Andres Gimenez, Peter Alonso will play in Arizona Fall League
Mets prospect Peter Alonso celebrates after hitting a two-run homer in the All-Star Futures Game on July 15, in Washington. Credit: Getty Images/Rob Carr
For shortstop Andres Gimenez and first baseman Peter Alonso, the Mets’ top prospects, their season won’t end when the minor-league one does Monday.
Both will head to the Arizona Fall League come October, headlining a group of eight Mets minor-leaguers playing in what is considered a prospect finishing school of sorts.
Also representing the Mets will be outfielder Desmond Lindsay, catcher Ali Sanchez and four righthanded relievers: Gerson Bautista, Matt Blackham, Eric Hanhold and Stephen Nogosek.
Gimenez, Alonso and the others will be on the Scottsdale Scorpions with players from the Phillies, Giants, Astros and Reds. Ryan Ellis, the Mets’ hitting performance coordinator, is Scottsdale’s hitting coach.
Assistant GM John Ricco hinted Alonso would go to the AFL when he announced earlier this week that the Mets would not promote him to the majors in September. Alonso, 23, has had a monster season for Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Las Vegas, totaling 33 homers and 112 RBIs with a .279 batting average, .394 OBP and .564 slugging percentage.
Gimenez, 19, has drawn rave reviews from scouts for a baseball IQ and game awareness that belie his age. After slashing .282/.348/.432 with High-Class A St. Lucie, where he led the Florida State League with 28 steals and had 30 extra-base hits, the Mets bumped him up to Binghamton, where he has continued to hit (.296/.353/.384).
Lindsay was the Mets’ second-round draft pick in 2015 but has dealt with injuries and underperformance. Still only 21, Lindsay has a .214/.310/.319 slash line for St. Lucie.
The AFL season runs from Oct. 9-Nov. 17.
