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8 stats to remember from the 2024 Arizona Fall League

@JesseABorek
November 20, 2024

There’s no denying that the 2024 Arizona Fall League season was historic. There was a little bit of everything in the desert, with record books being rewritten during the 32nd year of prospects putting their skills on display. It’s always difficult to gauge just how significant six weeks' worth of

'Great year of baseball' for Caglianone includes stamp of approval from Witt Jr.

@JesseABorek
November 19, 2024

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- When the Royals selected Jac Caglianone with the sixth overall pick in July, fans and the front office alike saw the vision: a power-hitting middle-of-the-order bat with prolific collegiate slugging exploits teaming with Bobby Witt Jr. at the heart of the lineup for years to come. Those

8 prospects who stood out in the AFL Championship Game

@JesseABorek
November 17, 2024

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- And just like that, the curtain has fallen on the 2024 Fall League campaign. The Salt River Rafters thwarted the Surprise Saguaros’ attempt at a three-peat in unconventional fashion as the road club in their home park (by virtue of Surprise finishing with the regular season’s best

Tigers prospect Briceño takes home Fall League's Joe Black MVP Award

@JesseABorek
November 16, 2024

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – You don’t always know that you’re witnessing history when you see it. But anyone who watched Josue Briceño on a daily basis during the 2024 Arizona Fall League campaign knew that he was hitting at a prolific rate unlike anything seen in the circuit’s 32 years. On

A master of deception, Rockies prospect Justice makes Fall League history

@JesseABorek
November 14, 2024

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- When the Arizona Fall League season got underway on Oct. 7, it offered participants a chance to hit reset on their Minor League statistics. For Evan Justice, that was a welcome reprieve on a year where not much went right on the hill. But nearly everything went

Witt's wedding party is in the cards for Angels' Britt

@JesseABorek
November 14, 2024

MESA, Ariz. -- Three years into his Major League career, Bobby Witt Jr. has already had 2,035 regular-season plate appearances. That’s a lot of chances to make an impression. But when it comes to your wedding, you only get one chance to hit it out of the park.

Braves' Maier showcases elite spin rates in Fall League

@JesseABorek
November 12, 2024

PEORIA, Ariz. – When the Braves selected Adam Maier in the seventh round of the 2022 Draft out of the University of Oregon, they handed a hurler with just 34 2/3 collegiate innings under his belt a massive overslot amount of $1.2 million to forego his remaining eligibility and begin

Once cut from college club team, Boston's Uberstine defying odds in AFL

@JesseABorek
November 10, 2024

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- At 5-foot-5 and 120 pounds, you wouldn’t recognize Tyler Uberstine in his high school days. Cut twice from Chaminade Prep in Los Angeles as a teen, he didn’t exactly scream prospect or future pro ballplayer. Uberstine made the varsity team his senior year -- and barely played,

Go-ahead homer earns Tigers prospect Liranzo Fall Stars Game MVP honors

@JesseABorek
November 10, 2024

MESA, Ariz. -- Thayron Liranzo only got one at-bat during the 2024 Fall Stars Game, which made him an unlikely MVP candidate. But when you torpedo a go-ahead home run in the top of the ninth 437 feet at 112 mph off the bat, that’s as good a case as

Yankees prospect Martin wins Fall League Home Run Derby

@JesseABorek
November 9, 2024

MESA, Ariz. -- Home run prowess from slugging outfielders has become commonplace for Yankees fans at the big league level over the past few seasons. Prospect Garrett Martin etched out his own homer lore with a scintillating final round that earned him 2024 Arizona Fall League Home Run Derby winner

Childhood buddies Ray and Rose battle for bragging rights in the Fall League

@JesseABorek
November 6, 2024

MESA, Ariz. -- Put yourself in the shoes of Caden Rose and Dylan Ray. Best friends since childhood growing up in North Alabama, they dreamed of being professional ballplayers. Now they're beginning to see those dreams materialize. Invited to the Arizona Fall League, they've finally gotten to spend time together

Wilken's Arizona Fall League Derby secret weapon? Dad strength

@JesseABorek
November 5, 2024

PEORIA, Ariz. -- In his first at-bat since being announced as a participant in the 2024 Fall League Home Run Derby, Brock Wilken emphatically proved himself worthy of his inclusion. But when Peoria’s eventual 3-3 tie with Surprise on Tuesday afternoon at the Peoria Sports Complex first started, Wilken’s name

D-backs prospect Amendt not cooling off one little bit in the desert

@JesseABorek
November 3, 2024

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Life as a Minor League reliever has thin margins. Your ERA can be torpedoed by one bad outing. There’s also the obvious caveat that the fewer innings you throw, the less often scouts, evaluators and members of the organization get to see your stuff. But the quickest

