Arizona Fall League 2015: Midseason Stock Watch on MLB's Top Prospects

Normally, the Arizona Fall League is chock full of some of baseball's best prospects, both on the mound and in the field.

While the six teams that comprise the offseason league are littered with familiar names, many of the very best prospects in the game are not taking part in this year's AFL, especially on the pitching side of things.

Case in point: Only one pitcher on MLB.com's list of the top 100 prospects is flashing his stuff in the AFL, one of two participants that land in the top 20 of that list. In fact, only eight members of the top 100 are currently playing.

Still, there's plenty of talent refining their skills in Arizona, some of which figures to crack the top 100 before the 2016 season gets underway. Let's take a look at how the best prospects in attendance have fared thus far.

Stock Up: Lewis Brinson, OF, Texas Rangers

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

2015 AFL Stats: 9 G, .273/.359/.515, 5 XBH (0 HR), 5 RBI, 5 BB, 8 K, 4-of-5 SB

Lewis Brinson's numbers aren't as gaudy as the .332/.403/.601 triple-slash line he put up across three minor league levels during the regular season, but he continues to showcase the power/speed combination that found his name floated as part of a package for Cole Hamels at the trade deadline.

Tied with Pittsburgh's Adam Frazier for the AFL lead in triples with three, Brinson is currently riding an eight-game hitting streak and couldn't be happier with the way he continues to swing the bat.

"I've had a lot of at-bats so far in the Fall League where I've hit balls hard but right at people, but I'm happy with that," he recently told MLB.com's Mike Rosenbaum. "Those are good at-bats in my book."

Those at-bats caught the eye of former MLB scout and current MLB.com analyst Bernie Pleskoff, who tweeted a short scouting report after watching the 21-year-old in action: "(Brinson) is hitting some very loud line drives in @AFL15. Ball is jumping off his bat. Having a great Fall League."

If the Rangers and their fans weren't ecstatic about not having to part with Brinson to land Hamels before, they should be now.

Stock Down: J.P. Crawford, SS, Philadelphia Phillies

2015 AFL Stats: 5 G, .150/.227/.150, 2 BB, 6 K, 0-of-1 SB

J.P. Crawford is probably the best prospect in the Arizona Fall League, but you wouldn't know it from his lackluster numbers at the plate. He's managed only three singles thus far and shown none of the plate discipline that has seen him walk (160) nearly as much as he's whiffed (163) over his minor league career.

Part of that could be due to an unnecessary change to his two-strike approach, as ESPN's Eric Longenhagen points out in the video above, or maybe, as Longenhagen suggests, Crawford is just exhausted.

While this doesn't change Crawford's long-term outlook, it is a bit troubling that he hasn't found success in an AFL that is light on elite pitching prospects.

Stock Up: Clint Frazier, OF, Cleveland Indians

2015 AFL Stats: 9 G, .368/.429/.579, 3 XBH (2 HR), 7 RBI, 4 BB, 12 K, 2-of-3 SB

Clint Frazier is always going to command attention for his exceptional bat speed and power, and like most sluggers, strikeouts are always going to be an issue for him. But talent evaluators have been impressed with the changes they've seen in the 21-year-old's approach at the plate this fall.

MLB.com's Bernie Pleskoff points to Frazier using "a much more measured swing" than the "aggressive, long" one that he employed earlier in his career, while ESPN's Keith Law took note of Frazier's improved ability to recognize and make contact with off-speed pitches, something he's struggled with in the past.

While most believe he's still at least another year away from the majors, Frazier could speed up his arrival in Cleveland if the changes he's made at the plate carry over into the 2016 season, which he figures to begin at Double-A Akron.

Stock Down: Sean Manaea, LHP, Oakland Athletics

2015 AFL Stats: 3 GS, 0-1, 6.75 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 12 IP, 13 H, 3 BB, 13 K

While he was no longer listed among the game's top 100 prospects by the time the season ended, Sean Manaea was a consensus selection for multiple versions of that list heading into 2015. With a dearth of top pitching prospects in the AFL and two open spots on our list, I chose to include him here.

Part of the package that Kansas City sent to Oakland at the trade deadline for Ben Zobrist, Manaea has become less effective on the mound with each AFL start. After allowing only one earned run and two hits over four innings in his first outing, he's allowed a combined 11 hits and eight earned runs over his last two, spanning eight innings of work.

John Arguello of 2080baseball.com took in Manea's latest outing and noticed a change in his arm slot during the game, which led to his stuff flattening out and the 23-year-old getting hit hard. Manaea will need to show he can successfully repeat his delivery before taking the next step in his development.

Stock Down: Austin Meadows, OF, Pittsburgh Pirates

Keith Srakocic/Associated Press

2015 AFL Stats: 8 G, .121/.147/.303, 3 XBH (1 HR), 5 RBI, BB, 6 K, 1-of-1 SB

It may seem unfair to criticize a 20-year-old coming off a regular season that saw him play more baseball than he's ever played before, but that criticism comes with the territory when you were taken early in the MLB draft, as Austin Meadows was when Pittsburgh took him ninth overall in 2013.

While noting there's a lot to like about his game, Baseball Prospectus' Chris Crawford writes that the shine on Meadows' star has dimmed just a bit:

"

The hit and power tool both flashed above-average for me both during BP and game, and he’s improved his routes in the outfield, looking more and more like a natural fit for center field. Maybe he isn’t going to be the star so many thought he was in high school, but he’s going to be a big leaguer, and he’s going to hit near the top of a lineup for a long time.

"

Perhaps Meadows' struggles in the AFL are due to his being exhausted, both mentally and physically, or maybe there's something else going on. While his stock is down now, a return to form in his first full season with Double-A Altoona in 2016 can make his AFL struggles a distant memory.

Stock Up: Brett Phillips, OF, Milwaukee Brewers

2015 AFL Stats: 7 G, .346/.452/.538, 4 XBH (0 HR), 3 RBI, 5 BB, 5 K, 1-of-2 SB

Part of the four-player package that Houston sent to Milwaukee in exchange for Mike Fiers and Carlos Gomez, Brett Phillips had his heart set on playing in the Arizona Fall League well before he switched teams.

"I was hoping to come here with the Astros before I got traded," he told MLB.com's Mike Rosenbaum, "but it was Milwaukee's decision to send me here, and I'm just excited to be playing with and against the best guys in the Minor Leagues."

While that last part might be a bit of an overstatement, considering the lack of top pitching prospects that he's facing, what can't be overstated is how well Phillips is swinging the bat. He's reached base safely in all seven games that he's played and recorded at least one hit in six of them.

A.J. Reed, 1B, Houston Astros

2015 AFL Stats: 8 G, .241/.361/.414, 3 XBH (1 HR), 5 RBI, 6 BB, 5 K, 1-of-1 SB

A.J. Reed had a monster season in 2015, hitting a combined .340 with 34 home runs, 127 RBI and a 1.044 OPS between High-A and Double-A, more than enough to earn a chance to break camp with Houston next year.

A quick look at his performance in the AFL might make you question the wisdom in that thinking, but there may be a simple explanation for his struggles. "Reed played 135 games this year," ESPN's Keith Law recently wrote, "and given how lethargic he seemed, he probably shouldn't be out in Arizona much longer."

While his stock is down now, Reed could be what Jonathan Singleton was not—a long-term answer at first base for the Astros.

Stock Even: Alex Reyes, RHP, St. Louis Cardinals

2015 AFL Stats: 3 GS, 0-0, 0.77 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 11.2 IP, 9 H, 7 BB, 12 K

Command issues continue to plague Alex Reyes, who has walked at least two batters in each of his three AFL starts, but St. Louis' top prospect continues to look the part of a future ace whenever he steps on the mound.

He's allowed only one earned run in nearly 12 innings of work and can make batters look foolish, as ESPN's Keith Law recounts: "My favorite sequence of the day came from Reyes to a left-handed hitter, in which he started off the poor sap with two changeups and then came back with 98 mph above the hitting zone."

Still a year or two away from making an impact in the majors, Reyes has all the makings of a future star.

While he'll need to continue working on his command, especially when it comes to his secondary offerings, nothing he's done in Arizona would lead you to believe he won't be able to get things under control with more work and repetition.

Stock Down: Daniel Robertson, SS, Tampa Bay Rays

Brynn Anderson/Associated Press

2015 AFL Stats: 9 G, .242/.342/.273, 2B, 4 BB, 4 K

Daniel Robertson was having himself a fine season before breaking a bone in his left hand in mid-June, an injury that required surgery to repair. That injury—and the rust that he accumulated while waiting for it to heal—are likely the reasons behind what has been a mediocre showing in Arizona so far.

Putting up numbers would have been nice, but his time in the AFL is more about allowing him to make up for lost time, continue to shake off the rust and get comfortable at the plate again.

One of Tampa Bay's top prospects, the 21-year-old's future remains bright, though whether he'll stick at shortstop or move to third base remains to be seen. He'll open the 2016 season with Double-A Montgomery.

Stock Up: Gary Sanchez, C, New York Yankees

Carlos Osorio/Associated Press

2015 AFL Stats: 9 G, .425/.429/.900, 7 XBH (5 HR), 15 RBI, BB, 4 K, 2-of-3 SB

After spending multiple seasons entrenched as one of baseball's 100 best prospects, inconsistency and immaturity found Gary Sanchez on the outside of those lists heading into 2015. But his performance in Arizona could very well find him included once again heading into 2016.

Sanchez leads the AFL in multiple categories, including home runs (5), RBI (15), total bases (36), slugging percentage (.900) and OPS (1.329). He's also improved behind the plate, drawing rave reviews as both a game-caller and receiver from St. Louis' Alex Reyes.

While he made his MLB debut this past September, Sanchez is blocked in New York by Brian McCann. Assuming the Yankees don't use him as trade bait this winter, he'll start the 2016 season with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Unless otherwise noted/linked, all statistics courtesy of MLB.com and are current through games of October 28.

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