Red Sox Arizona Fall League Week In Review: One Month Down

[Nick John]

The Arizona Fall League has now completed one month of games, with less than two weeks remaining in the season. For the prospects, it may be a welcome thought as they deal with the Arizona heat on a daily basis, all while playing baseball six times a week. For the Red Sox, they should feel good as an organization for how the season has gone.

While it has been a month of ups and downs, the players have continued to put in the hard work to improve their games and get in the extra playing time they may have lost due to injuries throughout the regular minor league season. And while some things have looked ugly, there are still parts of the season that should have fans and the organization alike happy.

Unfortunately for the Salt River Rafters, they lost all six games last week and are currently out of a playoff spot. Things are looking more and more likely that the team will fail to advance to the playoffs, though, just as I’ve said every week in these reviews: you’re not here for that. Now onto how the prospects did last week.

Jay Allmer made his return to the mound this week after missing the entirety of week three with an injury. During the week, the right-hander threw two innings as he walked and struck out a batter in his first appearance. In the outing, Allmer saw his sinker reach 93.1 mph while also generating two swings and misses. In his second appearance, Allmer tossed one inning and allowed one hit.

Also pitching out of the bullpen was Isaac Stebens, who pitched twice during the week. In a combined 2 1/3 innings, Stebens allowed four hits and a walk as an unearned run scored. He also managed to strike out one batter on a 94.9 mph sinker.

Top pitching prospect Luis Perales had a mixed outing this week as he threw 55 pitches in 2 1/3 innings. Perales stated before the fall league began that he hoped to reach four innings by the end of the season. That has yet to happen, though he has been able to get close to 60 pitches in his last couple of outings as he continues to build up stamina following his return from Tommy John surgery. In the outing, Perales looked in control through the first two innings as the first pitch of the game was a 100.6 mph fastball. In the first inning, he would strike out two and work around a two-out single. His second inning was more of the same, getting three strikeouts as a base hit was sandwiched between the first and second out of the inning.

It was his third inning where he began to tire as the first four batters reached on a double, walk, triple, and then another walk before Perales got the first out on a sac fly that scored the runner from third base. The next batter would take Perales deep and end his day on the mound with a stat line of 2 1/3 innings, five hits, five earned runs, two walks, and five strikeouts. He also managed to induce 10 whiffs while his fastball topped out at 100.9 mph.

In his lone appearance this week, Jojo Ingrassia pitched rather well despite being stuck with a blown save. Tossing three innings out of the bullpen, the left-handed pitcher allowed just one run on four hits and a walk. Pitching in the fifth, Ingrassia worked around a one-out walk and a double that placed runners on second and third. While the next batter tied the game with a single, Ingrassia buckled down and got the next two outs. In the final two innings, he would only allow two hits. Over the three innings, he managed to generate nine whiffs.

Of all the Red Sox pitchers this week, Brandon Neely may have had the roughest outing. Appearing in just one game, Neely threw 1 2/3 innings while allowing three runs on three hits and two walks. He also struck out three. However, the young pitcher needed 44 pitches to not even get through two innings. His first inning was rather promising, though, getting two strikeouts, both with his cutter. Much like Perales, it was his final inning that did him in as he opened it with a groundout before the next four hitters reached base and made the game 9-1. Neely would strike out his final hitter on a 94.2 mph sinker before being replaced.

Offensively, it was a struggle again as even the previously red-hot Stanley Tucker saw his hitting cool off. Tucker, who had been one of the better hitters in the fall league, appeared in four games and went 1-for-12 with four strikeouts and three walks. He also stole one base during the week, bringing his total to 10. At the end of the week, Tucker was hitting .276 with a .728 OPS.

Joining Tucker with a rough week offensively was Nelly Taylor, the outfielder who appeared in just two games during the week and failed to collect a hit. In total, he went 0-for-5 with three strikeouts, three walks, and a run scored. He also stole two bases to bring his season total to seven. Taylor, who has played sparingly, has seen the least amount of playing time out of the three position players sent by the Red Sox.

The final position player, Johanfran Garcia, appeared in four games, split between catcher and designated hitter, as he showed some signs offensively. Across his four appearances, Garcia went 2-for-11 with his second home run of the season. In the eighth inning of the November 2 game, Garcia took a slider up in the zone and deposited it into center field to make it a one-run game. The ball had an exit velocity of 108.6 mph. To go along with the home run, Garcia doubled earlier in the week. He also walked five times and struck out four times. Garcia also drove in three runs during the week.

The season is quickly coming to a close, with only one full week remaining before the AFL prepares for the last few games, the All-Star game, and the playoffs. Hopefully, the players sent by the Red Sox continue to show signs of improvement despite less-than-ideal stat lines.

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Stanley Tucker and Luis Perales listed as "Fall Stars" in the AFL.

https://www.mlb.com/milb/news/2025-arizona-fall-league-fall-stars-game-rosters?t=arizona-fall-league-coverage