AFL Update: Ricky Tiedemann named Pitcher of the Year, Surprise Saguaros win Championship, and more
8 months ago
Surprise, surprise, the Surprise Saguaros and eight Blue Jays prospects have won the Arizona Fall League title.
This season, the Saguaros were assigned to the Blue Jays, who sent eight players to continue their seasons in the Fall League: Ricky Tiedemann, C.J. Van Eyk, Trent Palmer, Fitz Stadler, Conor Larkin, Damiano Palmegiani, Dasan Brown, and Will Robertson.
If you want an in-depth article on how these players did, my most recent Arizona Fall League recap covered stats until the end of the regular season. Today, we’ll talk about how the team fared in the playoffs.
As for the championship game itself, Surprise won 6-5, overcoming a four-run inning from Javelinas in the ninth. All three Blue Jays position player prospects factored into this game, as Damiano Palmegiani went 1-3 with a single, two walks and two strikeouts, scoring three of the Saguaros’ runs. Will Robertson also went 1-3 with a single, a walk, and a strikeout, while Dasan Brown was brought in as a defensive replacement in the top of the eighth.
It should also be mentioned that Palmegiani made an otherworldly play at third base. He robbed Javelinas of what likely would have been their second run, along with the opportunity of having another runner on base with no outs. Meanwhile, on the pitching side of things, Van Eyk was the only Blue Jays pitcher to pitch on Saturday, finishing with a line of 1 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, and 1 K.
Ricky Tiedemann wins pitcher of the year:
The top Blue Jays prospect hadn’t pitched since October 20, but still finished tied for innings pitched with 18 of them. His 23 strikeouts were tied for the fourth most, and he finished with the 20th-best ERA (out of 100) with a 2.50 ERA.
The 2024 season will be a big one for the 21-year-old left-handed pitcher, as he may find himself on the big league team at some point during the season. Tiedemann will likely start next year with the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons but he’ll certainly be an exciting name to follow during spring training.
As always, you can follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and Threads @Brennan_L_D.
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