Record (as of 11/7) - 16-7 (W1), 1st in the AFL

Profile: It’s no surprise that the Surprise Saguaros are leading the pack in the Arizona Fall League considering their pitching success. The team ranks 1st in the league in ERA, WHIP and BAA, numbers that the Saguaros pitching coach Jon Goebel is proud of. Josh Stephan (TEX No. 25) has headed the Saguaros’ pitching excellence, leading the AFL with a 0.53 ERA, a .136 BAA and a 5.67 K/BB. With seven qualified players touting an ERA less than the league average (6.00), the Saguaros will have plenty of arms to rely on heading into the playoffs.

Offensively, the Saguaros don’t shine the brightest, but their recipe at the plate makes it irrelevant. Speed has been key for Surprise, as evidenced by their league-leading number of doubles (54) and second-best stolen base total (50), where they also lead in stolen base percentage (90.9%). A player who encapsulates this approach the best is outfielder Douglas Hodo III (BAL). His eight stolen bases are tops on the team, and his six doubles have helped him post the second-best OPS on the Saguaros as well (.963).

The long ball has been elusive for the Saguaros, holding the second-worst total in the league (24). This has led to their below-average slugging percentage, but it hasn’t cut down production at the plate and certainly hasn’t impacted the win column. Ultimately, their biggest weakness could become another strength for the Saguaros with a more aggressive approach, but as the adage goes: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

Notable Players:

Jac Caglione, 1B/LHP (MLB No. 17, KC No. 1) - When Kansas City heard rumblings of the next Shohei Ohtani coming out of the University of Florida, their 6th overall pick in the 2024 draft became clear. Caglianone offers a very high ceiling, pitching to a 4.76 ERA in the SEC while mashing 35 home runs as part of a .419/.544/.875 slash. While he’s yet to pitch in the minors just yet, the Royals will allow him to pursue the two-way route following his impressive college campaign. Caglianone has hit .260/.329/.466 with four homers and 16 RBIs so far in the AFL.

Chase Delauter, OF (MLB No. 41, CLE No. 2) - Delauter has ascended the organizational ladder rather quickly to start his playing career, reaching Triple-A in just 96 games. The 2022 first-round pick for Cleveland has certainly earned those promotions, posting a .904 OPS across all levels so far. With his debut set for next year, Delauter has the chance to impact a strong Guardians roster that’s fresh off the heels of its first ALCS appearance since 2016.

Alejandro Osuna, OF (TEX No. 16) - Osuna was signed out of Mexico in 2020 and has progressed steadily through the Rangers’ system. Osuna’s best year came this past season, when he swatted 18 home runs in 102 games and maintained a .507 slugging percentage across High-A Hickory and Double-A Frisco. His 2024 campaign has been further built upon during this year's AFL, where he’s leading the team in hits, doubles, OBP and OPS.

Recent Play: The Surprise Saguaros fell to the Glendale Desert Dogs 8-1 on Thursday, October 7th.

The Desert Dogs scored early and often, tallying two runs off starter Josh Stephan on RBI singles from right fielder Gabriel Rincones Jr. (PHI) and catcher Leonardo Bernal (STL No. 9).

Then, in the second inning, another two runs came across on a single up the middle by Nathan Church (STL) to double the Desert Dogs lead to 4-0.

Surprise would receive some help from their opposition following an errant throw by Bernal on a double steal attempt, leading to the Saguaro's first run of the game. Bernal nabbed his next target, however, gunning down Quincy Hamilton (HOU) at second for the second out.

Hamilton was tossed from the game following an altercation with infield umpire James Jean.

The Desert Dogs recovered the run in the fifth on Bernal’s second RBI single of the game. Added insurance came in the form of a wild pitch that allowed Rincones Jr. to score from third, pushing the score to a 6-1 Glendale lead.

More insurance followed in the seventh for Glendale, as Jake Gelof (LAD) hit a sac fly and Michael Turner (CWS) lined an RBI single to left to give the Desert Dogs their seventh and eighth runs of the ballgame.

The Saguaros went down 1-2-3 in the ninth to finalize the 8-1 defeat, a combination of sparse hitting and hiccup innings.

The Saguaros offense went 3-28 (.107) with the only extra-base hit coming on a Carten Jensen (KC) double. Stephan and Leandro Lopez (TEX) surrendered the most damage, each allowing four earned runs in the respective outings.  

Upcoming Games:

Monday, November 11th @ Scottsdale Scorpions

Tuesday, November 12th vs. Glendale Desert Dogs

Wednesday, November 13th vs. Salt River Rafters