Every August since 1992, the major league baseball teams chose their top seven prospects to send to Arizona to play in the Arizona Fall League. The Arizona Fall League is hosted by six Arizona cities: the Scottsdale Scorpions, Mesa Solar Sox, Glendale Desert Dogs, Surprise Saguaros, Peoria Javelinas, and the Salt River Rafters. The complexes that they play at are the same as the Spring Training complexes that Major League teams play at in the spring.
Spring Training is another program that is similar to the Arizona Fall League. All of the major league baseball teams go to Arizona to practice for the upcoming season. Spring Training starts on February 24th and ends the last week of March. Spring Training is not every day; it is spread out throughout the two months that they play.
Unlike Spring Training where players are trying to get ready for the season, the Arizona Fall League is a continuation of the season for the top prospects in the game. Iron sharpens iron as the prospects of today are looking to be the next Buster Posey, Albert Pujols, or Aaron Judge. The competition pits the best of the best as they compete for the Arizona Fall League title. The majority of Fall League players go to the major leagues. 12/20 players in the starting lineup for major league teams played in the Arizona Fall League.
“It’s good for young developing players or rookies and prospects from other teams. It’s a good chance for players like Blake Walston who is the Diamondback’s top prospect to develop their baseball skills further and it’s also after the regular season,” says Izaak Z
Games happen every day from October 2nd (opening day) to November 11th (championship day). Every team in the Arizona Fall League and in Spring Training plays a total of 30 games, with a day off for the Arizona Fall League on November 6th. Tickets for the Arizona Fall League are $8-$10, or you can purchase season tickets for $100-$170.
The Home Run Derby is November 3rd and the Fall Stars game is November 4th. The rosters for the Arizona Fall League come out on September 30th.
The Arizona Fall League is not just for the players. It is also for umpires and aspiring managers to develop new skills, get a closer look at what the industry is like, and grow in the MLB. It allows them to be seen by higher-up people in the industry and become a manager or work in the MLB.
This program is a great opportunity for young fans to truly be involved in baseball and all aspects of it. Autographs are really popular at these games, as it is more of an intimate game and there are not as many fans. ]Players will sign baseballs, hats, or even the baseball bat that they broke. Sometimes, if you get lucky, you can go up to the players and ask for said bat.
A family member who has gone to an Arizona Fall League game says, “I like the Fall League a lot because it is a chance to see each team’s top prospects play and try and get to the major leagues. It is a chance to see them in a small crowd where you can hear the crack of the bat and the players talking and cheering on their teammates. It is also cool to see all the scouts that are out there taking notes and rating the players. I like how it is family-friendly and the players all take time to sign autographs for the kids.”
Another statement from an Arizona Fall League fan states, “I like the Fall League because the players are normally very nice and give stuff out. I received a bat from Lawrence Butler. The games are not super expensive and the games are very fun.”
Fall league games are a great experience for fans and for the players to understand the game in an up-close way and it’s also cool to see minor league players play in one of their last games before being drafted into the major leagues.
