I'll See Ya at the Arizona Fall League Symposium

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Greg Ambrosius
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I'll See Ya at the Arizona Fall League Symposium

Post by Greg Ambrosius » Thu Nov 02, 2017 10:38 am

More than a dozen NFBC owners will be joining me this week at the Arizona Fall League Symposium. Started by Ron Shandler in 1994 when Michael Jordan played in the AFL, this event is the official kickoff for baseball die-hards to the next baseball season. Each team sends 6 of their top minor-league prospects to play in a short season of games and the Rising Stars Game is this Saturday at Salt River Fields.

Top prospects like Victor Robles and Ronald Acuna headline a roster of prospects that includes 10 of Baseball America's Top 100 prospects. They include Kyle Tucker, Mitch Keller, Francisco Mejia, Justus Sheffield and Yusnial Diaz. I got here yesterday and already saw a few of these prospects and I can't wait to see them all over the next three days.

NFBC Charter Member Ray Murphy and Brent Hershey of BaseballHQ.com do a fantastic job with this conference, which will have close to 200 attendees. It's three days of speakers, seminars, drafts and ballgames. We'll host two NFBC 15-Team Draft Champions League drafts out here tomorrow, using the time-honored stickers!! This is a great start to the drafting season as we'll get through 23 rounds live here and then finish up with slow drafts that start in January. These are always competitive, good leagues.

Say hi if you're around tomorrow. And if you still have time to join us, grab a car and drive on over. It's 3-4 days of sunshine (the weather is perfect), baseball and camaraderie. See you there. Baseball ended last night but it's starting again here with the Arizona Fall League Symposium.
Greg Ambrosius
Founder, National Fantasy Baseball Championship
General Manager, Consumer Fantasy Games at SportsHub Technologies
Twitter - @GregAmbrosius

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Re: I'll See Ya at the Arizona Fall League Symposium

Post by Greg Ambrosius » Thu Nov 09, 2017 2:25 pm

I'd like to thank Ray Murphy and Brent Hershey for a great, great, great time in Phoenix last week. The AFL Symposium gets better and better every year. I thought the panel discussions were as enjoyable as ever and the breakout sessions were fantastic. I hosted an ADP breakout panel with Dave Potts, Brian Slack and Alex Chamberlain and it was standing room only in that conference room. There was great, great interest in our ADPs and how to use them to form a winning team thanks to great insights from Dave, Brian and Alex.

As I stated at that conference, our goal this year is to make our ADPs more meaningful for our players by allowing more sorting of the data. We will parcel out the different formats (10 teams, 12 teams, 15 teams and separate Draft Champions lists) and have filters for 7 days, 14 days, 21 days and All Drafts. We will eventually allow shorter time periods as well, but early on this will really help.

And I also stated that we want our ADPs to be the Gold Standard in the industry. We want other industry content sites to have our ADPs so that more and more people learn about the NFBC. We also want industry writers to reference our ADPs and see drafting trends. This is different from what we've done in the past, but we really believe that this is the best content in the industry and deserves more widespread attention. Everyone can interpret the data differently, but we do want that data out there and spread throughout the industry.

It was also great to see so many NFBC members at the AFL Symposium. This was the first place that I announced the launch of the NFBC in November of 2003. I remember about 10 of our signups coming from this conference, which I was ecstatic about. This year, we had 24 NFBC players in attendance at this show, ranging from Main Event grand champions like Dave Potts and Rob Silver to veterans like Todd Zola, Robert Sargent, Matt Modica and Roy Ericson. It was great to see everyone out there.

Thanks again to Ron Shandler and Rick Wilton for having the foresight to start this fantasy conference when Michael Jordan debuted in the AFL. It was wise to jump in then and it has grown to a MUST BE THERE trip every year for baseball fanatics like myself. Count me in every year.

Oh, and it's snowing here today in Wisconsin. Can I go back to Phoenix please? 8-)
Greg Ambrosius
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General Manager, Consumer Fantasy Games at SportsHub Technologies
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Re: I'll See Ya at the Arizona Fall League Symposium

Post by Greg Ambrosius » Sun Nov 12, 2017 11:17 am

The Arizona Fall League is such a fertile spot for top prospects that 27 of the last 46 Rookie of the Year winners played in that league. You can add two more to that list because Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger -- the clear-cut Rookie of the Year front-runners in 2017 -- also played there.

As if that's not enough, 63 AFL players from 2016 saw time in the majors last year. They included Bellinger, St. Louis SS Paul DeJong, Yoan Moncada and Bradley Zimmer. So if you want to see next year's MLB stars, you need to check out their progress in the AFL. In fact, the Championship Game is Saturday, Nov. 18th at 1 pm, so be there if you can.

