like to see him in a bullpen that is looking very young right now.

Seon Gi Kim also played for the Javelinas but only made a few appearances and they were pretty awful so I don’t really want to talk about him. That is it from the AFL and there were absolutely some positives to take from the Golden Saguaro winning team. Go Javelinas.