Arizona Fall League Daily: October 14
By Riley Thompson ·
Phillies second baseman Aroon Escobar laced a two-run triple to left in the eighth inning Wednesday that tied the game at 8-8 and set up a 9-8 Surprise Saguaros win over the Peoria Javelinas, one of the more chaotic games of the young AFL season. The two games were makeups of Monday's weather postponements. Across town at Goodyear Ballpark, Angels shortstop Arjun Nimmala reached base four times and scored twice to anchor a Mesa Solar Sox offense that built a four-run third inning and held on for a 7-3 victory over the Salt River Rafters.
Surprise Saguaros 9, Peoria Javelinas 8
This one moved in every direction before Surprise finally secured it in the bottom of the eighth. Peoria erupted for four runs in the second, getting a two-RBI single from Orioles outfielder Ike Irish that gave the Javelinas a 4-1 lead, then added two more on a Matthew Ellis single in the third to go up 6-1. Surprise chipped back through the middle innings, with a Casey Cook single and an Aroon Escobar sacrifice fly in the fifth cutting the deficit to 6-4, and Tyresse Turner's triple in the sixth made it 6-5. Peoria answered with two more in the seventh. Carter Graham scored on a catcher's throwing error during a double steal amid Matthew Ellis's strikeout, and Vance Honeycutt scored on a passed ball, making it 8-5, but the Saguaros answered in the eighth off Seattle Mariners reliever Reid Easterly. Aidan Miller singled home a run, then Escobar hit a two-run triple on a ground ball to left that knotted it at eight. Luke Hill followed with a single to center that plated Escobar with the go-ahead run. Kansas City Royals reliever Josh Hansell picked up the win after striking out three of the six batters he faced in the eighth, touching 97.2 mph on his four-seamer. Hansell's curveball, sitting around 78 mph, helped generate four whiffs in just 26 pitches. Cleveland's Magnus Ellerts retired both batters he faced in the ninth to record the save.
Escobar's night encapsulates both his upside and the pressure on his bat. He went 1-for-2 with two walks, reaching base three times, and delivered the game-tying blow. His hit tool grades at 45, and his 2026 Double-A line at Reading reflected real difficulty turning on pitches, but a night like this, with patience and a hard contact moment, shows the floor can be useful if the contact quality holds. Escobar is Rule 5 eligible for the first time this December, which gives his AFL work added context entering November decisions.
Mesa Solar Sox 7, Salt River Rafters 3
Mesa's third inning was the game. Angels shortstop Arjun Nimmala walked, and Salt River could not stop the damage. Starter Ross Dunn allowed a single and two walks before Colorado Rockies reliever Stu Flesland III walked in two runs and allowed a Breyson Guedez two-run single that put Mesa up 4-1, a lead they would not relinquish. Washington Nationals catcher Kevin Bazzell temporarily closed the gap with a two-run home run in the fourth off Athletics reliever Grant Richardson, a 104.7-mph, 426-foot drive to center that made it 4-3, but Mesa's offense answered in the sixth and eighth with a Davis Diaz RBI single and a Kade Snell insurance single to finish it 7-3.
Nimmala was the steadiest offensive presence on the field, going 2-for-3 with a double and two walks. His approach this fall has been notably patient, posting a .452 on-base percentage across six AFL games to go along with his 55-grade power. He is one of the Angels' top prospects, and his footwork and arm at shortstop continued to look comfortable here. Richardson got the win with 2.1 innings of two-run ball, touching 96.6 mph on his four-seamer and generating five whiffs with a fastball-slider mix.
Scouting Notes
Ike Irish, OF (Baltimore Orioles): Irish went 1-for-3 with two RBI, a walk and a hit by pitch, reaching base three times. His 60-grade hit tool and 55-grade power give him the foundation to produce in spots like this, and his .414/.469/.655 AFL line through seven games reflects a bat that has handled short-season arms without much trouble. His right-field defensive home remains the question heading into 2027.
Kenya Huggins, P (Athletics): Huggins threw two scoreless innings on six batters, 14 pitches total, touching 96.0 mph on his four-seamer with cutter action at 89.7. His command grade sits at 35, so two economical AFL outings are a positive data point without erasing the underlying concern about sustained location.
Josh Hansell, P (Kansas City Royals): Hansell's four-seamer averaged 96.1 mph and reached 97.2. He struck out three and generated four swings and misses in his one inning. His curveball grades at 60, the carrying pitch in his arsenal.
Vance Honeycutt, CF (Baltimore Orioles): Honeycutt went 0-for-3 with two walks and three strikeouts, scoring twice. His walk total this fall is notable; through 23 AFL plate appearances he has walked 10 times. That patience has to coexist with improved contact decisions, but the on-base discipline is a genuine development signal worth tracking.
Dax Kilby, SS (New York Yankees): Kilby went 0-for-3 with a walk but hit a groundout at 108.7 mph in the seventh inning, showing his bat speed is genuine even when results do not follow. His 55-grade hit tool and left-handed stroke project him to second base long term, and that contact quality suggests the bat is present even when the floor shows up in the box score.
Up Next
Thursday brings three games across the Valley. Kansas City left-hander Justin Lamkin faces Miami left-hander Emmett Olson as Surprise visits Glendale, whose 1-8 record is the worst in the league. Scottsdale takes on Peoria, where Cardinals right-hander Tekoah Roby gets the ball for the Javelinas. The day's most anticipated arm is Washington Nationals right-hander Jarlin Susana, who starts for Salt River against Mesa Solar Sox left-hander Tucker Novotny.