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The Arizona Fall League season comes to a close with the Surprise Saguaros coming away with the championship and the Scottsdale Scorpions, the team with seven Yankees prospects, finishing dead last with a .323 winning percentage over the 31-game season. While the team ultimately failed, that doesn't mean it was a total waste of time.
Vidal Nuno finished with a 3.20 ERA and very good peripherals (8.24 K/9 and 1.37 BB/9) for a 2.49 FIP. Opposing hitters hit .247 off of him in four starts and one relief appearance over what was a team-leading 19.2 innings pitched.
After losing most of the 2013 season to injury, Nuno needed a fall like this to show the Yankees that he's worth another look in 2014. He has the potential to fill in as a fifth starter or stick around as a longman or a left-handed specialist out of the bullpen.
James Pazos, drafted in 2012, had a decent AFL over 10.1 innings of relief appearances. He had a good 1.74 ERA and 7.84 K/9, but he struggled immensely with his control, walking 6.10 batters per nine innings and finishing with a 3.49 FIP. He's only 22 and reached Low-A Charleston in 2013, but the lefty has shown he can be useful against some pretty good talent. The control issues will be something to watch, though.
At 26, Fred Lewis is old for a prospect, yet he only made it to Triple-A for the first time this season. In the AFL, Lewis had an impressive 2.75 FIP with an 8.18 K/9, however he struggled with a 4.09 BB/9. Perhaps most impressive was the fact that he didn't give up a single run in 11 innings. The 2014 season could really be his last chance to make it before he's labeled as career minor leaguer. A showing like this could put him on the map for a potential call up if the need arises.
Brett Gerritse just finished his third straight season at Low-A Charleston, and it finally looked like he proved he could move up in the system after his age-22 season. His AFL might knock him back down a few pegs, though. He had a great 9.26 K/9, but also a 8.49 BB/9 for a 6.46 FIP. He had an ugly 9.26 ERA in 11.2 innings over nine relief appearances. Gerritse might finally move up to High-A Tampa in 2014, but he'll be fighting for his prospect status.
In his second first go around in the AFL, Mason Williams had a much better time. Still, it wasn't great. In 94 plate appearances he hit .267/.330/.337, which is a below-average 84 wRC+. He stole four bases and collected four RBI, but he didn't walk (8.5%) while striking out a little too much (19.1%). The Yankees' top outfield prospect hasn't displayed the talent that matches his potential, so a weak offseason doesn't really show much hope for the speedster going into Double-A in 2014.
Addison Maruszak replaced the injured Tyler Austin where he hit a surprisingly good .281/.452/.344 (137 wRC+) with a great walk rate (23.8%) and a good strikeout rate (11.9%) in only 42 plate appearances. It would have been nice to see what he could have done if he was there from the beginning, but Maruszak isn't much of a prospect at this point and is probably ticketed to another full season at Triple-A.
Peter O'Brien was probably the most disappointing Yankee prospect this fall. After a great offensive 2013, the former catcher joined the Scottsdale Scorpions as a third baseman in hopes of showing he had real prospect value. Unfortunately, he only hit .190/.212/.413 (61 wRC+) with a minuscule 3.0% walk rate and a grotesque 39.4% strikeout rate in 66 plate appearances. On the positive side, he did lead the team with four home runs and 13 RBI. At the age of 23 he could start the season in Double-A, but if he doesn't have a position his ceiling isn't going to be much higher than a designated hitter/backup first baseman type.