Sags' Waldrop in the mood for fall fun

You could look at Kyle Waldrop's regular-season numbers and say they're the result of his environments. He played half the season in Pensacola, one of the most homer-happy ballparks in the Southern League, and the other half in Bakersfield in the California League, one of the Minors' most hitter-friendly circuits.

Now, facing the game's best young pitchers in ballparks designed to accommodate big league teams during Spring Training, the Reds prospect is proving his production was no fluke.

Waldrop went 3-for-5 with a pair of RBIs and three runs scored Wednesday night as Surprise outslugged Scottsdale, 13-11, in Arizona Fall League action.

"You know, I feel great. I was fortunate to put some good swings on balls and I just tried to keep it simple -- see ball, hit ball -- and it was working, for sure," he said. "It was just one of those games where I was able to put some good swings on balls and swing at strikes, which is the key."

Waldrop doubled to right field leading off the second inning and singled to left to start the third. His biggest contribution came an inning later, when he laced a 1-2 pitch from Phillies right-hander Ryan O'Sullivan over the head of center fielder Roman Quinn for a two-run triple.

"He kept pounding me in with the fastball and I was waiting on the changeup," Waldrop said. "I battled him and he flipped me a changeup and I was able to keep back on it. I was just trying to score the runner from third any way I could."

Waldrop's third multi-hit effort in four games raised his AFL average to .438. He also had three hits a week ago in Peoria and followed that with a 4-for-6 game on Friday against Mesa, where he fell a triple shy of the cycle.

His recent exploits in the prospect-laden Fall League may go some way to corroborating his regular-season success.

While the 2010 12th-round hit never hit higher than .284 in his first four years in pro ball, he batted .338 this season between Class A Advanced Bakersfield and Double-A Pensacola. Waldrop established career highs with 67 RBIs, 37 doubles, 252 total bases and a .516 slugging percentage in 131 games.

"You have to respect the AFL, you're facing some great arms," said Waldrop, a corner outfielder who was asked by the Reds to get extra reps at first base in the hope he can become more versatile heading into 2015. "If you can do good here, it proves you can hit because every pitcher you face was the best pitcher on their team this year. Everyone is throwing really hard, that's the biggest thing: 94 [mph] to 97 with better off-speed stuff. Everyone can pitch."

Mariners No. 19 prospect John Hicks delivered the decisive hit for the Saguaros, a two-run single that snapped an 11-11 tie in the top of the ninth.

"[Nick] Williams hit a ground-rule double that would have driven in a run, but it hopped over the wall," Hicks said. "[Jesse] Winker had come around to score and, as I walked up to the plate, he gave me a mini scouting report on the guy, which is always nice to have.

"I got ahead, 2-0, and then I swung at a pitch I shouldn't have and fouled a couple off. Winker had told me the guy had a good breaking ball, and he left it up and I was able to find the hole."

Winker, the Reds' No. 2 prospect and the reigning AFL Player of the Week, had two hits, two RBIs and a pair of runs scored, while Red Sox center fielder Rusney Castillo was 2-for-5 with a run scored.

Quinn, the Phillies' fifth-ranked prospect, reached base five times, stole two bases and scored three runs, while Yankees No. 5 prospect Aaron Judge homered and drove in four runs for the Scorpions.