BOWIE, Md. - Several former and potential future Bowie Baysox are competing in the prestigious Arizona Fall League and a number of them have posted impressive numbers thus far with the Salt River Rafters.
BOWIE, Md. - Several former and potential future Bowie Baysox are competing in the prestigious Arizona Fall League and a number of them have posted impressive numbers thus far with the Salt River Rafters.
INF Stevie Wilkerson has hit .316 with a home run and eight RBI in 16 games for Salt River while also recording three doubles, four triples and six walks. The Clemson product has registered five multi-hit games and is hitting .333 (14-42) vs. right handers. Wilkerson combined to hit .305 in 112 games between High-A Frederick and Bowie during the 2017 season.
INF Ryan Mountcastle competed in the AFL's Fall Stars Game on November 4 and went 1-2 with an RBI double. The 20-year-old has hit .246 with three home runs and a team-high 13 RBI over 16 games for the Rafters and posted an eight-game hitting streak from October 13-24. During that eight game stretch, Mountcastle hit .324 and also drove in a run in six straight contests.
OF Anthony Santander has knocked in eight runs in 14 games for Salt River and has three multi-hit games in his last seven contests. A Rule 5 selection of the Orioles in December 2016, Santander appeared in 15 games with the Baysox on a rehab assignment during the 2017 season and hit .380 with five home runs and 14 RBI while tying a franchise record with five runs scored in a single game as part of a 21-1 win over Akron. The Margarita, Venezuela native went on to bat .267 in 13 games with the Orioles.
RHP Jesus Liranzo has not allowed a run in two of his four outings and has fanned three batters in 4.2 IP. The right-hander spent the entirety of the 2017 season with the Baysox and went 3-4 with a 4.85 ERA in 31 games (12 starts) to go along with 75 strikeouts in 65.0 IP.
Along with Mountcastle, LHP Tanner Scott represented the East Division in the Fall Stars Game and fanned four over two shutout innings. Scott has notched five strikeouts in seven innings of work over three starts with Salt River. The southpaw was 0-2 with a 2.22 ERA in 24 starts for Bowie and fanned 87 batters in 69.0 IP before making his Major League debut on September 20 vs. Boston.
LHPs Keegan Akin and Luis Gonzalez both spent all of 2017 with Frederick and both could be future Baysox. Akin has appeared in seven games in relief and has allowed just two runs while fanning 12 in 12.1 IP. Gonzalez has yet to allow a run in his first six outings for Salt River (6.2 IP) and opponents are just 3-23 (.130) against the southpaw.
The Arizona Fall League will run through November 16.
