Arizona Fall League FAQ

The leaves change, the pumpkins come out and baseball is played across the Valley of the Sun.

The Arizona Fall League is an annual circuit filled with top prospects and near-Major League-ready talents that you might hear about often each autumn, especially in our MLB Pipeline coverage. But for fans who don’t travel as deeply in the weeds of prospectdom, the mere mention of the AFL can bring about its own set of queries.

So let’s answer some of the most frequently asked questions about one of the most prospect-heavy leagues in baseball:

What is the Arizona Fall League?

Beginning in 1992, the AFL is set up as an offseason league that was MLB-affiliated and held stateside, as opposed to winter circuits across the Caribbean and elsewhere overseas. All 30 Major League teams send players to Arizona for the six-week Fall League schedule, and with six AFL clubs spread out across the Valley, that works out to five farm systems per team. Clubs also send managers and coaches to help fill out staffs. The basic idea is that the end of the regular season does not close the window for development, either on the playing or coaching side.

Where is it held?

The six Fall League clubs all play at Spring Training facilities in the Phoenix metro area. The current six teams are (with the MLB clubs who use the Spring Training facilities in those places in parentheses): Glendale Desert Dogs (Dodgers, White Sox); Mesa Solar Sox (Cubs); Peoria Javelinas (Mariners, Padres); Salt River Rafters (D-backs, Rockies); Scottsdale Scorpions (Giants) and Surprise Saguaros (Rangers, Royals). MLB clubs whose spring homes are used in the fall send their prospects to the club associated with their park (e.g. Cubs to Mesa, Giants to Scottsdale, etc.), while the other systems typically rotate through the other Fall League destinations.

Mesa, Salt River and Scottsdale are all close together in the East Valley, while Glendale, Peoria and Surprise are grouped together out west. That said, it’s easily drivable from one side to another, making the AFL a quality destination to catch a lot of baseball at once similar to Spring Training in Arizona.

There are occasions where games are held in non-AFL ballparks as well. For example in 2026, Tucson and Goodyear will each host Fall League games as special occasions.

When is it held?

These days, the Fall League has a six-week calendar typically running from early October through mid-November. In 2026, Opening Day will be Saturday, Oct. 3, and the final day of the regular season will be Nov. 11. The annual Fall Stars Game -- essentially the AFL’s version of an All-Star Game -- is held in the final week of the season, and the postseason begins immediately following the conclusion of the regular campaign, culminating in the annual AFL Championship. Teams are scheduled to play 30 games each over the span of those six weeks. 

Which types of prospects typically go?

There are typically three types of prospects who are sent to the Fall League: Top 100-quality talents looking to round out their games with more exposure and work before their Major League debuts, players with upcoming Rule 5 eligibility that clubs want to see more before making a 40-man-roster call and players trying to make up for lost time due to injuries. Players can fit more than one of those categories, of course, and there are cases where they fit none too. But typically, you’ll see several big names head to the desert for extra playing opportunities, and that can make every Fall League game feel like an All-Star game of sorts to those who follow prospects closely.

Who are notable AFL alumni?

The all-time roster is filled with greats from baseball’s past, present and future. 

Four Baseball Hall of Famers swept through the desert in Roy Halladay, Todd Helton, Derek Jeter and Mike Piazza, and several more alumni could join them in Cooperstown someday like Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Bryce Harper, Aaron Judge, Albert Pujols, Max Scherzer and Mike Trout among many others. League MVPs like Ronald Acuña Jr., Kris Bryant, Cody Bellinger, Giancarlo Stanton and Christian Yelich also swung through the desert not long before dominating in The Show, as did Cy Young winners from this decade in Sandy Alcantara and Gerrit Cole.

Even Michael Jordan suited up for Scottsdale in 1994 after his one summer in the White Sox system, and Tim Tebow played for the same club 22 years later during his time as a Mets farmhand.

What else happens in the Arizona Fall League?

The AFL is also the laboratory wherein Major League Baseball experiments with rules changes that may or may not make their way to The Show someday. The Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) System and pitch clocks, to name two of the biggest, were both used in Fall League play before heading to the Majors. It’s another way that the AFL can provide a look into the future of baseball.

Can I visit?

All Fall League games are ticketed events, and fans can sit anywhere in the ballpark after admission. For locals or others willing to spend long stretches in Arizona, the circuit also sells season passes.