Salt River, Surprise to play for Fall League Championship
MESA, Ariz. -- The Surprise Saguaros will aim for their third straight Arizona Fall League championship on Saturday when they take on the Salt River Rafters in a battle of the developmental circuit’s best offenses. Salt River (16-14) and Surprise (18-10) each averaged 6.6 runs per game during the regular
AFL's Saguaros have the best record -- and the best celly
SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Watching Chase DeLauter hit a double can be a thing of beauty. And at the Arizona Fall League this season, the entertainment didn't stop when he got to second. MLB's No. 41 prospect, as well as his Surprise Saguaros teammates, would strike a saguaro cactus-like pose to
This Minors team takes concessions very seriously -- watch out for the grasshoppers
This is an excerpt from The Baseball Traveler Newsletter, formerly known as Ben's Biz Newsletter, delivering Minor League Baseball business and culture news to your inbox each and every Thursday. Check out the full newsletter and background on the name change HERE.
'Big Apples' alternate identity makes Yankees' affiliate New York to the core
The Hudson Valley Renegades, seeking to celebrate core aspects of their home state, planted a seed that has now borne fruit. At a gala event on Friday morning, the New York Yankees' High-A affiliate unveiled their "Big Apples" alternate identity. New York state is the second-largest producer of apples in
Tigers prospect Briceño becomes Fall League's first Triple Crown winner
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The Arizona Fall League has been host to a who’s who of baseball royalty that cut their teeth in pro ball early in their careers -- future Rookies of the Year and Most Valuable Players Bryce Harper, Mike Trout and Ronald Acuña Jr., to name a few.
No. 2 seed Scottsdale meets No. 3 Salt River in Fall League semifinals
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The Arizona Fall League playoffs started a day early on Thursday, with the matchup between the Scottsdale Scorpions and Glendale Desert Dogs at Camelback Ranch serving as a de facto play-in game to Friday’s semifinal contest. Riding back-to-back homers from Adrian Pinto (Blue Jays) and Jacob Reimer
A master of deception, Rockies prospect Justice makes Fall League history
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
40-man deadline: Which prospects are getting roster spots?
For all 30 Major League teams, some of the biggest decisions of the offseason must be made by the Nov. 19 deadline for setting their 40-man rosters. Any player not added to their organization’s roster by then will become eligible to be selected by another organization in the Rule 5
Witt's wedding party is in the cards for Angels' Britt
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.
From 16 to 26, here is the best prospect at each age
With the World Series over and the Arizona Fall League wrapping up, now is a good time to take stock of an exciting year in prospectdom. In October, MLB Pipeline released its updated Top 100 Prospects list, which featured several big changes at the top, but we're going to take
Painter aces test with 6 K's in final Fall League outing
SURPRISE, Ariz. – Mission accomplished. Andrew Painter arrived in the Arizona Fall League six weeks ago, having not pitched in game action since he sprained his elbow during a Spring Training appearance on March 1, 2023. He tried to rehab the injury before having Tommy John surgery that July, and
Best of both worlds: Kurtz shows off power, gives outfield a go in Fall League
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Nick Kurtz's bat got him selected by the A’s fourth overall this year, and his bat has the first baseman ranked No. 45 overall by MLB Pipeline. Where will he land on the other side of the ball? Well, at the very least, he's broadened his horizons
Road to The Show™: Twins’ Jenkins
Each week, MiLB.com profiles an elite prospect by chronicling the steps he's taken toward achieving his Major League dream. Here's a look at top Twins prospect Walker Jenkins. For more stories about players on The Road to The Show, click here. Walker Jenkins may be baseball’s top overall prospect early
Braves' Maier showcases elite spin rates in Fall League
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
Cubs' Long, Tigers' Miller earn Fall League Week 5 honors
Week 5 in the Arizona Fall League was about spotlighting the best the top prospect circuit had to offer, with Fall Star festivities limiting regular-season AFL play to only four days in the desert. These two players stood out for squeezing exceptional performances into that small sample. Mesa corner outfielder/infielder
Running circles around AFL, Yankees' Durbin sets all kinds of stolen-base records
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Caleb Durbin made a valiant run at the Arizona Fall League’s single-season stolen base record last year, only to come up three short with 21. He wouldn’t be denied in his return. The Yankees sent Durbin back to the AFL this year to get more at-bats after
These Arizona Fall League prospects are vying for 40-man roster spots
Call it a last-chance saloon in the middle of the desert. The Arizona Fall League provides more than just an opportunity to see some of the game’s top prospects in one spot. It’s also the final place certain Minor Leaguers can prove they are deserving of a 40-man roster spot
Only 20, Tigers' Briceño making big noise with his bat in Fall League
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Josue Briceño set the stage for a 2024 breakout by launching 20 extra-base hits in 44 games during his U.S. debut the year before. He got off to a good start in Single-A this season before spraining the posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in mid-May
A's Clarke showing out on both sides of the ball in the Fall League
MESA, Ariz. -- The Denzel Clarke Arizona Fall League showcase continues. With three more hits for Mesa in the Solar Sox’s 7-3 loss to the Desert Dogs on Monday, the A’s No. 10 prospect ranks second on the circuit with a .506 on-base percentage -- and he added to his
Arizona Fall League Week 5 top performers
Here are the top performers from the fifth week of AFL action:
Once cut from college club team, Boston's Uberstine defying odds in AFL
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
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
Top performers of 2024 Fall Stars Game
MESA, Ariz. -- Thayron Liranzo wielded one of the Arizona Fall League’s most potent bats in the first four weeks of the season, but he had struggled as of late. Coming into the annual Fall Stars Game, he had gone hitless in his last 10 at-bats. But with the contest
How each player fared in the 2024 Fall Stars Game
The best of the Arizona Fall League took the field at Sloan Park on Saturday night for the Fall Stars Game. A plethora of baseball's best prospect got their chance to showcase their skills, including Tigers No. 6 prospect Thayron Lirizano, who was named the game's MVP after delivering a
Yankees prospect Martin wins Fall League Home Run Derby
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