There are dozens of players from this year's AFL who will reach the majors in 2018. Here's the top ones to keep an eye on:

Ronald Acuna, OF, Atlanta: Still only 19, Acuna has risen to be the No. 5 prospect according to MLB.com. He quickly rose through the ranks in 2017 and could reach the majors before May 1st in 2018. I thought he was the most impressive prospect in the AFL as he looks physically ready to compete for a regular job. He played CF in the AFL, but moved over to RF in the Fall Stars Game, where he led off the game with a sharp single to left field. He has power to all fields and was really working hard on driving the ball to right field in the AFL. On Thursday night, he hit a fly ball to the warning track in right field. That came after he was buzzed under the chin in his first at-bat and picked himself up and laced a bullet to left on the next pitch. This kid can play. He played at three levels in 2017 (Hi-A, AA, AAA) and hit .325-21-82 with 44 Stolen Bases and 88 Runs. At Triple-A Gwinnett, Acuna hit .344-9-33 in 54 games. He did get caught stealing 20 times last year and he was thrown out in the Fall Stars Game too, but there's double-digit speed there. In 20 AFL games so far, he's hitting .329-7-15 with 2 Stolen Bases and 21 Runs. The Braves will definitely start him in the minors to gain a year of service, but they can still call him up in April and build around him. I'd be surprised if he wasn't a major part of their rebuilding program right away. He's my pick for 2018 NL Rookie of the Year.

Victor Robles, OF, Washington: This 20-year-old is the No. 2 prospect on MLB.com and he won MVP honors in the Fall Stars Game with a walk, a hit, an RBI, a stolen base and two runs. Robles reached the majors last year and hit .250 in 24 at-bats with four RBIs. Because of that major league exposure, he likely won't be called up to the majors until at least May 1st. There's also a position problem as the Nationals already have Adam Eaton, Bryce Harper, Jayson Werth and Michael Taylor in the outfield. There isn't room for Robles just yet, but the talent is there. At Hi-A and Double-A last year, Robles hit .294-10-47 with 27 Stolen Bases and 73 Runs. He has more speed than Acuna, but definitely less power. In just 11 AFL games, he has hit .257-3-7 with 7 Stolen Bases and 9 Runs. He looks to be a top of the lineup hitter who can easily play center field. If Eaton returns healthy in 2018, that will make it tough for Robles to earn playing time. He also skipped Triple-A, so another half year there wouldn't hurt him. But he's close and it wouldn't surprise me if he forces his way into a playing position this year, possibly in left field. At a time when speed is hard to find, Robles could fill that valuable role for fantasy owners.

Justus Sheffield, LHP, Yankees: A first-round pick of the Indians in 2014 who was acquired by the Yankees in the Andrew Miller trade, this lefty looks like something very special. He started the Fall Stars Game and threw 98 with an easy, fluid motion. He looked special as he struck out two in two innings, while allowing one run on three hits. Sheffield started in Rookie League last year before ending the year at Double-A Trenton. In 19 starts, he went 7-7 with a 3.12 ERA and 88 strikeouts in 98 innings. In the AFL, Sheffield is 2-2 with a 3.10 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 20 IP. Just 21, he's likely headed to Triple-A this season and won't be rushed to the big leagues. There's no reason to rush him, but he is definitely going to fit in with the Yankees' impressive corp of young stars. And he has the talent to be a big part of future title runs. I was impressed, but he's more of a fantasy play in 2019 than in 2018.

Francisco Mejia, C/3B, Cleveland: The No. 1 Indians' prospect and the 13th prospect according to MLB.com, Mejia is a Catcher who is being converted to third base in order to get his bat in the lineup this year. Just 22, Mejia has an MLB-worthy bat, which is why the Indians are trying to convert him to third base. He hit .297-14-52 at Double-A Akron last year and he is hitting .367-2-8 in 14 AFL games. The switch-hitter was 1-for-2 with an impressive double off Baltimore lefty Tanner Scott in the Fall Stars Game, a laser to right center field. The Indians think he can make the jump from Double-A to the majors while making a position change as well, but fantasy owners would love to see him behind the plate. He would instantly be a top fantasy catcher if he stayed there. Let's see if he can successfully make the move to third base, but if he does his bat will play in this lineup. He has to be a top contender for AL Rookie of the Year honors.

Kyle Tucker, OF, Houston: This 20-year-old needs to be on the radar for 2019. At 6'4", 190 he still has room to grow into that big frame, but you can already see the natural ability. I even like the fact that he hits without batting gloves as he has that old-school look to him. He has a good eye at the plate (.274 last year with a .330 OBP) and good speed (20 SBs). He also added 25 homers and 90 RBIs last year between Hi-A and Double-A. In the AFL, he's hitting just .222-0-9, but I was at one game where he had two solid singles. The Astros are in no hurry to get him to Houston and there's no need to rush him, so expect Tucker to spend most of 2018 at Double-A and Triple-A. But he has the talent to join his brother Preston in the majors and that could happen full-time starting in 2019.

