Houston Astros Prospect Schreiber Walks-Off Win in Arizona Fall League Championship

The Houston Astros prospects on the Surprise Saguaros were crowned Arizona Fall League Champions on Saturday.

Author:
Kenny Van Doren
Publish date:
Nov 13, 2022 10:25 AM EST

In this story:

A week after the Houston Astros downed the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 6 of the World Series for their second title, a crew of prospects were in their own championship game in the Arizona Fall League.

Led by Triple-A Sugar Land manager Mickey Storey, the Surprise Saguaros ended the regular season with the best record (19-10) in the league. Awarded the No. 1 seed in the playoffs, the Saguaros awaited their final foe in the championship.

Opposed by the Glendale Desert Dogs, the two squads were in for a long one. The contest stretched 11 innings, but it was up to a pair of Astros prospects to push the Saguaros over.

Pittsburgh Pirates prospect Nick Gonzales stood on second base to open the inning, and with two Houston sluggers slated to hit back-to-back, the Desert Dogs didn't stand a chance.

Double-A Corpus Christi third baseman Will Wagner singled home Gonzales and advanced to second base before his organization mate, Scott Schreiber, stepped into the box. Schreiber clubbed a shot into the gap four pitches later, scoring Wagner and walking off the Desert Dogs.

"By far one of the greatest moments I’ve ever experienced," said Astros complex strength and conditioning Matt Jones, who was also on staff for Surprise.

On the night, Schreiber went 2-for-4 with one RBI, two walks and on strikeout en route to a top performer honor by Minor League Baseball. Wagner went 2-for-6 in the shootout with one run and an RBI.

On the rubber, Astros prospect Colton Gordon started for Surprise. The lefty threw 4.1 innings on 60 pitches, throwing 38 of them for strikes. Gordon surrendered one run on two hits — one being a home run — and two walks to his five punch outs.

Out of the bullpen, Matt Ruppenthal threw just six pitches, four being strikes, to record two outs with one being a strikeout. The right-handed reliever was named Houston's lone All-Star last week.

Season Roundup:

Scott Schreiber

Missing most of the 2022 season due to back surgery in early April, Schreiber climbed his way back to Double-A Corpus Christi in August. The Nebraska product extended his season into the Arizona Fall League and slashed .340/.404/.540 with the third-best OPS on the team.

Schreiber doubled three times, tripled twice and crushed one home run. His 12 RBI were tied for third most on the Saguaros with five walks to nine strikeouts.

Will Wagner

After not being selected for the final roster spot on the American League All-Star Team, Wagner finished his regular season with the best slash line of any player rostered by Surprise: .346/.433/.712.

Son of former-MLB closer Billy Wagner, the third baseman made a name for himself. The "more-athletic Max Muncy" totaled 18 hits with 11 of them going for extra bases including six doubles, three home runs and two triples.

Wagner has been raved about having a Major League bat, but his defense will also carry him. From his versatility at second base and first base, too, the 24-year-old is a dark horse candidate for September call-ups if he continues his progressions.

Colton Gordon

Recovering from Tommy John surgery at the start of the 2022 season, Gordon returned on another level. The Central Florida product missed all of last season after being drafted, waiting over a year to make his professional debut.

Gordon was named the Arizona Fall League Pitcher of the Week on Wednesday. While the lefty doesn't rely on high velocity, his pitch arsenal is forever adapting as the Astros have made changes to his repertoire in the last several months.

On the season, Gordon posted a 6.38 ERA in 18.1 innings of work across five starts. The lefty yielded 21 hits and three walks to his 19 strikeouts. After a rocky start, the Gordon posted his best outing in the last week, throwing five three-hit innings with eight strikeouts.

J.C. Correa

Brother of Carlos, J.C. had a hot run in the Arizona Fall League after he was initially added as a taxi squad player. The infielder didn't play an inning behind the plate, although he added the catcher's mitt to his bag last offseason. Correa slashed .333/.400/.333 in 11 games with 12 singles, three RBI and four walks to six strikeouts.

After playing all of the 2022 season with High-A Asheville, Correa looks to extend his season even further into the Puerto Rican Winter League with the Gigantes de Carolina.

Matt Ruppenthal

The Astros' lone All-Star, Ruppenthal was a magician all season. The righty reliever pitched 10.1 innings across seven appearances, allowing just one run to his 15 strikeouts. His lethal breaking pitches were complemented by a low-90s sinker.

Zach Daniels

A late addition to the Saguaros, Daniels launched one of the most impressive home runs of the season. The Tennessee product played across the outfield and went 7-for-40 in 12 games played.

"Those two were characters," a Tennessee athletics employee said Saturday about Daniels and Drew Gilbert.

Returning from an undisclosed injury to High-A Asheville in July, Daniels looked to the Arizona Fall League like many for more reps. And this past week, the 23-year-old was named a South Atlantic League All-Star.

Rhett Kouba

Kouba and Gordon started back-to-back games each week for Surprise. Posting a 4.91 ERA in 18.1 innings of work across six starts, the righty yielded 15 hits and 10 walks to his 21 strikeouts.

Jonathan Sprinkle

Sprinkle made just five relief appearances for 5.2 innings pitched to the tune of a 9.53 ERA. The righty battled command issues, walking nine on the season to his seven strikeouts. Although he never hit the injured list in Double-A this year, Sprinkle was sidelined with a stomach issue that he overcame at the end of the 2022 season.

Around the Farm

Florida Complex League pitching coach Sean Buchanan was with the Dominican Summer League Astros this past week. Multiple coaches from around the system have been sent to the Dominica Republic to work with international prospects during instructs this offseason.

Former Astros prospect Enmanuel Valdez — who was in the Christian Vázquez trade — was added to the Boston Red Sox 40-man roster this past week. He expressed his excitement to Inside the Astros.