Peoria Javelinas steamroll way to record eighth Arizona Fall League championship

PEORIA, Ariz. -- Carter Graham yelled it over and over again for anyone that would listen:

“Best team in the nation, baby!”

The Arizona Fall League might not cover the entire country, but it did mark the last place in the United States with representatives of big league organizations playing baseball in 2026. And the Peoria Javelinas became champions of the circuit with an 8-3 win over Surprise on Saturday night.

Prospects from the Padres, Mariners, Orioles, Reds and Cardinals systems were a wagon, scoring more runs (219) than any other club over the course of the six-week campaign, and then continued to do so in the finale. The group also ran rampant, compiling 112 steals in 28 games (16 more than the next closest team), obliterating records from previous seasons. (The Fall League experimented this year with pitchers having just one disengagement -- instead of two -- during a plate appearance.)

At the helm was skipper Danny Worth, who spent parts of six seasons in the big leagues and joined the Padres organization as a coach in 2025. He had never been a manager at any level before the Fall League, joking after being drenched with the remnants of the water cooler that he may go out on top. ​

“It's so special because of the talent here,” Worth said. “We're gonna be watching all these guys on TV for a long time. ... When I'm on the couch with my wife and kids, I can be like, ‘Hey, I coached that guy for six weeks, look at him, look what he's doing now.’”

Incredibly, either Peoria or Surprise has been featured in the Fall League title game each of the past 17 seasons -- the last time neither club was part of the final contest was in 2008. The title was Peoria’s eighth overall (the most in AFL history) and its first since 2018.

Here's how the team's prospects fared in the game:

Cardinals
Honored as the circuit’s Offensive Player of the Year before the game, Tai Peete (STL 17) opened the contest with a double and later added a walk. Sammy Hernandez got the start behind the dish and reached base three times (two walks, HBP). Cade McGee struck out in his lone plate appearance after entering as a pinch-hitter, but the Arizona native flashed the leather at the hot corner. He turned a slick double play to stamp out Surprise’s final sustained rally in the eighth and back right-hander Joseph King, who allowed two runs during his inning of work.

Mariners
Brandon Eike got the start at third base and ripped an RBI double during a 1-for-3 night at the dish.

Orioles
One of 15 Top 100 prospects to play in the AFL, Ike Irish (BAL 5/MLB 95) was held hitless from the second spot in the order but managed to score a pair of runs, collect an RBI and steal a bag.

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Padres
Selected to participate in the Home Run Derby and Fall Stars Game last weekend, Alex McCoy (SD 26) capped his year with a ring. Getting the start in left field, he went 0-for-3 but scored a run after being hit by a pitch. Justin DeCriscio joined him in the starting lineup and ripped a pull-side RBI double, adding a walk as well. Kannon Kemp (SD 13) threw the 13 hardest pitches of the night, pumping his high-octane stuff across a scoreless two-inning relief appearance. He worked around three walks and a single to collect a pair of strikeouts -- one on his upper-90s sinker, the other on his upper-80s slider. Not to be outdone, Francis Peña dialed his heater up to 97.5 mph during the ninth en route to locking down the victory.

Reds
After a dominant five-outing stretch in the regular season (0.69 ERA, .114 BAA), Luke Holman (CIN 23) continued to baffle opposing batters with five scoreless frames and six strikeouts en route to being named Player of the Game. He compiled 16 swings-and-misses and got at least one K on each of his three offerings -- a 92-94 mph fastball, a mid-80s splitter and a low-80s curveball.

Worth said earlier this fall that when Yerlin Confidan is on the field, “He’s a guy you can’t take your eyes off.” The Fall Stars Game MVP was at it again in the title game, ripping a 116.7 mph single and a 110.3 mph double, finishing 3-for-4 with an RBI. Graham (CIN 22) added two singles -- a 94.5 mph RBI knock and another at 104.4 -- and a walk, while Carlos Sanchez (CIN 14) showcased his above-average arm strength from shortstop, adding a run scored during a hitless night.

"You're just meeting guys, getting to know each other and it's just a cool little month playing together,” Holman told MLB Network after the game. "I love these guys. I've only known them for a month, but I love them."