2023 Rookie-level playoffs coverage

Aug. 27

Arizona Complex League
ACL Brewers 5, ACL D-backs Red 4

The Brewers emerged victorious in a tightly contested decisive Game 3 of the Championship Series.

Milwaukee's Rookie-level team jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the second inning on a couple of fielder's choices back to the mound, a double-play ball and a fielding error. After Juan Baez's sacrifice fly in the fourth extended the lead, the D-backs Red responded in the bottom of the frame with an RBI double by Arizona's No. 22 prospect Caden Grice and a two-run single by Ronny Polanco.

Miguel Briceno collected three hits, including a double, and scored once for the Brewers.

Right-hander Brailin Rodriguez picked up the win after allowing a run on one hit in 2 2/3 innings, and righty Blake Whiting gave up a hit but closed out the win with two strikeouts in the final frame.

Jefferson Pena got Arizona's affiliate within a run with an RBI double in the seventh. Lefty Carlos Rey and righty Edgar Isea kept the D-backs Red in contention over the final 4 2/3 scoreless innings with five strikeouts apiece. Box score »

Aug. 26

Florida Complex League
FCL Braves 9, FCL Yankees 1
The Braves are your 2023 Florida Complex League champs!

Behind another inspired effort from the organization's top prospects and a late offensive outburst, the Braves coasted to an easy victory to sweep the best-of-3 Championship Series on Saturday.

Atlanta's No. 24 prospect Diego Benitez opened the scoring with an RBI triple in the first and he finished the game with a pair of knocks, a walk and two runs scored. Isaiah Drake (No. 23) continued to be a sparkplug at the top of the lineup, reaching base three times, on a hit and a pair of walks. He also scored the Braves' first run. Game 1 hero Douglas Glod all but sealed the victory with a two-run double in the ninth. The 13th-ranked Braves prospect also walked and scored. The first three hitters in the Braves lineup accounted for five of the club's 10 hits and six runs.

Sixth-ranked Yankees prospect George Lombard Jr. finished 1-for-4 with a single to center in the third. Box score »

Arizona Complex League
ACL D-backs Red 14, ACL Brewers 2

After dropping Game 1 of the ACL Finals, the D-backs Red team wasted no time getting on the board in Game 2.

The Arizona affiliate put up crooked numbers nearly every inning, starting early and often. In the bottom of the first, outfield prospect Jefferson Pena got the party started with a leadoff homer. Caden Grice (Arizona No. 22) hit an RBI single and an Adrian De Leon three-run jack capped a six-run opening frame.

The D-backs finished with 15 hits, including six multihit performances. No. 11 prospect Kristian Robinson stayed hot, going 2-for-5 with a walk and two big flies which raised his postseason OPS to 1.207. Another standout performer was De Leon who tacked on a pair of singles after his first-inning tater.

The Brewers' two runs came courtesy of a Miguel Briceno double in the fourth and a Reece Walling single in the ninth. The two teams will play a winner-take-all Game 3 on Sunday. Box score »

Aug. 25

Arizona Complex League
ACL Brewers 2, ACL D-backs Red 1

The Brewers only picked up three hits in Game 1 of the ACL Championship Series, but it would be all they needed to claim a victory.

A trio of Milwaukee's Top 30 prospects led the way on offense. After Yeison Perez walked to open the third inning, 10th-ranked prospect Cooper Pratt lined a single to center field, and both scored on 25th-ranked prospect Juan Baez's double. Eric Bitonti (No. 12) also reached base twice on a pair of walks.

Arizona's ACL Red team clawed back late and almost sent the game to extras. After 11th-ranked prospect Kristian Robinson came around to score on Jackson Feltner's ground-rule double in the eighth, the D-backs strung together a two-out rally in the ninth to put runners on the corners. However, Bayden Root struck out Robinson for his third K of the inning to earn the save. Box score »

Florida Complex League
FCL Braves 3, FCL Yankees 2

Four of Atlanta's Top 30 prospects led the way as the Braves edged out the Yankees to take Game 1 of the best-of-3 Championship Series.

