Geovanny Planchart homered in the Arizona Fall League on Saturday.
The Pirates catching prospect launched the solo homer in the second inning. It was a 391 foot homer, with an exit velocity of 106.5 MPH. The homer was the lone hit of the day for Planchart, who now has a .231 average and an .871 OPS in the AFL.
Planchart spent most of the 2024 season in High-A Greensboro, where he hit for a .223/.350/.325 line with three homers and six doubles in 166 at-bats. He moved up to Altoona by the end of the season, going 2-for-9 in three games. The AFL experience will give Planchart additional work with and against upper-level pitchers, which should prepare him for a jump to Double-A in 2025.
ARIZONA FALL LEAGUE
SCOTTSDALE lost 8-2
- C Geovanny Planchart: 1-for-3, HR, RBI
- SS Kervin Pichardo: 1-for-3, 3B
- RHP Valentin Linarez: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 3 K
Kervin Pichardo hit a triple with his lone hit of the game. The triple led off the second inning, with Scottsdale already down 6-0. Pichardo scored one batter later on a sacrifice fly, right before Planchart’s homer added a second run.
Valentin Linarez had control issues in 1.2 innings. He walked the first two batters he saw, before striking out the side in the fifth. Linarez walked the bases loaded in the sixth, surrounding two outs in the air, before he was pulled. A wild pitch by his replacement brought in the lone run.
STATCAST HEROES
Pichardo Triple: 97.9 MPH, 352 feet
Linarez Fastball: 92.6 MPH average, touching 95.2; 6 whiffs on ten swings (60%) and seven called strikes.
Linarez Slider: 82.3 MPH average with an 81.3-84.0 MPH range; four whiffs on six swings and three called strikes.
Linarez Control: He was in the zone around 46-47% of the time with both of his pitches. There were very few swings outside of the zone, with just a 13% chase rate against his slider, leading to the walks.
SUNDAY’S SCHEDULE
- AFL: Scottsdale vs Salt River (8:00 PM EST)
- Probable Starter: RHP Derek Diamond (0-0, 5.40)
