The Arizona Fall League opens Saturday, Oct. 3, with a familiar promise in the desert: a few players arriving with top-prospect billing, others looking to turn extra innings into a much larger place on the map. The 34th AFL season begins with 15 members of the Top 100 prospect list, a rehabbing Major League closer, a 17-year-old outfielder and a 29-year-old independent-ball veteran all sharing the same six-club stage.
A desert league with a track record
The Fall League has long been more than a finishing school for blue-chip names. Kevin McGonigle supplied the latest example last autumn, when he hit .362 with a 1.210 OPS for Scottsdale and collected the league MVP award. A year later, the Tigers infielder is expected to finish among the top two in American League Rookie of the Year voting after leading the AL in bWAR at 7.1 during his age-21 season.
It can also give an overlooked player a quick route into the spotlight. Cubs prospect Owen Ayers entered last year unranked in Chicago’s Top 30 before winning AFL Breakout Player of the Year. He now stands second in the Cubs system and No. 89 overall. Each of the previous three recipients of that breakout honor reached the Major Leagues the following season.
- Former AFL MVPs include Nolan Arenado, Ronald Acuña Jr. and Kris Bryant.
- Aaron Judge, Mike Trout and Bryce Harper all spent time in the league before becoming established stars.
- Ten of the 18 position players who started this season’s All-Star Game are AFL alumni.
- Giants closer Randy Rodriguez, already a Major League All-Star, is slated to pitch while working his way back from injury.
- Royals outfielder Angeibel Gomez, ranked No. 81, is 17; Tyler LaPorte, a four-year independent-league veteran, is 29.
Opening Day brings three prospect-heavy games
The first pitch slate starts at 3:30 p.m. ET, when Salt River meets Glendale. Salt River could run out an especially lively middle-infield pairing in D-backs second baseman Demetrio Crisantes, No. 72 overall, and Yankees shortstop Dax Kilby, No. 83. Glendale carries four Top 100 players, more than any other club, paced by Dodgers outfielder Eduardo Quintero at No. 18 and White Sox prospect Caleb Bonemer at No. 27. Bonemer will be learning center field during his Arizona assignment.
Surprise and Scottsdale follow at 6:30 p.m. ET in a game that may feature six Top 100 talents. Rangers infielder Sebastian Walcott, the circuit’s highest-ranked player at No. 9, returns after an injury limited him to one AFL game last year. Tigers outfielder Zyhir Hope, No. 26, was the headline addition Detroit received in the summer’s Tarik Skubal trade and could bring himself into the club’s near-term Major League picture with a productive fall. Hope previously shined for Glendale in 2024.
The nightcap at 9:30 p.m. ET sends Mesa against Peoria. Angels shortstop Arjun Nimmala, No. 35, arrives after a September surge in which he hit seven homers across eight games while helping Double-A Rocket City win a championship. Acquired by the Angels at the Trade Deadline in the José Soriano deal, Nimmala is now the organization’s top prospect. Peoria counters with Orioles 2025 first-rounder Ike Irish, the No. 97 prospect in baseball, who missed the final two months of the season with a torn left meniscus.
The 15 Top 100 names in Arizona
| Rank | Player | Position | Organization | AFL club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Sebastian Walcott | SS/3B | Rangers | Surprise |
| 18 | Eduardo Quintero | OF | Dodgers | Glendale |
| 26 | Zyhir Hope | OF | Tigers | Scottsdale |
| 27 | Caleb Bonemer | OF | White Sox | Glendale |
| 35 | Arjun Nimmala | SS | Angels | Mesa |
| 45 | Bryce Rainer | SS | Tigers | Scottsdale |
| 57 | Tate Southisene | SS | Braves | Glendale |
| 58 | Aidan Miller | SS | Phillies | Surprise |
| 62 | Nathan Flewelling | C | Rays | Scottsdale |
| 65 | Jarlin Susana | RHP | Nationals | Salt River |
| 72 | Demetrio Crisantes | 2B | D-backs | Salt River |
| 81 | Angeibel Gomez | OF | Royals | Surprise |
| 83 | Dax Kilby | SS | Yankees | Salt River |
| 84 | Charles Davalan | OF/INF | Dodgers | Glendale |
| 97 | Ike Irish | OF/1B | Orioles | Peoria |
Clubs, affiliations and the fall calendar
- Glendale Desert Dogs: Braves, Dodgers, Marlins, Pirates and White Sox.
- Mesa Solar Sox: Angels, Athletics, Blue Jays, Cubs and Red Sox.
- Peoria Javelinas: Cardinals, Mariners, Orioles, Padres and Reds.
- Salt River Rafters: D-backs, Nationals, Rockies, Twins and Yankees.
- Scottsdale Scorpions: Astros, Brewers, Giants, Rays and Tigers.
- Surprise Saguaros: Guardians, Mets, Phillies, Rangers and Royals.
The 90-game regular season, Home Run Derby, Fall Stars Game and postseason rounds will be available free through MLB.com streams, with Gameday coverage for every contest. MLB Network will televise the Fall Stars Game and the championship.
- Oct. 3: Opening Day, beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET.
- Oct. 10: Tripleheader at Kino Sports Complex in Tucson, starting at 3:30 p.m. ET.
- Oct. 17: Tripleheader at Goodyear Ballpark, beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET.
- Nov. 7: Home Run Derby at Salt River Fields, 8:30 p.m. ET.
- Nov. 8: Fall Stars Game at Salt River Fields, 8 p.m. ET.
- Nov. 12: Quarterfinals at Sloan Park, starting at 3:30 p.m. ET.
- Nov. 13: Semifinals at Peoria Sports Complex, beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET.
- Nov. 14: Championship Game at Peoria Sports Complex, 8 p.m. ET.
For six weeks, the box scores will matter, but so will the small things that do not always fit neatly in one: a shortstop’s first step, an outfielder handling a new position, a pitcher returning to his delivery after a lost season. Arizona has a way of making those autumn assignments feel like the first page of next year’s story.
