The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

JAZZ Chisholm continues to garner international recognition and a season of milestones has one media house projecting his rise in the Arizona Diamondbacks at an accelerated pace.

Baseball America now projects Chisholm as the No.1 prospect in the Diamondbacks organisation.

SB Nation also profiled Chisholm as one of the hidden prospect gems of the California League last season, while MLB Pipeline profiled the relationship between he and Lucius Fox, the Tampa Bay Rays No.9 prospect, on their rise to the majors.

“I’m definitely going to be the next big leaguer from the Bahamas,” Chisholm told MLB.com. “No question.”

The newest signee to RocNation Sports, Chisholm’s season of accolades followed an injury-shortened 2017.

The 20-year-old shortstop had a postseason of accolades recognised twice by the Diamondbacks as its Minor League Player of the Year and named an organisational All-Star.

He spent the season between the Single-A Kane County Cougars and the Single-A Advanced Visalia Rawhide.

On the season between two clubs, he hit .272 (124-for-456)/.329 OBP/.513 SLG with 23 doubles, six triples, 25 home runs, 70 RBI, 39 walks, 17 stolen bases and 79 runs scored in 112 games

A Midwest League midseason All-Star, Chisholm led all D-backs farm system players in home runs, and ranked among the leaders in runs (3rd), triples (T-5th), RBI (7th), slugging pct. (8th) and walks (T-9th). He then went to the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League.

In 11 games, Chisholm, 20, hit .442 for Salt River with a .489 OBP, an 1.257 OPS in 11 games. Chisholm had 19 hits, including one triple, three doubles, three home runs, collected nine RBIs, seven stolen bases and 12 runs scored.

The Arizona Fall League attracts many of the top prospects in the minor leagues. Late in the minor league seasons, MLB clubs hold a position draft to determine the players who will participate in the AFL.

Most are Double-A and Triple-A players. The league is designed for these prospects to refine their skills and perform in game settings in front of major and minor league baseball scouts and team executives who are in attendance at almost every game.

The league featured 17 players on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 Prospects list, 10 in the Top 50. Overall, there were more than 80 members of the respective teams top 30 lists participated in the six-week league.

Approximately 60 per cent of all AFL participants have reached the major leagues. The league has produced 278 All-Stars, 17 Most Valuable Players, six Cy Young Award winners and 29 Rookies of the Year.