Arizona Fall League

with the Salt River Rafters in 2014 while a member of the Colorado Rockies organization; he made his major league debut with the Baltimore Orioles in 2016 (left) and Víctor Víctor Mesa prior to the 2019 Fall Stars Game The six teams of the AFL are organized in two three-team divisions. Each AFL team is affiliated with five teams in Major League Baseball (MLB), and each MLB team provides seven players from their Minor League Baseball affiliates, yielding 35-man rosters. The league provides an environment for top prospects to advance their development, in a setting that MLB governs and monitors, as opposed to other offseason leagues (such as the Puerto Rican Winter League) located outside of the contiguous United States. Player eligibility has changed over time; as of 2008, each MLB organization could only provide one player below the Double-A level, The league has organized an annual all-star game since 2006. Initially known as the "Rising Stars Showcase", it has been branded as the "Fall Stars Game" since at least 2013. Included in the 2022 season was the Homerun derby. Players for the game are selected by league staff, scouting and farm directors, and MLB.com writers. ==History==

The league's inaugural season was 1992, during which each team played a 54-game schedule that ended in early December. The divisions and teams that season were: • Northern division: Grand Canyon Rafters, Scottsdale Scorpions, Sun Cities Solar Sox • Southern division: Chandler Diamondbacks, Phoenix Saguaros, Tucson Javelinas The league's first game was played on October 6, 1992, with the Grand Canyon Rafters defeating the Scottsdale Scorpions, 6–4. Before the 1994 season, the Javelinas relocated from Tucson to Peoria, to limit travel distances to the Phoenix metropolitan area. All teams have been located in greater Phoenix since then. Since 1995, when the Diamondbacks became the Desert Dogs, no team has changed its nickname. However, each team has changed its location at least once during its history. The most recent change was by the Desert Dogs, who moved from Phoenix to Glendale in 2013. during his time with the Scottsdale Scorpions For the 1998 season, organizers rostered players onto each Arizona Fall League team from a single division in MLB: • American League East – Grand Canyon Rafters • American League Central – Phoenix Desert Dogs • American League West – Peoria Javelinas • National League East – Sun Cities Solar Sox • National League Central – Maryvale Saguaros • National League West – Scottsdale Scorpions In 2007, the United States national baseball team and China national baseball team played several games against AFL teams; both teams were later competitors in baseball at the 2008 Summer Olympics. In 2019, the Mesa Solar Sox participated in the Vamos a Tucson Mexican Baseball Fiesta in early October, facing teams of the Mexican Pacific League. In 2019, the league adopted a new logo. In 2020, the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A number of future MLB All-Stars have had stints in the Arizona Fall League; over 300, per the league's website. In 1994, Michael Jordan played for Scottsdale during his time away from the NBA. Similarly, former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow played for Scottsdale in 2016 during his foray into professional baseball. ==Current teams==

Each stadium hosts one or two of its MLB affiliates, denoted in bold, during spring training. Each listed city is in Arizona. Team affiliations reflect the 2025 season. ==Results by season==

Results for each team since the league's inaugural 1992 season are listed below. Teams are listed by their nicknames only, independent of location, as various team locations have changed over time. Tie games are not listed, as they are excluded from winning percentage calculations, which determine division standings. The best winning percentage for a season was by the Saguaros who went 26–10 (.722) in 2011, while the worst was by the Saguaros in 2002 with a record of 11–32 (.256). Through 1997, teams were organized into Northern and Southern divisions. For the 1998 season, American and National divisions were designated. From 1999 to 2021, the divisions were named East and West, except for four seasons (2003–2005 and 2008) when American and National naming was again used. As of the 2022 season, divisions have been eliminated. The top three teams in the final regular season standings qualify for the postseason. The second- and third-place teams meet in a play-in semi-final game, with the winner facing the first-place team in the championship game. Division winners appear in bold type from 1992 to 2021; beginning with 2022, the top three teams that qualify for the postseason appear in bold type. Tie-breaking procedures (such as between the Saguaros and Javelinas in 2021 for the West division title) are unclear. == Championship history ==

From 1992 to 2021, the first-place teams from both divisions met for the league championship. Originally a best-of-three series, it was played as a single game from 2001 to 2021. As of the 2022 season, divisions have been eliminated. The top three teams in the final regular season standings qualify for the postseason. The second- and third-place teams meet in a play-in semi-final game, with the winner facing the first-place team in the championship game. For the 2025 season due to weather concerns, the league went to a play-in style tournament with the top two teams from the regular season receiving a bye, the number six seed played against the number three seed, number five seed playing the number four seed. The winner of the three/six matchup would play the number two seed and the four/five matchup would play the number one seed. The Peoria Javelinas have won the most championships, seven. The most consecutive championships is five, accomplished by the Phoenix Desert Dogs during 2004–2008. No championship game was held in 2020, as the season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. was manager of the 1997 champion Peoria Javelinas. was manager of the 1999 runner-up Maryvale Saguaros. Appearances by team Notes: • In the Seasons column, bold type indicates a championship • Each current team has appeared under at least one former name: • Glendale Desert Dogs made eight appearances as the Phoenix Desert Dogs and one as the Mesa Desert Dogs • Mesa Solar Sox made three appearances as the Sun Cities Solar Sox • Peoria Javelinas made one appearance as the Tucson Javelinas • Salt River Rafters made five appearances as the Grand Canyon Rafters and one each as the Tempe Rafters and Surprise Rafters • Scottsdale Scorpions made one appearance as the Surprise Scorpions • Surprise Saguaros made three appearances as the Mesa Saguaros and one each as the Phoenix Saguaros and Maryvale Saguaros ==Awards==

Most Valuable Player award First presented in 2002 and named for Joe Black of the Brooklyn Dodgers, the award honors the 1952 National League Rookie of the Year. was league MVP in 2005. was league MVP in 2019. Source: Stenson Award The Dernell Stenson Sportsmanship Award was created in 2004, in memory of Dernell Stenson, an outfielder for the Scottsdale Scorpions (Cincinnati Reds), who was killed in a carjacking on November 5, 2003. The award is voted on by the managers and coaches of the six Arizona Fall League teams. won the first Stenson Award in 2004. won the Stenson Award in 2019. AFL Community Champion Award The AFL Community Champion Award was created in 2025, is presented each season to an AFL player who exemplifies a strong commitment to community service and positive impact beyond the game. is presented each season to an AFL player who exemplifies a strong commitment to community service and positive impact beyond the game. This award celebrates a player’s contributions to local communities through charitable activities, volunteer work, mentorship, and other acts of service. The recipient is recognized not only for their performance on the field but for their dedication to giving back and being a role model within the community. Performance-based awards In 2021, the league added several awards: pitcher, hitter, reliever, breakout player, and defensive player of the year. Winners are listed in the below table with their position and major-league organization. ==Hall of Fame==

The Arizona Fall League Hall of Fame was created in 2001. The AFL has had over 1,200 former players reach Major League Baseball. Additionally, 18 former AFL managers or players have gone on to manage a major league club after managing in the league. To be considered by the selection committee, a player must be recognized at the major league level as a Rookie of the Year, a Most Valuable Player, an All-Star, or a Gold Glove or Silver Slugger Award winner. Through 2024, there were 46 inductees to the hall. , manager, inducted 2001 , player, inducted 2006 , umpire, inducted 2018 == All-star game results ==

Through the 2025 edition, East and West have each won 7 of their 14 contests. The 2008 edition was staged as National vs. American, with the National team prevailing. No game was held in 2020, as the season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Only one game, the 2007 edition, has gone into extra innings. in 2006 in 2011 ==See also==