Arizona Fall League ’07 Update

Evan Longoria, Travis Snider and Sergio Santos are powering a Scottsdale Scorpions surge while two international teams have been added to the AFL

Team China and Team USA have been added to the AFL schedule. Team USA will play 6 games against Arizona Fall League opponents before heading to Taiwan for the IABF World Cup from Nov. 6-18. That international tournament will provide a tuneup — and a core group of players — for the most important competition: the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Team China is playing in the AFL for the same purpose. Team USA features such rising stars as Colby Rasmus, Delwyn Young, Andy Laroche and Jeff Karstens.

22 year old Longoria and 18 year old Snider are absolutely raking. Longoria is second in the league in total bases, leads the league with 4 jacks, and has an OPS of 1.017. Snider on the other hand has 2 homers and an OPS of 1.045. He has 12 strikeouts in 44AB which is a little high, but he does have 6BB to go with it.

Here’s Travis Snider in an AFL game:

24 year old Jays prospect Sergio Santos is doing well, hitting three homers in his last two games. It looks like he has been named team captain, judging by that masking tape C on his jersey, probably because he is such an old man.

As far as pitching is concerned, Phillies’ prospect Joe Savery has looked good in 5IP but his stuff isn’t back to where it was pre-injury. Look for Savery to get better after a winter of off-season conditioning. As for all of you Jays fans hoping to see McGowan-esque flashes of brilliance in the AFL from the Jays pitching prospects, you may be disappointed. David Purcey is pretty much the same guy he has always been: average fastball flashing plus, average curveball flashing plus, below-average command and control. Ricky Romero (taken ahead of Troy Tulowitzki, not sayin anything.. just sayin’) and Jamie Vermilyea are getting absolutely lit.

Diamondbacks prospect Max Scherzer, The 11th overall pick in the 2006 draft, didn’t make his pro debut until June of 2007, when he exploded onto the scene at Visalia, going 2-0 with a 0.53 ERA and just two walks vs. 30 strikeouts in three starts for the Oaks. He moved up to Double-A Mobile where he was 4-4 with a 3.91 mark in 14 starts. This season with the Scottsdale Scorpions, Scherzer has struck out six and given up 2 ER in 4IP of relief.

Check back soon for more news and updates!