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2016 Arizona Fall League Team Preview – Glendale Desert Dogs

Major League Baseball will be in full postseason mode in the beginning of October, but at the same time in Arizona, some of the best young talent in the game will be playing to make a solid impression upon their parent clubs, starting Tuesday, October 11th for the 25th season of the Arizona Fall League.

Six teams make up the Arizona Fall League: the Glendale Desert Dogs, Peoria Javelinas, Salt River Rafters, Surprise Saguaros, Scottsdale Scorpions and Mesa Solar Sox.

In the coming weeks, we’ll break down each team in the AFL and the Baseball Factory alums who make up the rosters.

In total, 41 former Baseball Factory players will play in the 2016 Arizona Fall League, which gives these top prospects the opportunity to continue playing baseball, accelerating and move up in classification heading into the 2017 season.

The list of Arizona Fall Leaguers who have gone onto make huge impacts on their major league teams continues to grow as the years go by.

Baseball Factory alum Eric Hosmer, the 2016 All-Star Game MVP, played there in 2010 with the Surprise Rafters. Others alums like Kris Bryant, Bryce Harper, Josh Donaldson, Francisco Lindor and Nolan Arenado have all spent time playing in the Arizona Fall League. Since the AFL’s 1992 inception, 247 graduates have gone on to earn All-Star nods in the bigs and last year, 33 former AFL alums were named as 2016 MLB All-Stars.   

We begin our preview with the Glendale Desert Dogs who finished last season with a 13-15 record. The Glendale Desert Dogs are comprised of players from the following major league teams: Chicago White Sox, Houston Astros, Los Angeles Dodgers, St. Louis Cardinals and the Washington Nationals.

Baseball Factory Alumni

Brad Goldberg (RHP) – Parent Club: Chicago White Sox

Goldberg, a 10th round selection in 2013 out of Ohio State University, has worked his way up from Rookie League Great Falls in the Pioneer League to Triple-A Charlotte as a 26 year-old in 2016.

His performance this season earned him a nod as an International League Mid-Season All-Star in July as he posted a 3-5 record with a 2.70 ERA in a combined 56 2/3 innings with 51 strikeouts between Double-A Birmingham and Charlotte.

The Beachwood, OH native who stayed in-state to play for the Buckeyes, attended Beachwood High School and participated in a National Tryout event in Akron, OH back in July of 2006.

Zack Collins

Zack Collins (C) – Parent Club: Chicago White Sox

Hoping to be the catcher of the future for the Chicago White Sox, the organization tabbed Collins with the 10th overall pick in this June’s MLB Draft out of the University of Miami.

After finishing his season with the Hurricanes where he was named an All-America First-Team selection by Baseball America as well as the Johnny Bench Award Winner, becoming the first catcher in Hurricanes history to take home the award for best collegiate catcher in the nation. Collins helped to lead Miami to the College World Series, hitting .363 and pacing the team in homers (16), RBI (59), walks (78), total bases (127), on-base percentage (.544) and slugging percentage (.668).

Joining the Arizona League White Sox upon his arrival in early July, the White Sox moved Collins to High-A ball with the Winston-Salem Dash and hit .258 with seven doubles, six homers and 18 RBI.

We first saw the Pembroke Pines, FL native at the 2010 Team One Futures Game as a member of the East Team and then again at Futures East in October 2011 as one of the more advanced offensive players at the event. In June 2012, Collins played in the Team One Florida Showcase combining the bat speed, strength and raw power to go along with rapidly-developing defensive skills behind the plate. Two month later, he played in the 2012 Under Armour All-America Game at Wrigley Field and drew two walks in the game.

Carson Kelly

Carson Kelly (C/3B) – Parent Club: St. Louis Cardinals

The former second round draft selection out of Westview High School in Portland, OR in 2012 began this season at Double-A Springfield, playing in 64 games where he hit .287 with seven doubles, six homers and 18 RBI. He was promoted to Triple-A Memphis to play with the Redbirds on July 14th where he improved his average (up to .292) with 10 doubles, 14 RBI and playing outstanding defense behind the dish, not allowing an error in 269 1/3 innings (277 chances) in 32 games.

He’s been rewarded with a call to the majors, making his major league debut on September 5th where he collected his first major league hit – a pinch-hit double – against the Pittsburgh Pirates as well as his first RBI on September 8th against the Milwaukee Brewers.

