Dustin Saenz pitched four innings of one-run ball for the win as the Salt River Rafters edged the Surprise Saguaros 3-2 on Saturday to claim the AFL championship.
Saenz got the nod in the title game after going 2-1 with a 5.52 ERA and a 12/4 K/BB over 14 2/3 innings in the regular season. That line is nothing special, of course, but he did better the overall league ERA of 5.89 in the circuit this year. Saenz, a Texas A&M product drafted in the fourth round in 2021, was limited to 13 starts during the minor league season, finishing 1-6 with a 6.54 ERA and a 30/17 K/BB in 42 2/3 innings. A left-hander who relies on an 89-92 mph sinker, he’ll be available in the Rule 5 draft next month unless the Nationals make a surprising decision to add him to the 40-man roster this week.