SURPRISE, Ariz. - Future Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was surely the main headliner at Saturday's Arizona Fall League Fall Stars game in sunny Arizona, but there were plenty of prospects with imminent big league futures that fantasy managers should also be looking out for. Guerrero, who will turn 20 years of age in mid-March, reached base via hit in one of his five plate appearances, but the fifth-inning double he rocketed off Houston Astros right-hander Trent Thornton and the left field wall was one of the hardest-hit I have ever seen in person and wowed the nearly 7,000 fans in attendance.
In fact, according to Statcast data, the Guerrero line drive reached an exit velocity of 117 MPH, and since 2015, only 15 major leaguers have hit a baseball harder. Some of those players, like New York Yankees outfielders Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, have multiple hits at that or a greater speed, but the point is not many players hit like Guerrero, and few boast his combination plate discipline and contact skills. Facing Astros right-hander Forrest Whitley in the first inning -- the best pitching prospect in the sport -- Guerrero drew a six-pitch walk, casually ignoring several close off-speed pitches down off the zone.