Ian Happ Helps Lead Mesa Solar Sox to AFL Championship

The Chicago Cubs won the World Series earlier this month, and their prospects followed through with a title of their own on Saturday afternoon as the Mesa Solar Sox defeated the Surprise Saguaros 6-1 and captured the Arizona Fall League championship.

The Solar Sox, who got into the championship game by virtue of a tie on Friday and a Salt River Rafters loss, got a huge boost on the mound from Dylan Covey, who gave up just one hit and one run in five innings of work, but it was a Cubs prospect that did the most damage for the team as they captured the championship.

That prospect is Ian Happ, who is widely regarded to be one of the top prospects in baseball. The 2015 first-round pick of the Cubs blasted two home runs and drove in three RBI as he ended up a triple short of the cycle in the title game. Happ also scored three runs and added a double as the Solar Sox beat the Saguaros and won the title. [[402072065, C]]

Happ, who primarily plays in the infield, was the starter in left field during the championship game and made an outstanding play of his own to help keep the Solar Sox in front. On a deep fly ball by Mitch Garver, Happ got a good break on the ball, raced to the warning track and made a leaping catch in front of the wall to prevent extra bases.

The Cubs also had one other player involved in the game, but Eloy Jimenez had an afternoon to forget as he went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts as he served as the team’s designated hitter in the game.

It’s unlikely that Jimenez or Happ will get the call to the big leagues to start next season, but both players have the potential to be excellent prospects in the future. Happ’s mix of speed and power will certainly be enticing to the Cubs as they look for their next generation of talent, and Jimenez has some serious pop in his bat that could make him a power-hitting option in future years if the team moves players like Jorge Soler for pitching help in their rotation.

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