Some of the best young talent in the game of baseball will descend upon Arizona, starting Tuesday October 13th for the start of the Arizona Fall League.

Today’s preview features the Salt River Rafters, winners of the 2014 Arizona Fall League (17-11-4). The Salt River Rafters are comprised of players from the following major league teams: Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies, New York Mets, Toronto Blue Jays and the Washington Nationals.

Baseball Factory Alumni

Carlos Estevez

Carlos Estevez – Parent Club: Colorado Rockies

Born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Estevez was signed by the Colorado Rockies as a non-drafted free agent on May 31, 2011. The 6’4″, 210 pound righty pitched for High-A Modesto to start the 2015 season and sported a 1.37 ERA in 14 appearances (19 2/3 innings) with 25 strikeouts and five saves. He was then promoted to Double-A New Britain where he pitched in 34 games, saving 13 and striking out 43 batters in 36 innings. The Rockies are excited about Estevez’s high strike-out ratio as he continues to climb the organizational ranks.

Estevez participated in an Under Armour Baseball Factory National Tryout Washington, PA (near Pittsburgh) back in March of 2010, and then later at a College PREP event in Trenton, NJ in August of 2010.

Keith Hessler – Parent Club: Arizona Diamondbacks 

Hessler was originally drafted in the 28th round by the Diamondbacks out of Coastal Carolina University in the 2010 Draft, but did not sign at that time. He was later signed by the team as an amateur free agent in 2011 and quickly worked his way up the ranks, landing in the majors for 18 games this season with Arizona. With three different levels in 2015 between High-A Visalia and Triple-A Reno, Hessler went 5-2 with a 2.14 ERA in 59 total innings, striking out 65 strikeouts.

Hessler attended the June 2006 Team One BWI World Series.

Justin Shafer

Justin Shafer – Parent Club: Toronto Blue Jays

Shafer is a highly-touted prospect in the Jays organization, drafted in the eighth round of the 2014 MLB Draft out of the University of Florida. He started the season with Single-A Lansing and finishing at High-A with Dunedin in 2015. This season, Shafter pitched to a 4.15 ERA in 28 appearances (12 starts), holding opponents to a .254 average in 95 1/3 innings pitched.

In February of 2009, Shafer attended an Under Armour Baseball Factory National Tryout in Bradenton, Florida and five months later, participated in the Team One South event where he showed well with his pitch arsenal – heavy, sinking fastball, a breaking ball with good, sweeping action and a plus changeup with good run and sink action.

Gavin Cecchini

Gavin Cecchini – Parent Club: New York Mets

Cecchini put together a fine 2015 season with the Double-A Binghamton Mets as a 21 year-old, hitting a career-best .317 with 26 doubles, four triples, seven homers, 51 RBI and 64 runs in 109 games. He earned Player of the Month honors in July, hitting .387. Defensively, he has an above-average arm

The Lake Charles, LA native was drafted by the New York Mets in the first round (12th overall) in the 2012 MLB Draft. In June 2010, Cecchini appeared in the Team One South event and in 2011, was named an Under Armour All-American.

Dominic Smith

Dominic Smith – Parent Club: New York Mets

Smith played the entire 2015 season with the St. Lucie Mets and the first baseman was named the Florida State League Most Valuable Player after hitting .305 with 33 doubles, six homers, 79 RBI, 58 runs scored, slugging .417 with an OPS of .771 in 118 games. Smith was also named an FSL Post-Season All-Star.

The Mets made Smith a first round selection (11th overall) in the 2013 Draft out of Junipero Serra High School in Gardena, CA as the 6’0″, 185 pound first baseman was a 2012 Under Armour All-America Game selection.

Drew Ward

Drew Ward – Parent Club: Washington Nationals

Ward, the Nats ninth-rated prospect heading into the 2015 season, received some good experience this past spring, playing with the big league club during Spring Training. The third round selection in the ’13 Draft out of Leedey High School in Leedey, Oklahoma, hit .269 with 10 homers and 73 RBI as a 19-year old last season with the Single-A Hagerstown Suns.

This season, he played four games with the Rookie-Level Gulf Coast Nationals getting off to a slow start, but moving up to High-A Potomac in the Carolina League, Ward found his groove and hit .249 with 19 doubles, two triples, six homers and 47 RBI in 111 games.

Ward began his Baseball Factory experience back in March of 2012 by attending an Under Armour Baseball Factory College PREP event in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.