Yankees prospect Durbin trying to swipe his way to 40-man spot

@JesseABorek
November 2, 2024

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- The Arizona Fall League has never seen a base stealer like Caleb Durbin. The Yankees prospect added another notch to his stolen-base prowess during Salt River's 8-3 win over Mesa at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on Saturday afternoon. By virtue of three stolen bases, Durbin

From Division II to the Fall League, Giants' Pleasants looks to be a keeper

@JesseABorek
November 2, 2024

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – On June 9, Elijah Pleasants had his best outing of the year with nine strikeouts over six frames of two-run ball. The fact that his landmark outing of 2024 came for the Oakland Ballers of the Pioneer League set the stage for a whirlwind ride. Three days

Padres' De Vries youngest to homer in Fall League since Harper

@JesseABorek
October 31, 2024

Leodalis De Vries hasn't completed a full year as a professional yet, but he has already amassed an astounding list of firsts and the “youngest-to” designations in 2024. During Peoria’s 12-5 loss to Surprise on Thursday afternoon at the Peoria Sports Complex, he added another: Youngest player to homer in

Mets' Williams, Gilbert strengthen bond in the desert

Pair of New York's top prospects are enjoying their time in AFL
@JesseABorek
October 31, 2024

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – No tricks here, just a sweet treat for Mets fans. The organization's top-ranked position players, Jett Williams and Drew Gilbert, hammered solo home runs during Arizona Fall League action Thursday afternoon, leading the Scorpions to a 10-1 victory over the Desert Dogs at Scottsdale Stadium. While the

A's Kurtz ending long and eventful year on a high note in the desert

@JesseABorek
October 31, 2024

MESA, Ariz. – Nick Kurtz's first official home run of the 2024 season came on Feb. 17. More than eight months later, much has changed, but one thing has remained consistent: the 21-year-old can still hammer the baseball. Kurtz teed off on Arizona Fall League homer No. 1 on Wednesday

Padres' prospect Salas providing exciting spring preview in Fall League

@JesseABorek
October 29, 2024

PEORIA, Ariz. -- When the Padres break spring camp at the Peoria Sports Complex in February, Ethan Salas will be among the Major League group for the second time, an astounding feat considering he’ll be just 18 years old. While it would be a significant development if Salas were to

‘It just feels like butter’: Brannon, Gladney trade 468-ft homers in AFL

@JesseABorek
October 27, 2024

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- While the Yankees and Dodgers were busy tagging home runs that carried significant weight during Game 2 of the World Series on Saturday night, Brooks Brannon and DJ Gladney were sending their own prodigious wallops toward the Dodgers complex located just beyond the left-field wall at Camelback

Angels prospect Kavadas capping whirlwind year by showing off power in Fall League

@JesseABorek
October 26, 2024

PHOENIX -- It’s not often that a batter in the Arizona Fall League already has his first Major League homer under his belt. It’s also a rare occurrence for a hitter to return, particularly two years later. But Niko Kavadas finds himself back in the desert after a roller-coaster summer

Guardians prospect Huff's roller-coaster journey makes a stop at home

@JesseABorek
October 26, 2024

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- The Arizona Fall League is, for many players, a proving ground, a chance to head west and showcase their skills in front of a whole new audience. For Kody Huff, it’s a homecoming. The Guardians prospect, once a standout at Scottsdale’s Horizon High School, got to return

Why walk when you can run? Giants' Szykowny finding his inner Nimmo

@JesseABorek
October 24, 2024

GOODYEAR, Ariz. – How do you put yourself on the pro radar while playing Division III baseball in cold-weather Wisconsin? Hustle. All the time. Even on walks. In a sport predicated on routine and often on conventionalism, seeing something out of the ordinary always piques interest. One such instance of

Hold those LSU Tigers: Morgan, Taylor duel in Arizona Fall League

@JesseABorek
October 24, 2024

MESA, Ariz. – When LSU spilled out onto Omaha’s Charles Schwab Field to celebrate the 2023 national championship, Tre' Morgan and Grant Taylor were part of the dog pile, teammates jubilant about their club’s success. Fast forward to Wednesday afternoon at Sloan Park during Arizona Fall League action and the

Lifelong Rox fan Messinger cherishes chance to don purple pinstripes

@JesseABorek
October 23, 2024

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Niwot, Colorado, boasts a population just north of 4,000 residents, a figure that has remained largely unchanged since the turn of the century. Named for a 19th-century Arapaho tribal leader, the historic town that sits just off Highway 119 was where Skyler Messinger plied his craft on