The Arizona Fall League, which has produced over 3,000 big leaguers since its inception in 1992, is set to begin on October 7. Notable players who have come through the league include Hall of Famers Roy Halladay and Derek Jeter, as well as current stars like Mookie Betts and Bryce Harper.
The preliminary rosters for the AFL were announced on Wednesday and feature some of the top prospects in the Minor Leagues. Fourteen players from MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 Prospects list will be participating in the league.
Each of the six teams in the AFL draws talent from five different organizations. The Glendale Desert Dogs have affiliations with the Cardinals, Dodgers, Phillies, Reds, and White Sox. The Mesa Solar Sox are affiliated with the Angels, Athletics, Cubs, Rays, and Red Sox. The Peoria Javelinas have ties to the Braves, Brewers Mariners Marlins Padres. The Salt River Rafters are associated with Diamondbacks Nationals Rockies Twins Yankees. The Scottsdale Scorpions are affiliated with Blue Jays Giants Mets Pirates Tigers while Surprise Saguaros have connections to Astros Guardians Orioles Rangers Royals.
The regular season for the AFL will run until November 14th followed by a play-in semifinal game on November 15th between second- and third-place finishers at Scottsdale Stadium. The championship game will take place on November 16th at Salt River Fields.
In addition to regular season games, there will be special events including a home run derby on November 8th and a Fall Stars game on November 9th at Sloan Park. There will also be games played at non-AFL venues throughout October.
Overall it promises to be an exciting season for baseball fans as they get a chance to see some of tomorrow’s stars compete against each other in Arizona this fall.
