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Nelson Velazquez, Caleb Kilian and Andy Weber Are Your AFL Champions



 I was watching the Arizona Fall League Championship game yesterday, and I have to say I was excited to see how well Kilian and the Solar Sox did. I'll do a little recap of yesterday's game, and then talk a little bit more about these three players.

I'll give it away right off the bat (no pun intended): Caleb Kilian pitched 6 no-hit innings in the Championship Game. Wow.


I hope you see how well his pitches are coming along, because he got 8 Ks yesterday. Here is his detailed stat lines:

 

Absolutely bonkers for this dude. I tweeted my excitement here:

 

Anyway, a pretty exciting game for him, and also a great way to show what you're capable of in the future. Velazquez and Weber didn't do well in the final game, though Weber did make a nice play and Velazquez got the final out. Either way, Velazquez did get...drumroll...AFL MVP!

 

He did really deserve it, even if he didn't get a hit in the final game of the year. Let's discuss a little bit of his stats from the AFL this year.

  • He finished the season with a .366/.467/.693 batting line, with 9 HR and 37 H in only 101 AB. That's pretty good, and explains why he deserved the MVP. 
  • His awesome performance meant he was entitled to be added to the 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft, and he was. His future is bright, but not too sure when he'll be making his MLB debut.
  • My guess is that he'll be starting the year in Triple A, and if he's doing great there, he will probably get a shot at the big leagues. He's mostly a left-fielder, so there'll be room for him there.
Andy Weber didn't do to badly though, and still did a respectable job.

  • Overall in the AFL, he hit .273/.387.466 with 2 HR and 24 H in 88 AB.  While not an MVP player like Velazquez, those stats are still good, and he still has time for improvement.
  • He'll start the year in Double-A or Triple-A, and while I don't expect him to debut in 2022, he'll be getting good at-bats and training in the minor-leagues. He's mainly a shortstop, and that's a definitely demanding position, but he's in a good spot to be preparing for the future.
Caleb Kilian was another Cubs "star player" in the AFL, with his best game being the Championship game, as mentioned.
  • While his AFL stats show a 5.14 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP in 14 IP, those numbers are mostly from his first couple starts, where he pitched with a regular ball, and was experimenting with new pitches.
  • In his last start he had 0.00 ERA in 6 IP, if that's any indication of what he's capable of. He'll be likely starting the year at Double-A, then potentially moving up to Triple-A. 
  • Quick note: the Cubs got Kilian in the Kris Bryant trade, so I'd say it's paying off. In a couple years, Kilian's going to be ready to be a MLB starter.
Anyway, congrats to Velazquez for getting MVP, and congrats to the whole team for winning the championship. Excited for all their futures!

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