X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Future Tense: The Arizona Fall League, Part V: Salt River Rafters

After the dregs of the Peoria Javelinas, things are looking much better as we move over to the Salt River Rafters, home to prospects from the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Colorado Rockies, the New York Mets, the Toronto Blue Jays, and the Washington Nationals. Sure, this isn’t the deepest team in the league, but it certainly has a leg up on the Javelinas.

Here are some of the players to be watching this fall with the Rafters.

 

Top Prospects Of The Rafters

Rowdy Tellez, First Base, Toronto Blue Jays

With that name, one should be a power-hitting monster at first base, and that is just what Tellez is. The 20-year-old first baseman started the year with the Midwest League’s Lansing Lugnuts in Low-A before a promotion at the All-Star Break to the High-A Florida State League’s Dunedin Blue Jays. Between the two levels, Tellez hit .289 with 14 home runs, 77 RBI, and 53 runs scored, with 24 doubles teasing the power to come. It would be nice if Tellez could cut down on the strikeouts – 84 in just 401 at-bats – but he did post a respectable .347 on-base percentage, and his .454 slugging percentage is nothing to sneeze at.

 

Dominic Smith, First Base, New York Mets

The Mets’ first round selection in the 2013 draft, Smith is coming off of a season in the Florida State League so good that he finished the year as the league’s MVP. Over 118 games, Smith hit .305 with six home runs, 79 RBI, 58 runs scored, a .354 on-base percentage, and a .417 slugging percentage. Smith’s 33 doubles definitely hint at more power to come, and there is much for the Mets to be pleased with in his development.

 

Kyle Freeland, Starting Pitcher, Colorado Rockies

Will the Rockies ever be able to develop in-house quality pitching? They certainly hope that is the case in the form of Freeland, their first round pick (and eighth overall selection) in the 2014 draft. Drafted out of the University of Evansville, Freeland made just nine appearances in 2015, two with the Pioneer League and seven with the High-A Modesto Nuts in the California League. Unfortunately, he lost time to a shoulder injury and minor surgery to remove bone spurs.

In those nine starts, Freeland went 3-2 with a 4.76 ERA. He had just 19 strikeouts and eight walks in 39 2/3 innings. He’s already made his first appearance in the AFL, and he was hammered, allowing five hits, two walks, and six earned runs in just two-thirds of an inning. Two of those hits left the yard. Ranked as the 60th-best prospect by both Baseball America and MLB.com this past offseason, Freeland is likely to drop way down the list unless he dramatically turns things around in the remainder of his time in the AFL.

 

Raimel Tapia, Outfielder, Colorado Rockies

Now, offensive-minded outfielders, that’s something that the Rockies can definitely develop. Spending the entire season in Modesto, Tapia hit .305 with 12 home runs, 34 doubles, 71 RBI, 74 runs scored, and 26 stolen bases in 36 attempts. The biggest knock on Tapia is that he needs to work on his patience at the plate, as his walk total of just 24 is rather disappointing. His .467 slugging can make one forget about that, especially since Tapia is still just 21. A strong AFL season could have Tapia’s quick rise through the system even further accelerated, with 2017 theoretically possible for his debut.

 

Gavin Cecchini, Shortstop, New York Mets

Writing about his inclusion in their top ten Mets’ prospects back in December, Baseball America's Matt Eddy wrote, “Gavin Cecchini doesn’t have a carrying tool, but the 20-year-old shortstop also has no glaring weakness.” There’s not one obvious thing that sticks out about Cecchini, other than that he’s just all-around good.

Spending the 2015 season with the Binghamton Mets in the Double-A Eastern League, Cecchini hit .317 with seven home runs, 51 RBI, and 64 runs scored in 109 games. Cecchini has walked almost as many times as he struck out, and those walks brought his on-base percentage up to a very solid .377, while the seven homers and 26 doubles helped give him a slugging percentage of .442. Will he be pushing Ruben Tejada in spring training? Probably not, but at some point in 2016, the Mets are going to have to make a decision on who is going to be their shortstop moving forward.

 

Gabby Guerrero, Outfielder, Arizona Diamondback

Even if there wasn’t anything impressive about his skills, I’d still highlight Gabby simply for the fact that his uncle will be a first-vote Hall of Famer when he becomes eligible in 2017. Oh, and Wilton Guerrero is his uncle too. So, is he more Wilton or Vladimir? The Diamondbacks, who acquired him in the Mark Trumbo trade, certainly hope it’s the latter, and scouts love his power potential. Between the Mariners’ and Diamondbacks’ organizations, Guerrero hit .222 with seven homers, 22 doubles, 47 RBI, and 51 runs scored in 460 at-bats over 126 games at Double-A. Guerrero won’t turn 22 until December, so these numbers look much better when you consider his age. Oh, and he kicked things off at the AFL with a homer in his first game.

