Here's the 2024 All-Arizona Fall League Team
Season No. 32 of the Arizona Fall League is in the books, with the Salt River Rafters beating the Surprise Saguaros, 3-2, in the Championship Game on Saturday. It was another fall full of top prospects and top performances. Below is the 2024 MLB Pipeline All-AFL Team. This is based
Season No. 32 of the Arizona Fall League is in the books, with the Salt River Rafters beating the Surprise Saguaros, 3-2, in the Championship Game on Saturday. It was another fall full of top prospects and top performances.
Below is the 2024 MLB Pipeline All-AFL Team. This is based solely on performance during the six-week league, and a ranking of top prospects focusing more on long-term value will be coming Friday.
C: Moises Ballesteros, Mesa (CHC No. 4/MLB No. 44)
He’s hit pretty much everywhere he’s been -- and that includes the Fall League, where he posted a .316/.376/.557 line over 19 games. He continued to draw walks (10.8 percent of the time) and limit strikeouts (16.1 percent) while finishing tied for sixth with five homers and seventh in total bases (44).
Honorable mention: Creed Willems (BAL)
1B: Josue Briceño, Scottdale (DET No. 9)
In perhaps the greatest campaign the Fall League has seen, Briceño won the league’s first-ever Triple Crown and was, unsurprisingly, chosen as the AFLs MVP. He finished with a .433/.509/.867 to go along with 10 homers and 27 RBIs, leading the circuit in all of those categories except on-base percentage as well as extra-base hits (17), total bases (78) and hits (39).
Honorable mention: Niko Kavadas (LAA), Otto Kemp (PHI), Nick Kurtz (ATH)
2B: Thomas Saggese, Glendale (STL No. 4)
One of the Fall Leaguers with big league time under his belt, Saggese certainly looked like he’s ready to at least compete for the Cards’ second-base job next spring. He finished with a .391/.524/.594 line and his 1.118 OPS placed him fourth in the entire league. He finished with more walks (16) than strikeouts (15) over 18 games.
Honorable mention: Tommy Troy (AZ)
3B: Caleb Durbin, Salt River (Not ranked on NYY Top 30)
Not only did Durbin help the Rafters win a ring, he set the record for stolen bases in a season. The Breakout Player of the Year went 29-for-30 in steal attempts while also hitting .312/.427/.548 with five homers and 21 RBIs. He played five positions this fall, the most at third base but he might fit best at second, and to that end, Yankees GM Brian Cashman mentioned him as a potential internal candidate to be in the Opening Day lineup there.
Honorable mention: Jonathon Long (CHC)
SS: Colt Emerson, Peoria (SEA No. 1/MLB No. 27)
The Mariners understandably erred on the side of caution by sending Emerson home early due to a minor hamstring issue, so he only played in 13 games. But he did plenty to show why he’s considered one of the best infield prospects in the game, posting a .370/.435/.537 line. Only 19 years old, he hit nine doubles and was a perfect 9-for-9 in stolen bases.
Honorable mention: Max Acosta (TEX), Kervin Pichardo (PIT)
OF: Denzel Clarke, Mesa (ATH No. 10)
The second time really was the charm. Clarke played in the Fall League in 2022 and came back this year as the A’s gave him one last look before adding him to their 40-man roster Tuesday. The toolsy outfielder hit .382/.495/.566 over 19 games, with seven extra-base hits and nine steals.
OF: Sammy Siani, Scottsdale (Not ranked on PIT Top 30)
The swing change that brought a much flatter bat path and enabled Siani to hit his way out of High-A Greensboro and up to Double-A for the first time was on display all fall. The left-handed hitter posted a .375/.457/.550 line with three homers and six steals while showing he can handle all three outfield spots very well defensively.
OF: Tre’ Morgan, Mesa (TB No. 10)
Arguably the best defensive first baseman in the Minors, Morgan played left field exclusively this fall (where he played a lot at LSU in 2023) and handled the assignment well. He also swung the bat like he always does: .338/.391/.500 with the same amount of walks as strikeouts.
Honorable mention: Alejandro Osuna (TEX), Robert Hassell III (WSH), Kristian Robinson (AZ)
DH: Kemp Alderman, Peoria (MIA No. 12)
Alderman only played in nine games because he had the audacity to get married in the middle of the AFL season, but what he did in his brief time was certainly noteworthy. He hit six homers in just 36 at-bats, so it’s easy to think he would have challenged Briceño for the home run title.
Honorable mention: Chase DeLauter (CLE)
SP: Josh Stephan, Surprise (TEX No. 25)
The right-hander led all fall hurlers with 20 innings and made the most of them, finishing with a 2.25 ERA (second in the league), a 1.00 WHIP (third), .200 BAA (tied for eighth) while posting a nifty 21/5 K/BB ratio.
SP: Andrew Painter, Glendale (PHI No. 2/MLB No. 32)
The AFL Pitcher of the Year, Painter’s No. 1 objective was to get his first competitive mound time in two years since hurting his elbow and having Tommy John surgery. The stuff seems to be all the way back and he largely had solid command of all four of his offerings, enabling him to post a 2.30 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, .189 BAA and an 18/4 K/BB ratio over 15 2/3 IP.
Honorable mention: Alex Santos (HOU), Samy Natera (LAA)
RP: Evan Justice, LHP (not ranked on COL Top 30)
With a tip of the cap to Luis Mey, the league’s Reliever of the Year, Justice may have been a touch better. He didn’t allow a hit in nine outings spanning 8 2/3 innings, walking only one and striking out 11.
Honorable mention: Luis Mey (CIN), Ryan Jennings (TOR)
Jonathan Mayo is a reporter for MLBPipeline.com. Follow him on Facebook and @JonathanMayo, and listen to him on the weekly MLB Pipeline Podcast.
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