The Arizona Fall League regular season enters its final two weeks with the Salt River Rafters holding an 11-10 record. The Yankees prospect contingent experienced an up-and-down week, highlighted by powerful hitting from Kyle West.
Game-by-Game Results
The Rafters opened the week on October 24 with a 5-3 loss to the Saguaros. Dax Kilby went 2-for-4 with two singles and a stolen base. On the mound, JT Etheridge allowed two runs on four walks over three innings, while Mack Estrada and Antonio Gomez both pitched scoreless frames, with Gomez touching 98 mph. Kyle West provided the offensive highlight by hitting his first home run of the spring at 111.9 mph and 409 feet.
Salt River rebounded on October 26 with a dominant 20-4 victory over the Saguaros. Core Jackson finished 0-for-5 with a walk, an RBI, and four strikeouts, and Anthony Mena pitched two scoreless innings late in the game. West starred again by hitting two home runs spanning a combined 912 feet, finishing the day with three hits, a double, and four RBIs, with exit velocities reaching 112.0, 109.2, and 100.4 mph.
The offense stalled on October 27 in a 1-0 shutout loss against the Desert Dogs. Kilby went 0-for-4, and Chris Veach tossed two scoreless innings to maintain his strong month.
Strong pitching returned on October 28 as the Rafters defeated the Scorpions 4-0. Kilby went 1-for-3 with two walks and a 107.9 mph single. Jackson walked and struck out in two at-bats, West went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts, and Gomez delivered a scoreless inning with two strikeouts and stable 98 mph velocity.
The week concluded on October 29 with a heavy 21-5 defeat to the Solar Sox, following cancellations on Friday. Kilby tripled twice, including a 109.3 mph, 409-foot shot off the center field wall, though he and West both committed defensive errors at shortstop. Estrada kept a clean sheet over two-thirds of an inning.
Prospect Totals in the Desert
Dax Kilby has batted .304 with 17 hits in 53 at-bats, including two home runs, eight RBIs, six doubles, three triples, six walks, seven strikeouts, and five stolen bases. Core Jackson holds a .125 average with five hits in 40 at-bats, one home run, three RBIs, one double, one triple, 14 walks, 16 strikeouts, and 10 stolen bases.
Kyle West has hit .239 with 11 hits in 46 at-bats, three home runs, 10 RBIs, one double, seven walks, 11 strikeouts, and three stolen bases. JT Etheridge has pitched nine innings, allowing seven hits and six runs (five earned) with seven walks and 13 strikeouts.
Mack Estrada has logged 5.2 innings, surrendering two hits and one run with seven walks and two strikeouts. Chris Veach has thrown 9.2 innings, giving up five hits and four runs with four walks and 12 strikeouts. Anthony Mena has recorded 9.2 innings, allowing nine hits and four runs (three earned) with five walks and seven strikeouts, while Antonio Gomez has pitched 5.1 innings, permitting seven hits and five runs with six walks and five strikeouts.
