The Buzz: Connor Phillips dazzles in AFL debut
Connor Phillips spins a gem, Colt Emerson stays hot, Tre' Morgan makes some noise. Here's everything you need to know from Wednesday's AFL action.
There's a lot going on. Damage to Tropicana Field's roof from Hurricane Milton on Wednesday leaves Tampa Bay's immediate future up in the air, while the MLB Postseason rolled on with both the Dodgers and Yankees managing to stave off elimination against the Royals and Padres, respectively. Meanwhile, Francisco Lindor's grand slam propelled the Mets past the division-rival Phillies and back into the NLCS for the first time since 2015. We'll have some in-depth postseason coverage in the coming weeks, but for the moment our focus is primarily on the Arizona Fall League where we got our first stellar pitching performance courtesy of Reds prospect Connor Phillips in addition to a handful of standout offensive efforts. Let's dive right in.
Arizona Fall League Recap
Connor Phillips, RHP, Reds
4.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 7 K
Phillips filled up the strike zone on a hitter-friendly Wednesday afternoon that featured triple-digit heat, throwing 36 of 58 pitches for strikes, while piling up seven strikeouts without handing out a free pass during his Arizona Fall League debut. The 23-year-old right-hander, who made five late-season starts for the Reds during the 2023 campaign, struggled so badly to open this past season at Triple-A Louisville that he was shipped to rookie ball in late June in an effort to hit the reset button. He came back looking extremely sharp down the home stretch, compiling a strong 2.49 ERA, 1,38 WHIP and 24/10 K/BB ratio across 21 2/3 innings (five starts) after August 21. He's the ultimate wild card from a dynasty standpoint since the stuff has always been there for Phillips. He boasts a strong three-pitch mix with an upper-90's heater and a pair of strong breaking balls. If he's able to consistently miss bats at the highest level, he could be a mid-rotation impact fantasy contributor as early as next season.
Tre' Morgan, 1B, Rays
4-for-6, 3B, 5 R, 2 RBI
Morgan spearheaded a relentless 19-run explosion for the Mesa Solar Sox during Wednesday's nightcap, tallying four hits, including a triple, in a one-sided affair. The 22-year-old former third-round pick from the 2023 MLB Draft offers some impressive athleticism for the position and wound up finishing this past season with a 21-game cameo at Double-A Montgomery after batting .354 (105-for-297) with eight homers and 19 steals in 79 games between High-A Bowling Green and Low-A Charleston. He'll get some extra seasoning in the upper minors to open the 2025 campaign, but he's not far away from making an impact for Tampa Bay, especially if he continues hitting for average on the doorstep of the big leagues. He wasn't included in my latest Top 500 dynasty rankings for Fantrax, but a strong showing in the AFL will probably be enough to get him on the list heading into 2025.
Chase DeLauter, OF, Guardians
1-for-4, 2 RBI, BB
The central question for fantasy managers is whether DeLauter can stay on the field after batting a series of lingering foot issues over the past few seasons. The 23-year-old is one of the most talented hitting prospects in the fantasy landscape, but was limited to just 39 contests this past season due to injury. He was really starting to hit his stride down the home stretch at Triple-A Columbus to close out the year, so the fact that he's healthy and producing is extremely encouraging. He's remained in a holding pattern right around the top 150 overall in my Top 500 dynasty rankings for the last year since there are zero questions regarding his ability, when healthy. If he can stay on the field, he's going to arrive in Cleveland at some point in the early stages of next season.
Colt Emerson, SS, Mariners
3-for-5, 2B, RBI
Emerson's sizzling-hot start to the AFL season continued with another multi-hit performance as he's up to eight hits already through a pair of contests. The 19-year-old phenom is highly unlikely to make an impact for fantasy managers next season, but a strong showing in the AFL will go a long way in assuaging some of the lingering concerns after he was limited to just 70 contests this past season in the lower minors due to injury. Simply put, he's one of my personal favorite prospects in the game heading into 2025 and it wouldn't be shocking to see him continue trending towards top-50 overall status in my upcoming Top 500 dynasty rankings updates.
Drake Baldwin, C, Braves
2-for-5, HR, 2 RBI
Baldwin emerged as one of the better catching prospects in the game this season, recording a .793 OPS with 16 homers across 124 contests between Double-A Mississippi and Triple-A Gwinnett. The 23-year-old third-round pick from the 2022 MLB Draft boasts excellent contact skills and pairs it with some decent over-the-fence power for a backstop. It would be unfair to label him as a relative unknown, but he's unlikely to have made the leap to mainstream consciousness for fantasy managers outside of dynasty formats. He's still a ways off from joining the Kyle Teel, Moises Ballesteros, Agustin Ramirez, Ethan Salas tier in terms of catching prospects, but he's rising pretty quickly.