A decorated Factory alum, Kelly holds the distinction of being a four-time Under Armour Pre-Season All-American (2009-2012). In 2011, Carson was an Under Armour All-American, starting the game as a third baseman and later pitching as well. Carson was the recipient of the Kelly Kulina Award, named in honor of the late Baseball Factory team member, based on his demonstration of the most heart and enthusiasm during the week. In addition to these events, Kelly has attended Team One and Under Armour Baseball Factory College PREP events.

Trey Michalczewski

Trey Michalczewski (IF) – Parent Club: Chicago White Sox

Michalczewski is from Jenks, OK and is making his second consecutive appearance in the Arizona Fall League where he hit .244 with three doubles, a triple and three RBI in 10 games for Glendale in 2015.

After spending the entire 2015 season at Winston-Salem, the third baseman (who also saw action at shortstop) played 134 games for Birmingham in 2016 where he hit .226, but showed power potential with his 24 doubles, five triples, 11 homers and 59 RBI.

The seventh round selection of the White Sox in 2013 from Jenks High School attended an Under Armour Baseball Factory College PREP in Oklahoma City back in March of 2012.

Drew Ward

Drew Ward (IF) – Parent Club: Washington Nationals

The Leedey, OK native has climbed the Nationals organizational ladder since being selected in the 3rd round of the 2013 Draft out of Leedey High School.

The 21 year-old third baseman began the 2016 campaign with the Potomac Nationals, High-A ball in the Carolina League, where he hit .278 with 11 homers and 32 RBI in 64 games. He was promoted to Double-A Harrisburg on June 27th, hitting .219 with seven doubles, three roundtrippers and 24 RBI.

In March 2012, Ward attended an Under Armour Baseball Factory College PREP event in Oklahoma City, OK.

Ramon Laureano (OF) – Parent Club: Houston Astros

Born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Laureano was drafted in the 16th round of the 2014 Draft out of Northeast Oklahoma A&M in Miami, OK. We first got a glimpse of Ramon’s skillset at an Under Armour Baseball Factory National Tryout in Freeport, NY back in February of 2011. Four months later, he attended the Omaha Pro Select Training and Tournament event where he showed as a solid and athletic outfield prospect.

At the NJCAA level, Laureano hit .361 with seven homers, 44 RBI, 44 runs scored and 16 stolen bases with the Golden Norsemen in 2013.

After signing with the Astros, Laureano reported to Rookie-level Greeneville, playing in 16 games and struggled, hitting just .189. In 2015, he spent the entire season in A-ball, playing for the Quad Cities River Bandits, hitting .285 with 15 doubles, eight triples, four homers and 34 RBI in 76 games. He began the 2016 campaign at High-A Lancaster before being promoted to Double-A Corpus Christi to play for the Hooks. It was a break through season for the outfielder, as he hit a combined .319 with 28 doubles, seven triples, 15 homers, 73 RBI, stealing 43 bases and scoring 89 runs, solidifying himself as a legitimate prospect in an already deep minor league system.

Jason Martin

Jason Martin (OF) – Parent Club: Houston Astros

Another Astros OF prospect with great promise is the 5’11”, 190 pound Martin, the team’s eighth round selection out of Orange Lutheran High School in Orange, CA.

Martin burst onto the scene this year with power potential, blasting 23 home runs in 110 games at Lancaster with the JetHawks in the California League. He hit .270 and led the team in homers, RBI (75), runs scored (74) and tied for most in triples with seven.

We saw Martin in 2011 at the Ryan Lemmon Sophomore Showcase and then in October of that year in the Team One Futures West event where he showed as an athletic left-handed swinging and right-handed throwing outfielder.

Alex Verdugo

Alex Verdugo (OF) – Parent Club: Los Angeles Dodgers

Verdugo was drafted in the second round (62nd overall) of the ’14 Draft out of Sahuaro High School in Tucson, AZ. In January 2013, Verdugo was an Under Armour Pre-Season All-American and showed well as an outfielder and also as a pitcher. In late July of that year he participated in the Under Armour Southwest Championships as a prospect to watch, locking him into the 2013 Under Armour All-America Game where he won the MVP for the National team.

This season, Verdugo is becoming the prospect that L.A. envisioned, spending the entire year with Double-A Tulsa after playing at multiple A-ball levels and slashing .311/.340/.441 with nine homers and 61 RBI in 2015. In 126 games with Tulsa, he hit .273 with 23 doubles, 13 homeruns and 63 RBI and was named a Texas League Mid-Season All-Star.

 

 

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