AFL Fall Stars GameThread: Nationals’ prospects Drew Ward and Ryan Brinley in AFL action

Through fourteen games with the Arizona Fall League’s Glendale Desert Dogs, 21-year-old Washington Nationals’ infield prospect Drew Ward is 18 for 55 (.327/.383/.382) with three doubles, five walks and 15 Ks.

Ward, a 3rd Round pick out of Leedey, Oklahoma in 2013, put up a .252/.348/.412 line with 23 doubles and 14 home runs in 2016, splitting time between High-A Potomac and Double-A Harrisburg, with a .278/.377/.491 line, 16 doubles and 11 home runs in 64 games and 268 plate appearances for the P-Nats and a .219/.310/.309 line, seven doubles and three home runs in 53 games and 203 PAs for the Senators.

Ward is starting at third base and batting fourth in the AFL’s Fall Stars Game tonight, which is being broadcast on the MLB Network and is being streamed on MLB.com.

Here are the lineups for tonight’s game (via MLB.com):

Joining Ward on the AFL West division’s roster is 23-year-old right-hander Ryan Brinley, a 27th Round pick by the Nationals in the 2015 Draft, who’s (1-1) with a 3.38 ERA, one walk and seven Ks in six innings of work so far in Arizona, over which he’s held opposing hitters to a .214 AVG.

Brinley too split his 2016 campaign between High and Double-A in Washington’s organization, going (4-1) with 16 saves in 32 games and 39 ¹⁄₃ IP, over which he put up a 1.37 ERA, 2.68 FIP, seven walks (1.60 BB/9) and 34 Ks (7.78 K/9).

In eight appearances for the Senators, Brinley gave up 17 hits and 14 ER (11.12 ERA, 9.45 FIP), walking two and striking out four in 11 ¹⁄₃ IP.

The action gets underway tonight at 8:08 PM EDT live from Surprise, Arizona’s Surprise Stadium.