That’s it for the Rafters – next up, the Scottsdale Scorpions!

 

MLB & Fantasy Baseball Chat Room

[iflychat_embed id="c-12" hide_user_list="yes" hide_popup_chat="no" height="400px"]

 




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Jake Burger

to Miss an Additional 2-3 Weeks
TreVeyon Henderson

Signs Rookie Contract
Christian Watson

Goes on PUP List
Austin Riley

Hopes to be Activated Next Week
Ketel Marte

Lands on Restricted List After Burglary
Ricky Pearsall

Heads to PUP List
Brandon Aiyuk

Placed on PUP List
Luther Burden III

Signs Rookie Deal
Washington Nationals

Eli Willits Expected to Sign Contract on Saturday
Grayson Rodriguez

Being Shut Down Again - Will We See Him Again This Year?
Ezequiel Tovar

Activated and Back in Lineup on Friday
Max Fried

"Hopeful" to Pitch Next Week - Looks Like He'll Avoid IL Stint
Steven Kwan

Receives Injection in Wrist, Considered Day-to-Day
CJ Abrams

Back to Start Second Half
Alec Bohm

Back From Rib Injury on Friday
Trey Hendrickson

Holdout to Spill into Regular Season?
Jalen McMillan

Bucs Offensive Coordinator Not Forgetting About Jalen McMillan
Levi Onwuzurike

to Miss at Least Four Games
Nick Emmanwori

Seahawks, Nick Emmanwori Reach Agreement on Rookie Deal
Max Holloway

Set For Main Event
Brandon Lowe

Back From 10-Day Injured List
Dustin Poirier

Set For His Final UFC Fight
Roman Kopylov

Set For Co-Main Event
Paulo Costa

Returns At UFC 318
Luis L. Ortiz

to Remain on Leave for Another Month - Will he Pitch Again?
Daniel Rodriguez

Looks For Third Win In A Row
Kevin Holland

Set For His Fourth Fight This Year
Dan Ige

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
MMA

Patricio Freire Set For His Second UFC Fight
Daniel Zellhuber

Set To Open Up UFC 318 Main Card
Michael Johnson

Looks For Third Consecutive Win
Elijah Arroyo

Signs Rookie Deal
Jaydon Blue

Described as "Borderline Lazy"
T.J. Sanders

Bills Sign T.J. Sanders to Rookie Deal
Christian Wilkins

Raiders Put Christian Wilkins on PUP List
Jabari Small

Lions Add Jabari Small to Backfield
Quinshon Judkins

Remains Unsigned, Won't Report With Rest of Rookies
Mason Taylor

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Jets
Hendon Hooker

Leading Lions QB2 Battle Entering Training Camp
Ozzy Trapilo

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Bears
Tate Ratledge

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Lions
Jack Bech

Signs Rookie Contract with Raiders
Yegor Chinakhov

Requests Trade
Dakota Joshua

Maple Leafs Acquire Dakota Joshua
Lukas Dostal

Signs Five-Year Extension with Ducks
Shemar Stewart

Not Practicing With College Team
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Expected Back Friday
Damian Lillard

Returning to Portland
Paul Skenes

Pirates Could Preserve Paul Skenes in Second Half
Brooks Barnhizer

Grabs 19 Points, Nine Boards in Summer League Win
Jeremiah Fears

Scores 22 Points in Summer League Loss to Thunder
Isaiah Collier

Collects 17 Points In Summer League Win
Caleb Houstan

Joins Hawks
AJ Johnson

Erupts for 25 Points in Summer League Loss
Washington Wizards

Leaky Black Logs Double-Double in Loss to Jazz
Connor Norby

Undergoes Surgery, Expected to Miss 6-8 Weeks
Trey Alexander

Tallies 25 Points in Losing Effort
Johni Broome

Records Second Consecutive Double-Double
Jahmir Young

Has Historic Summer League Outing
Rob Dillingham

Plays Big Role in Wednesday's Win
Tyrese Proctor

Erupts for 35 Points Against Kings
Cody Williams

Leads Jazz to Victory Against Wizards
LeBron James

Mavs Not Interested in "Gutting its Roster" For LeBron James
Josh Hart

Undergoes a Procedure on Right Finger
Jake Burger

Goes on 10-Day Injured List With Quad Strain
Sal Frelick

Dealing With Grade 1 Hamstring Strain, TBD for Start of Second Half
Chris Sale

Plays Catch
Los Angeles Clippers

Bradley Beal Heading to Los Angeles to Join Clippers After Contract Buyout
Rayan Rupert

