Red Sox Arizona Fall League Week In Review: Cool Nights In the Desert

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The third full week of the Arizona Fall League is officially in the books as the Mesa Solar Sox went 2-3. They currently have a 6-9-1 record, saddling them at fifth place in the standings, just 3.5 games back of the first-place Scottsdale Scorpions.

If the season were to end today, Mesa would be matched up against the Salt River Rafters in the first round of the playoffs. Though, when it comes to the AF, people are less interested in the playoffs and more interested in how their favorite team’s prospects are doing out in the Arizona heat.

This week we saw some Boston Red Sox representatives perform consistently, while others continued to either fall into a cold streak or struggle.

Antonio Anderson 1B/3B/DH

The top performer from the Red Sox appeared in three out of his team’s five games while continuing his steady offensive performance. Despite his numbers technically dropping overall on the season, he still managed to put up a stat line of .300/.462/.500 with a triple and one RBI. He also displayed his understanding of the strike zone by walking three times.

His only extra-base hit of the week came in the form of an RBI triple in the first inning of Mesa’s October 19 game against the Surprise Saguaros. Not waiting around, Anderson jumped on a 94.9 mph fastball from Texas Rangers’ 17th-ranked prospect Jacob Johnson. The hit drove in the first run of game and had an exit velocity of 98.8 mph.

His second hit of the week was a line drive single hit at 103 mph off his bat. He hit a 95-mph fastball from the Kansas City Royal’s 16th-ranked prospect Hiro Wyatt.

Anderson’s final hit came in the first inning of Mesa’s October 22 game against the Glendale Desert Dogs. In a 2-1 count, he took an 86.6 mph changeup that was down and away and singled. The hit had an exit velocity of 95.8 mph. The hit came against the Atlanta Braves’ eighth-ranked prospect Briggs McKenzie.

So far on the fall season, Anderson is slashing .333/.480/.615 with three doubles, one triple, two home runs and 10 RBIs in 11 games.

Mason White 2B/SS

White made three appearances this week, playing shortstop twice and second base once while having his best week offensively. He hit .222/.385/.222, going 2-for-9, though both of White’s hits came in the first game of the week against Surprise. He also drove in two runs, walked once, and stole a base.

His first hit came against Johnson, taking an 88-mph cutter that was on the inner third of the plate and dropping it into left field for a single. The hit had an exit velocity of 71.1 mph.

His second hit came from a 91.9 mph cutter that was hit off of Rangers prospect Alejandro Chiquillo. The hit was a ground ball single to right field and had an exit velocity of 80.8 mph.

Sandwiched in between the two hits was a sacrifice fly where he took a 93.6 mph fastball on the outer part of the plate and drove it out to left field. The batted ball had an exit velocity of 85.2 mph and came against Philadelphia Phillies prospect Keegan Batka.

Overall, White is hitting .184/.347/.263 with one home run and three RBIs.

Nazzan Zanetello 2B/SS/3B/OF

Zanetello appeared in three games this week, looking better at the plate as the season moves along. Going 2-for-7, he finished the week with a slash line of .286/.500/.286 as he also walked three times and stole a base. He scored three runs for good measure.

Zanetello’s first hit of the week came in Mesa’s October 20 game against Surprise. In the eighth inning, the utility player took a 3-1 fastball on the outer third of the plate and deposited it into left field. The fastball had a velocity of 93.7 mph, and his exit velocity was 103.6 mph. The hit came off of San Francisco Giants’ prospect Alexander Fuentes.

His second hit of the week came on October 24 against the Peoria Javelinas in the second inning. Taking a 97.4 mph sinker, Zanetello hit it to the second baseman at 92 mph. It came against the San Diego Padres’ 30th-ranked prospect, Kannon Kemp.

Defensively, Zanetello made all three of his appearances at second base. Overall, he has appeared in 11 games and is hitting .171/.356/.314 with one triple, one home run, and four RBIs. He has also stolen three bases.

Harry Blum

Blum made one relief appearance for Mesa this week, pitching a scoreless inning while working around a hit and a walk. He also managed to strike out three batters. Unfortunately, he allowed an inherited runner to score.

Entering the top of the seventh inning with runners on first and third, Blum immediately struck out his first two batters. The first out came on a 90.8 mph cutter and the second out on a 91.9 mph cutter. After surrendering the two-out double, he followed it up with a walk before getting his third strikeout of the game on a 91.1 mph cutter.

Blum’s velocity peaked at 95.7 mph and he generated seven whiffs.

So far on the season, Blum has appeared in four games and has an 0-1 record with a 2.08 ERA. He’s tossed 4 1/3 innings, allowing one run on five hits and six walks while striking out seven.

Madinson Frias

Frias made one appearance during the week and tossed 2 2/3 scoreless innings while working around several baserunners. In the outing, he allowed two hits and four walks but also struck out three batters. Entering the game in the top of the fourth inning, Frias provided length for Mesa as he pitched into the sixth inning. His first inning of work also saw him pitch out of a two-out, bases-loaded jam as he struck out Peoria’s Brandon Eike and preserve a 3-2 lead at the time.

In the fifth, Frias tossed a 1-2-3 inning. His velocity peaked at 96.9 mph on his sinker. He also generated five whiffs.

On the season, Frias has appeared in three games, making one start. He has an 0-1 record with a 4.91 ERA in 7 1/3 innings. He’s allowed four runs on nine hits (one being a home run) and seven walks while striking out seven.

Nicholas Judice

Judice made one appearance for Mesa this week as he allowed one run on two hits and a walk in one inning.

The right-hander got the first batter he faced out before a single was followed by a wild pitch. With a runner on second and one out, Judice induced a ground ball to shortstop and got the second out of the inning before things started to get busy on the basepaths.

A two-out walk was followed by a single to center field to score Chase Harlan from second base. Judice buckled down after that and got the final out of the inning.

His velocity topped out at 93.3 mph on his sinker and he generated four whiffs.

Judice has made three appearances on the season and has a 9.00 ERA in four innings. He’s allowed four runs on four hits (one being a home run) and two walks while striking out four batters.

Trennor O’Donnell

O’Donnell provided Mesa with a scoreless inning while working around a walk and striking out two. Entering in the eighth inning, the right-hander got two quick outs before allowing a walk to Wyatt Sanford. He followed that up with his second strikeout of the inning.

O’Donnell topped out at 94 mph on his fastball and generated three whiffs.

So far on the season, he has made three appearances and has a 5.40 ERA in five innings. He’s allowed three runs on three hits (one being a home run) and two walks while striking out five.

Caden Vire

Vire did not get into a game during the third week of the season. This is the second straight week he did not make an appearance.

Vire has made two appearances on the season and has a 5.40 ERA in 1 2/3 innings. He’s allowed one run on one hit and three walks while striking out one batter.

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