Shushkewich: Eight Canadians headed to the Arizona Fall League

Ontario Blue Jays alum and Toronto Blue Jays outfield prospect Dasan Brown (Oakville, Ont.) is one of eight Canadians headed to the Arizona Fall League.

September 25, 2023

By Tyson Shushkewich

Canadian Baseball Network

As the Minor Leagues begin to wind down and move into the playoffs (if they aren’t complete already),the prestigious Arizona Fall League (AFL) is set to kick into high gear, with the first games slated to take place on Monday, October 2.

The AFL is comprised of six teams with players from every Major League farm system, with each AFL squad composed of players from five different MLB teams to bring balance across the roster. A majority of the players featured in this league are either looking for some extra playing time, as injuries may have limited them in the regular season, or they are top prospects looking for additional challenges to help take their game to the next level. For example, 10 of the top 100 MLB Top Pipeline prospects are heading down to take part, including Blue Jays left-hander Ricky Tiedemann (ranked No. 31).

In terms of Canadian content, three of the six teams host at least one Canuck while the Surprise Saguaros boast six players, two of which are Blue Jays prospects.

Surprise Saguaros

(Blue Jays, Brewers, Rangers, Reds, Royals).

Featuring six Canucks on their roster, the Saguaros offer a good mix of talent from across the various Minor League levels.

Representing the Blue Jays are Damiano Palmegiani (Surrey, B.C.) and Dasan Brown (Oakville, Ont.), both position players, while Rangers catcher Liam Hicks (Toronto, Ont.) rounds out the rest of the positional group.

Palmegiani has made great strides this season, as the infielder started the season in double-A and was recently promoted to triple-A Buffalo and has continued to mash the ball all season long. Between both levels, the right-handed batter has collected 33 doubles, 23 home runs, and 93 RBIs through 128 games. Since being promoted to Buffalo, the former Vauxhall Jet owns a .981 OPS through 74 at-bats.

Brown, on the other hand, has found mixed results in high-A Vancouver, as the Junior National Team alum hit .218 with a .624 OPS on the year, adding 26 stolen bases.

Hicks, who started the year in High-A but earned a quick promotion to double-A Frisco, spent the majority of the campaign in Texas. With the RoughRiders, the lefty-batter collected 40 RBIs while posting a 0.94 BB/K rate to the tune of a .776 OPS in his third professional campaign. Behind the plate, Hicks threw out 15% of base stealers while also spending 26 games in the DH spot and 13 games at first base, where he authored a clean 1.000 fielding percentage.

Toronto Mets alum and Texas Rangers pitching prospect Mitch Bratt (Newmarket, Ont.) will be playing in the Arizona Fall League.

Pitching-wise, two southpaws in Rangers’ top prospect Mitch Bratt (Newmarket, Ont.) and Brewers prospect Justin King (Lloydminster, Ab.) join the Saguaros as well as Royals right-hander Eric Cerantola (Oakville, Ont.) to round out the group.

Many of you likely remember Bratt from the World Baseball Classic earlier this year, where the then 19-year-old was tasked with facing a stacked United States squad. While the outing did not go his way, it was a glimpse into what the Rangers prospect was capable of doing, a testament shared by baseball fans across the league. Bratt followed that outing by spending the year in high-A, making 16 starts and posting a 3.54 ERA through 61 innings of work. The southpaw missed almost two and a half months this season with an undisclosed injury, so a stint in the AFL will help the Toronto Mets alum get some additional innings under his belt.

Joining Bratt will be reliever Justin King, who made 28 appearances for the high-A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers in the Midwest League. The 25-year-old finished second on the team in outings and led the squad in K/9 (15.8), striking out 54 batters on the season. A bit wild at times with 25 walks on the season, King will face some of the best prospects in the league as he looks to continue working up the minor league ladder.

The only right-handed Canadian pitcher appearing in the AFL is Eric Cerantola, who pitched a majority of the season in high-A before a late promotion to double-A helped bring up his innings count. Primarily a starter heading into this year, Cerantola spent more time out of the bullpen this season, working as a multi-inning reliever. The 23-year-old pitched to a 4.04 ERA through 62 1/3 innings in Quad Cities, striking out batters at an 11.6 K/9 clip with a 1.396 WHIP prior to being moved to double-A.

Peoria Javelinas

(Guardians, Mariners, Marlins, Padres, Rays)

The lone Canadian suiting up for the Javelinas is Guardians left-hander Erik Sabrowski (Edmonton, Alta.), who is looking to get some more innings on the mound as he returned from his second Tommy John surgery earlier this season.

Drafted by the Padres in 2018, injuries have limited Sabrowski to just 28 appearances as a professional, suiting up only in 2021 and this past season. Returning to the mound in early June, Sabrowksi pitched to a 2.49 ERA through a career-high 20 outings, allowing just 13 hits and six earned runs. Holding opponents to a .176 average, the southpaw racked up 28 strikeouts but allowed 18 walks, something the 25-year-old will look to work on in the AFL.

Ontario Blue Jays alum and Atlanta Braves infielder prospect David McCabe (Oshawa, Ont.) is headed to the Arizona Fall League.

Salt River Rafters

(Braves, Diamondbacks, Pirates, Rockies, Tigers)

Rounding out the position players heading to AFL is Oshawa, Ont. product David McCabe, a prospect in the Atlanta Braves organization.

The 16th-ranked prospect in the Braves organization split the season between single-A and high-A and put forward impressive numbers in the batter’s box, sporting a collective .276/.385/.450 average with a .835 OPS. The Ontario Blue Jays and Team Ontario Astros alum also showcased his power, amassing 17 home runs to go with his 75 RBIs between both squads while putting forward a 128 wRC+ at the high-A level.

Defensively, McCabe suited up at third base because of his plus arm and the 23-year-old is still growing into the position, making 22 errors on the season (.905 fielding percentage). His strong arm and athleticism will likely be on display for the Rafters at the hot corner in the AFL in October as McCabe looks to make his case for a promotion to double-A next season.