Scores 24 Points in Summer League Win
Derik Queen

Collects Third Consecutive Double-Double in Summer League Loss
GG Jackson II

Records 13 Points in Summer League Action on Tuesday
Johni Broome

Logs Double-Double Against Wizards
DaRon Holmes II

Records Double-Double in Summer League Loss to Raptors
Kyle Schwarber

Named All-Star Game MVP
Harris English

Takes Stellar 2025 Performance to The Open Championship
Aldrich Potgieter

Seeks Better Result in Northern Ireland
Cameron Young

Likely to Hang Around at The Open Championship
Cameron Smith

Just Trying to Make the Cut at Royal Portrush
Jordan Spieth

Is Jordan Spieth Still a Natural for Links Style Golf?
Patrick Reed

a Viable Option at The Open Championship
PGA

Sungjae Im Wants to Rebound from Last Experience at Royal Portrush
Xander Schauffele

Looks to Defend His Claret Jug at Royal Portrush
Tony Finau

Trying to Turn Tide at Royal Portrush
Daniel Brown

Seeks a Rebound at The Open Championship
Rory McIlroy

Will be the Most Watched Player This Week at Royal Portrush
Daniel Berger

Trending Poorly as The Open Championship Looms
Clayton Kershaw

Retires Both Batters In ASG Appearance
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Hit In Pinky In All-Star Game, X-Rays Negative
Robert MacIntyre

Hoping to Bounce Back at Open Championship
Shane Lowry

Hopes to Repeat at Royal Portrush
Brian Harman

Hopes to Rekindle Some Magic at the 153rd Open
UTA

Michael Carcone Returns to Utah on One-Year Contract
Bowen Byram

Signs Two-Year Deal with Sabres
Morgan Barron

Jets Re-Sign Morgan Barron for Two Years
PGA

Chris Gotterup Punches Ticket to Royal Portrush With Win at Scottish Open
Bryson DeChambeau

Hopes to Reverse Links Golf Struggle at the 153rd Open
Keegan Bradley

Needs to Find The Weekend at Royal Portrush for Ryder Cup Hopes
Justin Thomas

Finishes Tied For 22nd at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Finishes Tied For Eighth at Genesis Scottish Open
Jon Rahm

Finishes in Second at LIV Andalucia
Tallison Teixeira

Suffers First-Round TKO
Derrick Lewis

Scores First-Round TKO
Stephen Thompson

Loses Controversial Split Decision
Gabriel Bonfim

Wins Controversial Split Decision
Calvin Kattar

Gets Outclassed At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Extends His Win Streak
Nate Landwehr

Gets Knocked Out
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere Scores Third-Round Knockout
Austen Lane

Suffers Submission Loss
Vitor Petrino

Scores First-Round Submission In Heavyweight Debut
Tuco Tokkos

Earns His First UFC Win
Chase Elliott

Charges to A Finish of Third At Sonoma
Chase Briscoe

Finishes Second With his First Career Road-Course Top-Five at Sonoma
Christopher Bell

Rollercoaster Day Ends With Top-5 Finish at Sonoma
William Byron

Maintains the Regular-Season Points Lead
Kyle Busch

Earns A Hard-Fought Top-10 Finish At Sonoma
Alex Ovechkin

Not Thinking About Retirement
PIT

Penguins Acquire Arturs Silovs
NHL

Nikolai Kovalenko Returns to Russia
Tyler Reddick

Evades Near Upset to Remain Alive in In-Season Challenge
Ty Gibbs

One of Three Tylers to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinals
Kyle Larson

Curiously Mediocre at Sonoma Before Late-Race Crash
NASCAR

John H. Nemechek Edges Out Teammate to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Alex Bowman

Ty Dillon Bumps Alex Bowman to Advance to In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Shane Van Gisbergen

Can Anyone Beat Shane van Gisbergen at Sonoma?
Tyler Reddick

Better at Sonoma Than Record Shows
Chase Elliott

a Prime DFS Option at Sonoma
Michael McDowell

Struggling a Bit at Sonoma
NASCAR

Christopher Bell Has Never Finished Better Than Ninth at Sonoma
Ryan Blaney

Has Top-10 Upside at Sonoma
NASCAR

Sunday at Sonoma Will Likely Be a Long Race for Bubba Wallace
Kyle Larson

Is A Likely Top-Five Contender for Sonoma
Ryan Preece

Points Position Could Affect Race at Sonoma
Todd Gilliland

Struggling to Find Speed at Sonoma
Ty Gibbs

May be an Underrated Favorite to Compete for the Win at Sonoma
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF