It’s Monday and that means it’s time for another update from the Boys of Autumn on the Mesa Solar Sox in the Arizona Fall League.
In case you’ve forgotten what the AFL is all about, check out last week’s introduction. This year, the Mesa Solar Sox are a team consisting of players from the minor league systems of the Cubs, Athletics, Angels, Blue Jays and Red Sox.
We have a special event later today as Kate Preusser of our sister Mariners site Lookout Landing was down in Arizona and she managed to snag
an interview with Cubs outfielder Kade Snell as a favor to us. That interview will run later this afternoon.
The Solar Sox went 1-3-1 this past week, with one tie on Monday. That makes their overall record for the season at 2-4-1 so far. The home team is listed last in these links.
Monday, October 5: Scottsdale Scorpions 6, SOLAR SOX 6 in 10 innings.
Tuesday, October 6: Glendale Desert Dogs 4, SOLAR SOX 3 in 10 innings.
Thursday, October 8: SOLAR SOX 3, Salt River Rafters 4.
Friday, October 9: SOLAR SOX 10, Scorpions 11.
Saturday, October 10: Peoria Javelinas 3, SOLAR SOX 7.
So despite going 1 and 3 (and one!) for the week, all three losses were by one run and the Solar Sox outscored their opponents for the week, 29 to 28.
Here’s how the eight Cubs prospects on the Solar Sox did.
Infielder Juan Cabada: At 18, Cabada is the second-youngest player in the AFL this year and as such, it should not come as a surprise if he struggles. Cabada played in four games this week, although on Saturday, he only pinch-ran and went in to third base as a defensive replacement. He did not have a plate appearance in Saturday’s game.
But Cabada played second base on Monday and Tuesday and third base on Friday. He went 1 for 12 with a walk and a stolen base. Cabada was also hit by a pitch. He scored one run and had one run batted in.
On the AFL season, Cabada is hitting .133 with a .278 on-base percentage. He’s scored twice.
Outfielder Harrison Feinberg: Feinberg made his AFL and professional debut on Monday and he went 1 for 4 in that game. He also played on Saturday and Sunday and finished the week going 3 for 9 with three walks and a stolen base. Feinberg scored two runs and had one run batted in. He played left field in all three games.
Outfielder Kade Snell: Snell was the Solar Sox starting right fielder on Monday, Thursday and Friday, but he had a bit of a rough week, going 1 for 10 with a double. He did walk four times, which mitigates the batting average somewhat. He scored one run this past week.
For the young season, Snell is hitting .211/.348/.263 with the one double. He scored twice and drove in one run.
Right-hander Juan Cabral: Cabral just faced two batters this week, relieving his fellow Cub Anhuar Garcia in the fifth inning of Friday’s game with no one on and two outs. Cabral walked the first batter he faced and then got a grounder to first to end the inning.
Cabral has not allowed a run over 1.1 innings and two appearances so far. He has walked two and struck out one.
Right-hander Anhuar Garcia. As noted above, Garcia pitched on Friday, entering the game with one out and one on in the second inning. Garcia pitched 3.1 innings and allowed three runs, two in the third inning and one in the fourth. However, because of an error in the third and a passed ball in the fourth, none of the three runs were earned. Garcia allowed three hits and one walk while striking out two.
Garcia now has thrown five innings over two relief appearances and has an ERA of 7.20. Garcia has walked four and has struck out two.
Right-hander Yohendris Gonzalez: Friday was apparently the Cubs day to pitch as Gonzalez made his only appearance on Friday as well. Gonzalez entered the game in the eighth inning with the Solar Sox leading 6-5.
But Gonzalez had a rough outing. He walked the first two batters he faced but then bounced back to strike out the next two. But then Gonzalez allowed an RBI single to former Cubs farmhand Zyhir Hope to tie the game and then a three-run home run to Giants prospect Dakota Johnson. He left the game right after that.
So the final line on Gonzalez was four runs on two hits and two walks over two-thirds of an inning. Gonzalez struck out two.
Right-hander Dominick Reid: Reid is quickly becoming the ace of the Solar Sox. He started Saturday’s game and got the win after allowing one run on four hits over four innings. Reid’s command of the strike zone wasn’t quite as impressive as in his first game as he walked three and only struck out two on Satyrday.
Over two starts, Reid is 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA over eight innings. He’s struck out nine batters and has walked four.
Right-hander Luis Rujano: Rujano was the only Cubs prospect to pitch twice this week, giving the Solar Sox 1.2 innings on Monday and one inning on Saturday. Monday’s appearance was excellent—no runs on one hit over 1.2 innings while striking out three and walking just one.
Friday’s was less excellent but not terrible as Rujano allowed one run on one hit and one walk over one inning. He did not strike anyone out in that game.
Those were Rujano’s first two appearances in the AFL, which gives him an ERA of 3.38 over 2.2 innings.
