Arizona Fall League Update: Quiet week from Pirates prospects
Players gear up for the final week of the Fall League.
Overall, it was a fairly quiet week for the players from the Pirates organization participating in the Arizona Fall League.
With just a week left, it’s the last chance to make an impact before the season is over. The Salt River Rafters have two guaranteed games left in their schedule - on Tuesday and Thursday - before a potential play-in game and championship.
They sit in a tie for third place, with Peoria having fewer games played. It will probably take wins in both games to ensure their season continues.
Going back to the previous week, here’s a look at how the players from the Pirates organization did.
Jase Bowen
Week: 3-16, 2 R, HR, 2B, RBI, SB, BB, 4 K
Season: .304/.366/.533 4 HR, 17 RBI, 8 BB, 26 K, 3/6 SB
This past week, the biggest highlight for Bowen was being named to the Fall Stars game, where some of the best prospects in all of baseball participated.
It was a rough week otherwise, although two of his three hits did go for extra bases, including hitting his fourth home run of the fall. He’s still hovering around among the league leaders in several offensive categories, but not like he was earlier in the season.
Jack Brannigan
Week: 2-14, R, HR, 3 RBI, 2 BB, 6 K
Season: .167/.291/.361 3 HR, 10 RBI, 9 BB, 31 K, 4/4 SB
The strikeouts continued to be an issue for Brannigan, who went down on strikes six times in 14 at-bats over the past week. He’s struck out 36% of his plate appearances on the season.
Carter Bins
Week: 0-8, 4 K
Season: .300/.333/.550 2 HR, 6 RBI, BB, 13 K, 1/1 SB
Bins has been relatively productive despite getting little playing time. Last week wasn’t great, but he’s also picked up as many hits (12) as Brannigan despite 27 fewer at-bats.
If he had gotten more playing time and continued this pace, he would have made a strong case to join Bowen in the Fall Stars game.
Nick Dombkowski
Week: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 2 BB
Season: 8/1 (G/GS), 4.32 ERA, 8.1 IP, 9 BB, 8 K
Control continues to be an issue for every Pirates pitcher this past week. Dombkowski has been no different, and after this past week has walked more than a batter per inning and has more free passes than strikeouts.
Tyler Samaniego
Week: IP, 2 H, ER, 2 BB, K
Season: 1-1, 8/0, 4.91 ERA, 7.1 IP, 6 BB: 9 K
He has one of the better walk rates among Pirates’ pitchers, and it’s still at 16.2%. Although it was an inherited runner, he allowed a walk-off hit this past week.
JC Flowers
Week: IP, BB, K
Season: 1-0, 6/1, 3.60 ERA, 10 IP, 10 BB, 9 K
I feel like you can make a legitimate argument he’s been the pitcher for the Pirates in the Fall League, but even that’s come with 10 walks in as many innings pitched.
Cam Junker
Week: 0.2 IP, 2 BB
Season: 1-1, 8/0, 7.04 ERA, 7.2 IP, 6 BB, 8 K
He was putting up some interesting whiff numbers with his slider, but then Salt River stopped playing at home, so tracking has been nearly impossible.