DotF: Bird named AzFL Fall Star Game MVP after mammoth homer

The video above is 1B Greg Bird’s monster homerun off Reds RHP Nick Howard (19th overall pick in 2014) in the Arizona Fall League Fall Stars Game last night. Bird was named the game’s MVP. You’ve got to be mighty strong to hit a ball that far on a pitch on the outer half of the plate. Baseball America recently published articles on Bird (free), the Yankees’ players development changes (free), and RHP Jaron Long (subs. only), so check those out.

AzFL Scottsdale (6-2 loss to Peoria) Monday’s game

• RF Aaron Judge: 1-2, 2 R, 2 BB, 1 E (fielding)
• DH Greg Bird: 1-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI
• RHP Alex Smith: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K — nine of 14 pitches were strikes (64%)

AzFL Scottsdale (4-3 loss to Surprise) Tuesday’s game

• RF Aaron Judge: 1-3, 1 BB
• LF Tyler Austin: 0-4, 2 K
• DH Dante Bichette Jr.: 1-2, 1 R, 2 BB
• RHP Kyle Haynes: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, 1/1 GB/FB — five of eight pitches were strikes
• RHP Caleb Cotham: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, 0/1 GB/FB – seven of 12 pitches were strikes (58%)

AzFL Scottsdale (7-5 loss to Mesa) Wednesday’s game

• DH Aaron Judge: 1-3, 1 R, 1 BB
• 1B Greg Bird: 0-3, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 E (throwing)
• C Kyle Higashioka: 1-3, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 BB — he’s hitting .438/.500/.688 in only four games played
• RF Tyler Austin: 3-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 3 RBI — got picked off first
• 3B Dante Bichette Jr.: 1-4, 1 K, 1 E (throwing)

AzFL Scottsdale (7-5 win over Mesa) Thursday’s game

• RF Aaron Judge: 2-4, 2 R, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K — also threw a runner out at the plate
• DH Greg Bird: 2-2, 2 BB
• 1B Dante Bichette Jr.: 0-0 — took over as an injury replacement in the eighth but did not bat
• LF Tyler Austin: 3-4, 1 R — he threw a runner out at the plate as well … hitting .322/.394/.492 with two homers in 15 games
• RHP Caleb Cotham: 1.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 1/1 GB/FB — 17 of 25 pitches were strikes (68%)

AzFL Scottsdale (8-6 loss to Salt River) Friday’s game

• RF Aaron Judge: 1-2, 1 R, 2 BB, 1 HBP — hitting .296/.418/.574 in 15 games and is tied for second in the league with four homers
• 1B Greg Bird: 1-4, 2 RBI, 1 BB — hitting .342/.400/.632 with a league-leading six homers in 19 games
• DH Dante Bichette Jr.: 1-4, 3 RBI — hitting .240/.310/.240 in 14 games
• RHP Alex Smith: 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, 3/0 GB/FB — eight of 12 pitches were strikes (67%)
• RHP Kyle Haynes: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, 1/0 GB/FB — half of his 28 pitches were strikes

AzFL Fall Stars Game (East wins 6-2) Saturday’s game

• 1B Greg Bird: 1-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K — batting cleanup and played the entire game
• RF Aaron Judge: 0-2 — entered the game in the fifth inning

Dominican Winter League

• OF Zoilo Almonte: 4 G, 5-14, 4 R, 1 2B,  RBI, 2 BB, 3 K (.333/.412/.400) — I believe he’s about to become a six-year minor league free agent
• OF Eury Perez: 3 G, 3-14, 1 R, 1 2B, 2 K (.214/.214/.268) — likely to replace Zoilo as the up-and-down outfielder next year
• LHP Ramon Benjamin: 2 G, 0.1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 0 K (27.00 ERA, 6.00 WHIP)
• RHP Joel De La Cruz: 2 G, 1.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 1 HR (0.00 ERA, 1.80 WHIP) — I can’t help but laugh whenever a homer counts as an unearned run
• LHP Francisco Rondon: 3 G, 1.1 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K (6.75 ERA, 3.75 WHIP)

Mexican Pacific League

• OF Jose Figueroa: 13 G, 3-10, 4 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 SB (.300/.364/.600)
• RHP Gio Gallegos: 8 G, 7.1 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, 1 HB (1.23 ERA, 0.95 WHIP)
• RHP Luis Niebla: 4 G, 4 GS, 16 IP, 11 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 5 BB, 14 K, 1 HB, 1 HR (2.81 ERA, 1.00 WHIP)

Roberto Clemente Professional Baseball League (Puerto Rico) started play on Thursday. SS Vince Conde, 2B Angelo Gumbs, and OF Carlos Beltran are all listed on rosters but have not yet played. Beltran hasn’t played winter ball in years and won’t this year because of his recent elbow surgery. He’s only listed on the roster because the team still controls his winter ball rights.

Venezuelan Winter League

• C Francisco Arcia: 13 G, 10-52, 2 R, 3 2B, 6 RBI, 2 BB, 14 K (.192/.222/.250)
• UTIL Ali Castillo: 19 G, 29-79, 17 R, 5 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 10 RBI, 2 BB, 11 K, 9 SB, 2 CS, 2 HBP (.367/.393/.494)
• OF Ramon Flores: 13 G, 12-37, 5 R, 1 2B, 2 3B, 2 RBI, 6 BB, 7 K (.324/.419/.459)
• UTIL Adonis Garcia: 18 G, 21-77, 7 R, 2 2B, 5 RBI, 4 BB, 8 K, 2 SB, 1 HBP (.273/.317/.299)
• C Jose Gil: 11 G, 11-39, 9 R, 4 2B, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 2 BB, 7 K, 1 SB, 1 HBP (.344/.400/.563)
• OF Ericson Leonora: 4 G, 3-11, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 3B, 5 K (.273/.273/.545)
• UTIL Jose Pirela: 7 G, 10-28, 8 R, 1 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 2 BB, 4 K (.357/.400/.857)
• C Jackson Valera: 1 G, 0-0
• RHP Diego Moreno: 9 G, 8 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 1 HB, 1 HR (5.68 ERA, 1.38 WHIP) — allowed four runs in an inning of work in his only appearance this week
• RHP Mark Montgomery, RHP Wilking Rodriguez, SS Angel Aguilar, and C Frankie Cervelli are all listed on rosters but have not yet played. They probably won’t at this point.