And that’s a wrap.
Play has concluded at the Arizona Fall League, so it’s time to hand out some hardware.
New York Yankees outfield prospect Elijah Dunham was named Breakout Player of the Year.
Coming off a hot finish to his first MiLB season, Dunham continued to produce in the Arizona Fall League, hitting .357 with 11 extra base hits and an OPS of 1.037. He finished the Fall League tied for 2nd in hits while leading the league with 11 stolen bases. ... The Yankees signed Dunham as a nondrafted free agent out of Indiana following the shortened 2020 Draft. This fall, he certainly looked like someone who should have gone in those five rounds. ... In fact, he was one of only two players with at least 10 extra-base hits and five steals. Dunham got it done at the plate with a .357/.465/.571 line, two homers, three triples and six doubles in 23 games. He walked more times (14) than he struck out (10) over 101 plate appearances.
MLB Pipeline ranks Dunham as the Yankees’ No. 24 prospect. He was ranked the No. 25 prospect at the Arizona Fall League.
Austin Wells was the top-ranked Yankees prospect in Arizona, coming in at No. 13.
This bat is going to play. Wells finished sixth with a 1.034 OPS and was in the top 10 in average (.344) and OBP (.456). He’s athletic and has played other positions in the past, in college, but he’s dedicated to improving behind the plate as well.
Wells, the Yankees’ first-round draft pick in 2020, is the team’s No. 6 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline.
And then there’s Ezequiel Duran. If his name sounds familiar, well, it should. He was sent to the Texas Rangers in the trade which brought Joey Gallo to the Yankees. He was ranked the No. 15 prospect in Arizona.
Duran stood out for his loud contact (not to mention his .611 SLG) and his ability to play multiple positions. He looked particularly good at third, where he could develop into a solid everyday player coming off a near 20-20 regular season. ... His four triples were tied for the league lead, and 14 of his 20 hits went for extra bases. As a result, his .611 slugging percentage, which came against just a .278 average, was sixth-best among AFL qualifiers. Beyond providing thump, Duran made a lot of contact with the Saguaros, striking out in only 11.5 percent of his plate appearances.
Duran is the Rangers’ No. 7 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline.
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Mike Rosenstein may be reached at mrosenstein@njadvancemedia.com.
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