Arizona Fall League Fall Stars game as great as it should be

The Arizona Fall League Fall Stars game was everything you could hope for – big velocity, big power, and a walk-off finish.

The Arizona Fall League Fall Stars game opened with 103 MPH fastballs and closed with a light-hitting catcher placing a perfect walk-off hit on Saturday night.

With an impressive roster for the game, the Arizona Fall League Fall Stars game was expected to be a show of elite players, but it was all of that and more. Let’s count down the fun that was part of the game!

1. Big velocity

Triple-digit velocity was expected off of the mound with pitchers only having an inning (or less) to throw. However, it wasn’t just on the mound where the huge velocity came out.

That’s not a mistake. Peter Alonso hit a pitch from Nate Pearson that the stadium gun (and multiple scouting guns on Twitter) had at 103+ MPH out with a 117 MPH exit velocity. Both would be StatCast records…

2. Alonso/Listi MVP discussion

Even when the East was still behind in the game, Peter Alonso was considered for the MVP. His big home run in the first inning was his only hit, but he was on base two other times via walk, and he had scored all three times.

Then Austin Listi took over for Taylor Trammell in the 5th inning. Listi drove in a run with a ground out in his first at bat, and then he stepped to the plate in the 8th inning with 2 on base. He drove a huge bomb to left-center for a 3-run home run and the first East lead since the first inning and Alonso’s home run.

3. Final-inning destiny

This spring, the Toronto Blue Jays played an exhibition in Montreal. The Blue Jays played the Cardinals, and going into the 9th inning, the game was scoreless. Montreal baseball fans had a strong desire to see the son of one of their long-time heroes, Vladimir Guerrero, take the plate. Sure enough, he came to the plate with two outs in the bottom of the 9th inning, and he did this:

Vladdy stepped up to the plate in the 9th inning in a 1-run game Saturday night, and he was definitely trying to tie the game on one swing. Instead, he pulled a 2-2 pitch hard into the shortstop/third base hole, and the ball was thrown away, allowing Guerrero to reach second.

After two quick outs, the West team was down to their final out. Buddy Reed hit a ball that quickly reached its peak level and leveled off, leading many to assume it was a routine fly ball to center field.

It was not routine. The ball kept carrying…and carrying…and carrying until it hit the center field wall where Oakland Athletics prospect Luis Barrera initially had played the ball as a fly and then had to sprint back farther and farther until he misplayed the ball off the wall. Reed’s incredible speed allowed him to reach third base and Guerrero scored.

That brought a catcher by the name of Meibrys Viloria to the plate. Viloria got some time late in the year for the Royals, jumping straight from high-A to the majors. He’s likely got a career as a backup catcher ahead of him with his skillset, but having a guy who has yet to hit better than .260 even in A-ball up with the game on the line is not the ideal situation. Except in this situation, it was.

Viloria worked a 3-1 count before firing a sharp liner to the right-center gap, easily scoring Reed and winning the game for the West squad.

The Arizona Fall League will have an exhibition game available on MLB Network next weekend as the Mesa Solar Sox and the Salt River Rafters play at 8 PM Eastern for another chance to see these young players put on a show!