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The regular season didn’t finish until Friday, but the Salt River Rafters — featuring seven Rays prospects — already clinched a spot in Saturday’s Arizona Fall League Championship.
The game will be streamed on MLB.com at 2 p.m. ET on Saturday.
All of the Rays’ hitters played keys roles in the Rafters’ success. Entering Friday’s game, Ronaldo Hernandez led the team with a .359 average. Josh Lowe had two homers and was second on the team with a .937 OPS. Vidal Brujan was fourth with a .850 OPS, four steals, and nine extra-base hits.
Statistically, Shane Baz struggled with an 8.18 ERA but nonetheless impressed. Drew Strotman was a regular in Salt River’s rotation but had a 6.43 ERA in 21 innings. Out of the bullpen, Alex Valverde was one of the team’s leaders with a 0.90 ERA in 10 innings, and Simon Rosenblum-Larson had a 2.53 ERA.
On Salt River, the Rays prospects are joined by 2017 No. 1 pick Royce Lewis and slugger Seth Beer. Surprise features prospects like Kansas City pitcher Daniel Lynch and Washington infielder Luis Garcia.