A look at how Athletics prospects faring in Arizona Fall League

Las Vegas Review-Journal

6 years ago

Oakland Athletics relief pitcher Sam Sheehan (68) during a Minor League Spring Training game against the Chicago Cubs at Sloan Park on March 19, 2018 in Mesa, Arizona. (Zachary Lucy/Four Seam Images via AP Images)

Oakland Athletics infielder Eli White (13) during Spring Training Camp on February 24, 2018 at Lew Wolff Training Complex in Mesa, Arizona. (Zachary Lucy/Four Seam Images via AP Images)

Long Beach State right fielder Richard Prigatano makes a sliding catch of a fly ball hit by North Carolina’s Skye Bolt during the eighth inning of an NCAA college baseball regional tournament game in Gainesville, Fla., Monday, June 2, 2014. Long Beach State won 12-5.(AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

Long Beach State second baseman Colton Vaughn throws out North Carolina’s Skye Bolt at first base after fielding his grounder during the seventh inning of an NCAA college baseball regional tournament game in Gainesville, Fla., Monday, June 2, 2014.(AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

Just a quick drive south, some of Major League Baseball’s brightest young talents are fanned out across the Phoenix area, competing in the six-week Arizona Fall League.

Count MLB’s top prospect, third baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. among them, as well as former 51s first baseman Peter Alonso and seven Athletics prospects — some who could be playing in Las Vegas sooner rather than later.

Here’s an update of Athletics prospects participating in the AFL as of Saturday morning:

Eli White, INF

White, 24, is the highest-ranked prospect the Athletics sent to the AFL this year, coming in at No. 18 on the MLBPipeline list.

The infielder, who could be ticketed for Triple-A next season, is hitting .303/.410/.394 in eight games with the Mesa Solar Sox.

In 130 games at Double-A last year, White hit .306/.388/.450 with nine home runs and 55 RBIs.

Skye Bolt, OF

Bolt, a 24-year-old outfielder, is the team’s No. 30 prospect and played in 78 games for Double-A Midland to finish off last season.

Bolt, who was a star at North Carolina, got off to a hot start at the AFL, going 8-for-24 in his first six games.

He currently is hitting with .250 with a pair of home runs and two triples in nine games.

Luis Barrera, OF

Barrera, another outfielder, also cracked Double-A Midland a year ago. While there, Berrera hit .328/.378/.450 in 36 games last season.

In Fall League, Barrera is hitting 5-for-30 (.167) in eight games.

Angel Duno, RHP

Duno, a 24-year-old righty, spent the whole season in the bullpen at Class-A Advanced after starting during his previous professional seasons.

He went 5-4 with a 2.62 ERA in 48 appearances, which spanned 65.1 innings. He struck out 66 and walked 17.

He currently has a 9.64 ERA through four games and 4 2/3 innings, giving up five runs, though two of his four appearances have been scoreless.

Jake Bray, RHP

Bray spent most of the season at Class-A Advanced, though he appeared in just 17 games all season, missing more than two months with an injury.

He made eight starts this year after working mostly as a reliever throughout the minors.

Bray posted a 4.62 ERA across two levels last season but a year before, posted a 3.88 ERA and struck out an impressive 82 batters in 51.0 innings.

At the AFL, he currently has a 1.35 ERA through 6 2/3 innings, allowing just two hits in five appearances.

Sam Sheehan, RHP

Sheehan also spent his season with the Class-A Advanced Stockton Ports, going 3-2 with a 4.32 ERA across 50.0 innings out of the bullpen a year after posting a 2.21 ERA at Single-A.

Sheehan has a 3.00 ERA in four games so far out of the bullpen for the Solar Sox, though he has walked 10 in just six innings pitched.

Calvin Coker, RHP

Coker, a 15th round draft pick in 2018, spent most of his season pitching in rookie ball, though he did make an appearance in the New York-Penn League and two appearances with the Triple-A Nashville Sounds.

Across the three levels, he posted a 3.97 ERA in 16 games — one start. He was a late add to the Fall League roster after fellow pitcher Grant Holmes was sidelined with an injury.

Coker has a 1.23 ERA with eight strikeouts across 7 1/3 innings pitched while in Arizona.

More 51s: Follow all of our Las Vegas 51s coverage online at reviewjournal.com/51s and @RJ_Sports on Twitter.

Contact Betsy Helfand at bhelfand@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BetsyHelfand on Twitter.