Record (as of 10/26): 9-7 (L2), 3rd in the AFL

Profile: The Glendale Desert Dogs are one of the most offensively consistent teams in the AFL, evidenced by their league-leading 104 RBIs as a team. Only two players on the Desert Dogs have a batting average below .200, which is less than the number of qualified players they have batting over .300 (4). Third baseman Otto Kemp (PHI No. 28) has led the pack on offense, boasting a 1.205 OPS with four homers and 13 RBIs.

Pitching for the Desert Dogs has been a mixed bag of results. The team ERA stands at 5.98, but the team’s K/9 is 10.79, which is tops in the AFL. An impressive arm for Glendale so far has been Jose Acuna (CIN), who has pitched to the tune of a 0.00 ERA with nine strikeouts in his seven innings of work. The whiff factor is there for the Desert Dogs, but limiting extra bases and inducing weaker contact will need to be a focus heading into the final weeks of the season.

Overall, the Desert Dogs remain a promising candidate for the AFL playoffs as they continue to produce runs and miss bats.

Notable Players:

Andrew Painter, RHP (MLB No. 32, PHI No. 2) - Painter hasn’t seen minor league action since 2022 due to his Tommy John recovery. When he arrived in the AFL this year, however, he did not waste any time building off what he started. Painter has maintained a 96+ MPH fastball and has added a new upper-80s slider that builds off the rest of his repertoire. His pitch mixes have helped him post a 3.60 ERA with seven strikeouts in three games started so far. Painter could see a September call-up next year if his recovery process continues to progress.  

Colson Montgomery, 3B (MLB No. 37, CHW No. 3) - The White Sox 2021 first-round pick put up his first full season in 2024, though the numbers didn’t quite jump off the page. His slash line (.214/.329/.381) and inflated strikeout rate (33.8) meant there was still much to learn for the young third baseman. However, Montgomery has gotten off to a fast start in the AFL this year, batting .313 with three homers and 11 RBIs while posting an impressive 1.167 OPS.

Zyhir Hope, OF (LAD No. 11) - Acquired from the Cubs in the Michael Busch trade, Hope has quietly made a case for himself to be on MLB’s Top-100 prospects list. The 19-year-old outfielder put up a solid season in the minors, belting nine homers in 54 games in Low-A Rancho Cucamonga while maintaining an OPS above .900. Hope has been a popular name so far in the AFL, slashing .289/.340/.600 with three homers and a team-leading 16 RBIs.

Recent Play: The Glendale Desert Dogs fell to the Mesa Solar Sox 5-4 on Saturday, October 26th.

Both starting pitchers were on their game out of the gate, as they both posted scoreless outings. Samy Natera Jr. (LAA) went three hitless innings while striking out five, and Griff McGarry (PHI No. 21) went two and two-thirds hitless innings while striking out four.

The game remained scoreless until the fourth inning, when right fielder Max Ferguson (BOS) laced a two-run double down the right field line, giving the Solar Sox a 2-0 lead.

The Solar Sox would add on some insurance courtesy of a 468-foot solo shot off the bat of Ferguson, his second of the AFL.

The Desert Dogs finally made their mark on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fifth with loud home runs from Sean Mclain (LAD) and DJ Gladney (CHW), each going 420+ feet respectively.

Mesa would fight back in the sixth, with Xavier Isaac (MLB No. 36, TB No. 2) scorching a line-drive homer just over the right-center wall, putting the Solar Sox up 4-2. Following Ferguson’s second double of the day and third extra-base hit, Cole Fontenelle (LAA No. 21)  slapped an opposite-field RBI single to tack on another run for Mesa and increase the lead to three.

The Desert Dogs put pressure on the Solar Sox in the seventh inning, pushing across two runs on a wild pitch from closer Vince Reilly (CHC) and an RBI single off the bat of Gladley to make it a 5-4 ballgame.

But even with the bases loaded and one out, Glendale could not cash in the tying run, ending the ballgame with the Solar Sox victorious.

Offensively, the Desert Dogs recorded five hits all from the bottom of the order. The bullpen was Glendale’s undoing, surrendering all five runs to the Solar Sox in their four and a third innings of work.

Upcoming Games:

Sunday, October 27th vs. Peoria Javelinas

Tuesday, October 29th @ Salt River Rafters

Wednesday, October 30th @ Surprise Saguaros