Peoria Javelinas Padres AFL Report: October 22-24
The Peoria Javelinas’ regular season continued this week, with three games from October 22 to October 24.
Here is a recap of the Padres prospects’ performances in that span.
Ethan Salas – 4-for-7, Two Walks, RBI (10/22 & 10/24)
Leodalis De Vries – 3-for-6, Two Walks, Two RBI (10/22 & 10/24)
Romeo Sanabria – 1-for-4, Double, Two Runs Scored
Brendan Durfee – 0-for-3, Walk, Run Scored
Gabe Mosser – 4 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 2 K (59 pitches – 38 strikes)
Harry Gustin – 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K (8 pitches – 6 strikes)
David Morgan – 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K (5 pitches – 3 strikes)
Padres pitchers saw minimal action in the Javelinas’ last three games, with the only one getting major action being starter Gabe Mosser.
The 28-year-old delivered four innings of three-run baseball, striking out two batters. Racking up punchouts isn’t Mosser’s bread and butter, as the right-hander has thrived on inducing soft contact throughout his career, and while pitch velocity & batted-ball data was unavailable for his start, Mosser’s 50% groundout rate in the ballgame reinforces his approach on the mound. Harry Gustin and David Morgan didn’t throw much in the three games, as they combined for three batters faced, but each was able to close out an inning that had the risk of snowballing. Morgan, in particular, was notable as he recorded his first AFL save, striking out Mets No. 2 prospect Jett Williams to close out an 11-10 win.
Padres batters were the bigger story in the AFL over the last three games. At this point, is it any surprise that Ethan Salas and Leodalis De Vries are performing like a pair of players who could be the No. 1 prospect in baseball? Salas continues to torture AFL pitchers, reaching base in six of his last nine plate appearance, a nice continuation to his recent successes. Salas is absolutely on fire as of late, and while his last three games lacked some of the slugging that was making news, his eye at the plate and advanced approach have led to his 1.010 OPS in 10 games. If this pace continues, Salas will have no difficulty putting his name in contention for an AFL All-Star nod or even the Arizona Fall League MVP.
More of the same can be said for Padres No. 2 prospect Leodalis De Vries. The now 18-year-old amazed with his eye at the plate over the three-game span, reaching base in five of his eight plate appearances in two games played. De Vries showed some slug as well, as two of his hits were doubles with exit velocities exceeding 92 mph off the bat. The switch-hitting De Vries has an impressive swing at the plate, which he showed prior to his shoulder injury in Lake Elsinore, and has showcased against tougher competition here in the autumn. For a young player coming off a shoulder injury, if this performance is De Vries at 50%-75%, there is the possibility that a fully healthy De Vries could soar through the minor leagues next season, lining him up for a 2026 MLB Debut.
The Javelinas continue their season over the weekend, facing Mesa on October 25, Salt River on October 26, and Glendale on October 27.
A born and raised San Diegan, Diego Garcia is a lifetime Padres fan and self-proclaimed baseball nerd. Diego wrote about baseball on his own site between 2021-22 before joining the East Village Times team in 2024. He also posts baseball content on his YouTube channel “Stat Nerd Baseball”, creating content around trades, hypotheticals, player analyses, the San Diego Padres, and MLB as a whole.
A 2024 graduate of San Diego State, Diego aims to grow as a writer and content creator in the baseball community.