The decisive swing came off the bat of Braves No. 13 prospect Douglas Glod, whose lone hit in the game was a go-ahead solo home run in the second inning. The Braves never squandered the lead from there. Diego Benitez, 24th-ranked prospect, drove in the club's first run with a game-tying sacrifice fly that scored Isaiah Drake (No. 23) in the first. Sabin Ceballos (No. 18) also chipped in with one of the Braves five hits in the game.

Yankees sixth-ranked prospect George Lombard Jr. finished 1-for-3 with a single and a walk. He looks to help the Yankees stave off elimination and force a decisive Game 3 when the teams resume the series on Saturday. Box score »

Aug. 24

Florida Complex League
FCL Yankees 7, FCL Pirates 6

In perhaps the most back-and-forth postseason game involving the Yankees and Pirates since Bill Mazeroski walked it off for Pittsburgh in 1960, it was the Baby Bombers who were successful this time. Led by Enmanuel Tejeda's four-hit performance, the Yankees punched their ticket for the FCL Championship Series.

Tejeda matched a season high in knocks while plating a pair of runs and scoring another. With the Yankees down by one in the sixth, first baseman Dylan Jasso slugged a two-run homer and Tejeda singled in an insurance run. Yankees' 2023 first-rounder George Lombard Jr. tallied two runs scored, an RBI single and a walk in just his sixth pro game.

That extra run proved to be important as Jeral Toledo drilled a one-out homer to right in the ninth to bring the Pirates within one. But after a two-hour, 39-minute rain delay, the Yankees secured the final two outs of the FCL semifinal.

On Friday, the Yankees will begin the best-of-3 Championship Series against the Braves. Box score »

FCL Braves 7, FCL Mets 1

Behind a strong outing from right-hander Davis Polo -- 4 2/3 scoreless frames with four strikeouts -- and a six-run fourth inning, the FCL Braves punched their ticket to the FCL Finals.

The Braves batted around in the fourth, with RBI knocks from Atlanta's No 23 prospect Isaiah Drake -- who also stole a base and scored in the frame -- and Will King. Righties LJ McDonough and Miguel Hernandez closed the door with a combined three perfect innings of relief. McDonough fanned four.

Seventh-ranked Mets prospect Colin Houck led the Mets' offense with two hits. New York's first-round selection this year (No. 32 overall) collected a pair of singles. Yonatan Henriquez manufactured the Mets' only run in the sixth after working a leadoff walk, advancing to second on a hit and then scampering home on a throwing error.

The Braves will meet the Yankees in the Championship Series starting on Friday. Box score »

Arizona Complex League
ACL Brewers 3, ACL Rockies 2

Yeison Perez hit a pair of solo homers and seven pitchers combined to strike out 10 to lift the ACL Brewers into the ACL Championship Series. The 19-year-old went deep just once in 139 at-bats during the regular season, during his very first game on June 5.

Reece Walling opened the scoring with a solo jack and Perez followed with his first of the game in the fifth. Perez teed off again in the seventh. Juan Baez, the No. 25 Brewers prospect, went 3-for-3 with a double and a walk.

Mark Manfredi started for the Brewers and worked around a walk to record three strikeouts in one inning during his professional debut. Milwaukee selected the 23-year-old in the ninth round of this year's Draft.

Rockies' 2023 eighth-rounder Braylen Wimmer accounted for his club's offense with a two-run homer.

The Brewers will play the D-backs Red in the best-of-3 Finals beginning on Friday. Box score »

ACL D-backs Red 4, ACL Dodgers 3

Adrian De Leon singled up the middle in the bottom of the ninth to rally the ACL D-backs Red to a berth in the ACL Championship Series. Arizona's Rookie-level squad rallied from three separate one-run deficits, tying the game on Adrian Rodriguez's RBI single in the eighth.

Kristian Robinson drove in his team's first run with a single in the second and led off the ninth with a base hit before scoring the winning run. The No. 11 D-backs prospect swiped a pair of bases and Ruben Santana, the organization's No. 23 prospect, singled twice and drove in a run.

Alexander Albertus had a pair of RBI knocks and Kendall George reached base in four of his five plate appearances. The Dodgers' 2023 first-round Draft pick and No. 15 prospect singled and walked three times.

The D-backs will begin the best-of-3 Finals with the Brewers on Friday. Box score »