October 23, 2023 at 12:00 PM
Fall/Winter Roundup: Rosier stays hot in AFL; Valdez returns to Dominican for winter ball
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Arizona Fall League
It was a perfect week for Glendale in the Arizona Fall League. After winning just two of their first 12 games, the Desert Dogs rattled off six straight wins and are now 8-10 on the season. They now trail the 11-6 Scottsdale Scorpions by 3 1/2 games for first place in the standings heading into Week 4 of AFL play.
Boston's contingent of prospects had its fingerprints all over this successful run for Glendale. Corey Rosier led the way offensively, going 6 for 14 (.375) with two doubles, two RBIs, six runs scored, two stolen bases, five walks, and four strikeouts in four games. The left-handed hitting outfielder is currently batting a stout .333/.424/.412 with a team-leading five stolen bases in his first 13 games (59 plate appearances) with the Scorpions. He has already seen playing time at all three outfield positions.
Tyler McDonough has made his impact felt at the plate as well. Despite being a late addition to Glendale's roster, the versatile 24-year-old reached base in 10 of his 24 plate appearances last week while swiping three bags. He broke out for three doubles, one walk, and three runs scored (including the game-winner) as part of a come-from-behind, 10-9 victory over the Salt River Rafters this past Thursday.
Nathan Hickey enjoyed less success as far as offensive production is concerned. The 23-year-old backstop went 3 for 15 (.200) with two runs scored, three walks, and six strikeouts to drop his slash line on the season to just .182/.386/.182 in 10 games (44 plate appearances). Defensively, he has thrown out two of 11 potential base stealers while splitting time behind the plate with Kevin Parada of the Mets and Andrew Cossetti of the Twins.
Turning to the pitching, Bryan Mata made a pair of scoreless relief appearances for the Desert Dogs on Monday and Thursday of last week. The 24-year-old righty allowed just one hit and did not issue a walk while striking out five of the eight batters he faced over 2 1/3 innings of work. A member of Boston's 40-man roster, Mata now owns a 6.75 ERA with eight strikeouts to zero walks in five outings (5 1/3 innings) this fall.
On the topic of relievers, fellow right-handers Felix Cepeda, Wyatt Olds, and Christopher Troye each appeared in two games for Glendale as well. Cepeda, 23, allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits and two walks in two innings. Olds, 24, put up zeros in his two outings and picked up the winning decision by tossing a 1-2-3 ninth inning in Saturday's extra-innings victory over the Mesa Solar Sox. Troye, also 24, went 2 for 2 in save opportunities without giving up a run.
Zach Penrod, meanwhile, got start for the Desert Dogs in their matchup against the Solar Sox at Sloan Park on Saturday night. The 26-year-old lefty went three innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits (one home run), two walks, and two strikeouts. Of the 53 pitches he threw, 31 went for strikes and nine elicited a swing-and-miss. Through three starts this fall, Penrod is 1-1 with a 1.64 ERA and 11 strikeouts to seven walks over 11 innings in which he has held opposing hitters to a .184 batting average against.
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Dominican Professional Baseball League (LIDOM)
The 2023-2024 LIDOM season began this past Thursday. Enmanuel Valdez appeared in three games for Toros del Este and went 1 for 5 with two RBIs, one run scored, five walks, and two strikeouts. The 24-year-old second baseman was also hit by a pitch on four separate occasions, leading to a sky-high .714 on-base percentage so far.
Photo Credit: Corey Rosier by Kelly O'Connor