Engel, Sanchez lead AFL Prospects Team

Though the Winter Meetings have begun in Nashville, the official close to autumn came Monday from the Arizona Fall League.

White Sox prospect Adam Engel and Yankees prospect Gary Sanchez highlight this year's AFL Top Prospects Team, the circuit announced Monday. The team was voted on by AFL managers and coaches, who were asked to consider both league performance and Major League projectability.

Engel was named AFL MVP last month after leading the Fall League in all three slash-line categories (.403/.523/.642) and added a homer, two triples, nine doubles, nine RBIs and 10 steals in 19 games for Glendale. The No. 17 White Sox prospect's numbers were particularly impressive given that he hit .251/.335/.369 in 136 games for Class A Advanced Winston-Salem during the Minor League regular season.

Sanchez was tops in the AFL with seven homers and tied for the league lead with 21 RBIs while producing a .295/.357/.625 line in 22 games for Surprise. On the defensive side, the 23-year-old catcher threw out 16 of 26 (61.5 percent) potential basestealers. Those impressive across-the-board numbers made the Yankees' No. 5 prospect look all the more Major League-ready following a season in which he was solid at the Minors' two highest levels and made his Major League debut in October.

A's No. 3 prospect Sean Manaea (0-2, 3.86 ERA, 33 K in 25 2/3 IP) and Brewers No. 14 prospect Josh Hader (2-0, 0.56 ERA, 19 K in 16 IP) earned the two starting pitcher spots on this year's Top Prospects Team.

The rest of the AFL Top Prospects Team is below: