Hey all. I’m going to be posting semi-regular updates on the Arizona Fall League, probably twice a week or so, and this is update #1. The Phillies did not send any upper echelon prospects this year, but there are a number of interesting guys to watch, led by Tyson Gillies, who has spent more time on the trainer’s table than on the field the last 2 seasons. Gillies is joined by Cody Overbeck, who was a mixed bag in 2011, and then a group of future bullpen arms. For those of you who haven’t followed the Arizona Fall League before, a quick primer. There are 6 teams in the league, and each team is a mix of prospects from 5 MLB teams. The Phillies prospects play for Scottsdale, along with prospects from the Red Sox, Nationals, Giants and Angels. The league is an offensive heavy league for two primary reasons. One, teams rarely send their elite pitchers to the league due to managing innings/pitch limits for a season. The exception here is a guy coming off an injury who needs to get his work in, as well as a few guys who were drafted in June and signed late, not having time to make their debuts in the regular season leagues. Additionally, the conditions in the desert are very warm, the air is thin, and the wind helps create many high scoring games. Because of these varying factors, offensive numbers have to be taken with a grain of salt, and pitching numbers just the same. As we should be doing with all leagues, focus on peripherals and secondary skills in relation to the production in the league as a whole. Check below the fold for the update on our guys

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