The Surprise Saguaros, loaded with Mets prospects, exploded out of the gate in the Arizona Fall League, rattling off three straight wins to kick off their season. It was a scorching start, but man, did that momentum cool off fast. By the end of the week, the Saguaros had dropped three in a row, settling for an even 3-3 record after an up-and-down opening stretch.
From Unstoppable to Untouchable (Not in a Good Way)
That opening weekend for the Saguaros was something else. They kicked it off on Saturday, October 3, with a dominant 9-3 win over Scottsdale. First baseman Cole Mathis contributed with a hit and an RBI, while RHP Peyton Prescott snagged the win with 1.2 innings of scoreless ball. Then Sunday brought a 4-4 tie against Salt River, and Monday, October 5, saw an 8-7 thriller against Glendale. These guys looked like they couldn’t be stopped!
But then the wheels started to come off. Tuesday brought a 7-2 loss to Salt River. After a scheduled day off Wednesday, Thursday, October 8, was another rough one, a 4-1 defeat by Scottsdale. The week bottomed out on Friday, October 9, with a brutal 10-4 loss to Peoria. What changed? For one, errors plagued the infield. Second baseman Bruin Agbayani tallied two errors in the opener, another on Monday, and yet another on Thursday, making it four for the week. That kind of defensive lapse just kills rallies and extends innings.
Cold Bats and Hot Messes on the Mound
Individually, it was a mixed bag at the plate for the Mets’ hitting prospects. Cole Mathis managed just one hit in 11 at-bats, though he drew four walks, boosting his on-base percentage to .333. Bruin Agbayani struggled, too, with only one hit in 13 at-bats, putting his average at a paltry .077. Boston Baro also notched just one hit in eight at-bats. These guys are going to need to find their rhythm fast, because that kind of production isn’t going to cut it, even in the AFL.
The pitching staff had some real head-scratchers, too. RHP Peyton Prescott went from a stellar win on opening day with 1.2 scoreless innings to a tough outing Friday, giving up three runs on four hits in 1.1 innings. RHP Calvin Ziegler had an absolutely brutal Friday, too, getting tagged for three runs in just 0.1 innings with three walks and two wild pitches, leaving him with a 36.00 ERA for the week. Ouch. But hey, it wasn’t all bad news! RHP Irving Cota showed some serious promise, racking up six strikeouts in two scoreless innings on Friday after a decent first outing, and RHP Ryan Lambert was lights out, throwing two innings across two appearances without giving up a hit or a run, striking out four. RHP Brendan Girton also kept a clean sheet with 0.00 ERA across his two appearances.
Next up, the Surprise Saguaros have more games on the schedule this coming week. These prospects need to shake off the rough finish to Week 1. Guys like Agbayani need to clean up the defense and find the barrel, and pitchers like Ziegler and Prescott need to find consistency after some truly wild outings. It’s early in the AFL, so there’s plenty of time to adjust, but you know every outing here matters for their future. Let’s see if they can turn this ship around and show what they’re really made of.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Amazin’ Avenue.
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