Steve Sica - Why the Arizona Fall League Should be on Your Bucket List

The Arizona Fall League has been in existence for nearly 35 years, with its inaugural season taking place in 1992. Since then, hundreds of future MLB stars have made their way through the desert in one of baseball’s most elite prospect leagues.

The AFL isn’t just a destination for players to come, show off their stuff, and compete against other top prospects across baseball; it’s an experience for all baseball fans. Whether you’re a diehard or a casual fan, the Arizona Fall League needs to be on your sports bucket list.

I’ve been living in Arizona for the past four years, having moved here from New Jersey. I was bummed that there was no Minor League Baseball within hundreds of miles of me, but for one month out of the year, the best of MiLB descend on “The Valley.” Consisting of six teams, each team has six MLB affiliates representing them. The Phoenix area is described as “The Valley,” and there are three teams in both the East Valley (Scottsdale, Mesa, and Salt River) and three teams in the West Valley (Surprise, Glendale, and Peoria) 

Sloan Park, Spring Training home of the Cubs, plays host to AFL games in the Fall

The games are played in Spring Training stadiums and are not nearly as popular as Spring Training games, but this is a good thing. Oftentimes, the stadiums built for 5,000 plus fans have maybe 500-800 fans on a given night during the AFL season. Seats are general admission; you can sit right behind home plate, next to the dugout, or in the last row of the corner bleachers. It’s an excellent opportunity to see tomorrow’s baseball stars up close in this intimate atmosphere. The games are so quiet that you can hear the players chatter on the field and in the dugout.

There isn’t as much fanfare as in other Minor League games in the Fall League. There are no in-between-inning contests, no mascot races, or loud booming music. The most kid-friendly thing here is that since the crowd is so sparse, nearly every kid gets a game-used ball, tossed up by an AFL player. The AFL feels like a throwback, with much of the atmosphere being provided by natural sounds of baseball. The crack of the bat, the ball hitting the catcher's mitt after every pitch. The loudest noises here come from the players in the dugout. As someone who truly enjoys the sport of baseball, the AFL is a refreshing change of pace. If you’re like me and as much of a fan of MiLB as I am of MLB, the Arizona Fall League is an absolute must. 

I typically follow whichever team has the handful of Met prospects during the season, but it’s equally as enjoyable to see the future stars from other teams come through here too. The lack of big crowds allows you to sit right in the first row and get a closer look at players who might be playing in front of 45,000-plus crowds in just a year. It’s also an experimental league. This was the first league to try the pitch clock, and for the last two years, it has been heavily utilizing ABS for balls and strikes. 

Scottsdale Stadium, where the Mets' prospects have called home this AFL season

The Arizona Fall League has its own All-Star game, affectionately called the “Fall Stars Game”. As of 2022, it introduced its own version of the home run derby, where six future sluggers compete. It has a playoff at the end of the season, and a championship game to wrap things up.

It’s the quickest of all MiLB leagues, lasting just over six weeks. It’s held in October through early November, which is perfect weather. It happens before the snowbirds overcrowd Arizona, and occurs right after the brutal summer months, so locals enjoy these games as their first chance to be outside without melting in 100+ degree heat.

Traveling far for a Minor League season might seem a little nuts, but for my fellow prospect nerds out there, you need to fit it into your schedule at least once in your life. Names like Aaron Judge, Pete Alonso, Bryce Harper, and Nolan Arenado have all played in this league. Take a trip to Phoenix one Autumn and come watch one of baseball's most unique and enjoyable leagues.