Tanner Scott, LHP, Baltimore: One of the most impressive performances in the Fall Stars Game was provided by Scott, who struck out the side in the third inning and had four strikeouts in two innings. He displayed a fastball that hit 100 mph and a slider that moved from side to side. All four strikeouts came on swing and misses as that slider was NASTY. He's been a starter in the minors who has struggled with his control and that's happening in the AFL right now as he has 11 walks in 9 innings. Last year at Double-A Bowie, he was 0-2 in 24 starts with a 2.22 ERA, 87 strikeouts and 46 walks in only 69 innings. The Orioles called him up to the majors in September and he gave up two runs on two hits, two walks and two strikeouts in 1.2 IP. It's obvious that he needs to work on throwing strikes, but this lefty already has two strikeout pitches. There's talk that he could be a late-inning reliever, but the Orioles will try to keep him as a starter in 2018. He might not be a fantasy impact pitcher this year, but keep an eye on Scott because he has the ability to be a dominant lefty.

Luis Urias, SS, San Diego: The No. 46 prospect impressed offensively and defensively in the Fall Stars Game. He hit a 400-foot homer and dove to his left to start a 6-4-3 double play for the winning East squad. Just 20, he spent all of last year at Double-A San Antonio and hit .296-3-38 with 7 Stolen Bases and 77 Runs. He was hitting .319-0-8 in the AFL, but that big homer showed that he has some life in that bat. He will spend this next season at Triple-A and has time to grow, but he looks like someone who can help the Padres improve in 2019 and beyond.

Sandy Alcantara, RHP, St. Louis: At 6'4", 170 he has some filling in to do with that frame, but he has big league stuff. He displayed a 100 mph fastball and a 90 mph changeup in the Fall Stars Game while striking out two and giving up two hits in one solid inning. He reached the majors in September and struck out 10 in 8 innings, while also walking 6. Before that he spent the season at Double-A Springfield, where he started 22 games and went 7-5 with a 4.31 ERA, striking out 106 with 54 walks in 125.1 IP. The Cardinals will keep him in a starting role as he progresses to Triple-A, so don't be surprised to see him called up to the majors at some point in 2018. That's an arm that will play in today's swing and miss majors.

Mitch Keller, RHP, Pittsburgh: Keller started opposite of Sheffield in the Fall Stars Game and gave up one run on a hit and two walks in the first inning before retiring the side in order in the second. He flashed a 97 mph fastball and threw strikes on 20 of 38 pitches, but control is key with Keller. He's currently 3-0 in the AFL with a 1.37 ERA and 14 Ks in 15 innings, so he's progressing well. He progressed through three levels last year, finishing at Double-A Altoona with a 2-2 record, 3.12 ERA and 45 K's in 34.2 IP. He needs to add a little more to that 6'3" frame, but at 21 he's on the right path. Expect a full season in the minors before Keller competes for a starting spot in 2019.

Corey Ray, OF, Milwaukee: The 5th overall pick in 2016, Ray had a bummer minor-league season as he hit just .241-7-48 at Hi-A Carolina with 24 stolen bases. He had a hit, a run and a walk in the Fall Stars Game, but he's still hitting just .212 in the AFL. Milwaukee already has a crowded outfield, so this 23-year-old is going to have to progress fast. He has good speed, but he strikes out too much. He's not close to the majors, but the Brewers still have high hopes for Ray.

Michael Chavis, 3B, Boston: The Red Sox already has Rafael Devers at third base, so Chavis may need a trade to see playing time in the majors. He certainly impressed last year as he hit .285-31-95 between Hi-A and Double-A. the 26th overall pick in 2014, Chavis struggled early but made good progress this year. Let's see if another year of production in the minors gets him closer to the majors.

That's the best of the best in the AFL. Feel free to chime in on other prospects if you were at the AFL of if you have questions about the players we saw. Enjoy.
Greg Ambrosius
Founder, National Fantasy Baseball Championship
General Manager, Consumer Fantasy Games at SportsHub Technologies
Twitter - @GregAmbrosius

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Re: I'll See Ya at the Arizona Fall League Symposium

Post by Greg Ambrosius » Mon Nov 20, 2017 9:23 am

For Wayne Edwards and the other Braves' fans out there, just a reminder that Ronald Acuna was the MVP of the Arizona Fall League. Here's the writeup on his accomplishments in the AFL this year:

http://m.braves.mlb.com/news/article/26 ... d=27118140

Oh, and he also had 4 RBIs in the Championship Game to lead Peoria to the title. This dude is the real deal:

http://m.braves.mlb.com/news/article/26 ... =151437456

I'd be surprised if he's not in the majors before the end of April. Enjoy all.
Greg Ambrosius
Founder, National Fantasy Baseball Championship
General Manager, Consumer Fantasy Games at SportsHub Technologies
Twitter - @GregAmbrosius

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