Jack Hurley Discusses Monster Game in Arizona Fall League
On Thursday, Hurley broke out with a monster performance. He flirted with the cycle, finishing the game 4-for-5 with a double, triple, and two home runs.
SCOTTSDALE – The first two weeks of the Arizona Fall League have been a bit slow for Diamondbacks outfield prospect Jack Hurley. Through his first six games, he was hitting just .105 with a .450 OPS.
Then on Thursday, Hurley broke out with a monster performance. He flirted with the cycle, finishing the game 4-for-5 with a double, triple, and two home runs. His eight RBI accounted for half of Salt River's runs in a 16-6 blowout of the Glendale Desert Dogs.
"It was one of those days where I was seeing it well," said Hurley. "[Thursday] was a good day catching barrels, putting together good at-bats, swinging at the right stuff. Ultimately, it comes down to swinging at the right pitches."
All four batted balls registered an exit velocity of at least 99 MPH, including a 436-foot bomb over the Avnet sign in right-center. Entering play, D-backs position players in the fall combined for just one home run and one barrel. On Thursday, Hurley had more homers (2) and barrels (3) on the day.
"That might have been the best I had, like ever. But it's also credit to the guys getting on base. A lot of RBI in one game, that's not necessarily myself, it's the guys ahead of me getting on."
In eight games in Arizona, Hurley is batting .241 (7-for-29) with two doubles, a triple, and two home runs in 34 plate appearances.
Staying Sharp in the Arizona Fall League
It's been tough to get consistent reps to stay sharp, as players are on a schedule and aren't necessarily playing every day like they would in the regular season. He's sharing an outfield with Raudi Rodriguez, Nelly Taylor Jr., Will Taylor, and Esmerlyn Valdez. Hurley has just started eight of Salt River's first 15 games.
"We're lucky out here because we got our [Spring Training] facilities. So we're able to stay fresh and get off the Trajekt machine, which is basically like a live at-bat. Which is huge just to have in between days where you're not playing. Just to continue to see velo, see spin, see shape. Once your name's called in the lineup, you get to hear the day before, so you have a little bit of time to prep."
The Arizona Fall League is a critical spot for Hurley to show the D-backs that he'll develop into a major league outfielder. The 2025 regular season turned into a nightmare, as he struck out in more than 42% of his plate appearances and spent time on the Development List. However, the Arizona Fall League is a chance for him to reset and get additional reps with less pressure.
With Ryan Waldschmidt, Druw Jones, and Slade Caldwell climbing up the system, the D-backs outfield picture could become rather crowded in the coming years.
Corbin Carroll is entrenched as the team's right fielder for the foreseeable future, entering Year 4 of an eight-year, $111 million extension since in March 2023. However, the uneven play from Jake McCarthy and Alek Thomas has left an opening.
Hurley has worked on making swing adjustments in the 2025 season. He's ditched a big leg kick for a smaller, more controllable one. The sample size is relatively small in the fall, with only 17 recorded batted ball events, but he's making harder and more consistent contact.
"I'm making those adjustments. I made another slight adjustment with how I grip the bat. That's one of my hitting coaches, Adam Mell. He was giving me a good tip. It feels good, I feel confident in there."
The early returns have been encouraging. Hurley has put 12 of 22 balls in play with an exit velocity of at least 95 MPH. 11 of the 12 batted balls have a positive launch angle. His average exit velocity on line drive and fly ball contact currently sits at 99.3 MPH. It's important to note the small sample size disclaimer, but it's an encouraging sign for a player who could build some positive momentum going into the offseason.
Playing With ABS and the Check Swing Challenges
Major League Baseball is set to bring the Automated Ball/Strike System (ABS) into play for the 2026 season. Pitchers, hitters, and catchers will be able to challenge any called strike or ball call. Each team has three challenges, but they don't get docked a challenge unless a call is upheld.
In the Arizona Fall League, it is Hurley's first experience playing under it.
"I know in Spring Training, we had the ABS zone. Not sure if we had the check swings, but yeah, this is the first time I've had a go at it."
Count Hurley as a fan of the ABS system. He noted that the umpires out in the Arizona Fall League have done a really good job at calling balls and strikes.
"If you get rung up on a pitch that you think isn't a strike, you have the ability to challenge it. So there's really no need to complain anymore about pitches. And the umpires shouldn't be hearing as much back from the coaches on the bench because the ABS is there."
In addition to the ABS challenge system, they are also reviewing check swings. Under the current rules, the barrel of the bat has to cross a line parallel to the foul line (45°) to be ruled a swing. Hurley attempted to challenge a call on a strikeout, but was denied the challenge.
"The check swing, on the other hand, is, I mean, it's almost like, you almost have to go the full way to be a swing."
Hurley noted that, as a hitter, he is a fan of the check swing challenges. He's hoping that MLB will expand testing into Double-A, Triple-A, and eventually the big leagues, describing it as a "hitter's tool".
It will take more testing and a tweaking of the definition of what a swing is before it's ready for big league action, but that seems to only be a question of if, not when.
