SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Sound the alarm, Andrew Painter is back on the hill. As Philadelphia’s top-ranked pitching prospect took a deep breath and threw his warmup tosses ahead of his first game action since March 2023, an ambulance siren blared outside of Scottsdale Stadium -- a moment of levity amid

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Jeff McNeil and Andrew Painter were the star attractions for Saturday's Arizona Fall League game between the Glendale Desert Dogs and Scottsdale Scorpions. Yet Josue Briceño stole the show. Rehabbing a wrist injury in hopes of rejoining the Mets for the National League Championship Series, the two-time

MESA, Ariz. -- The Padres aren't afraid to challenge elite young prospects. They sent Ethan Salas , the top player in the 2023 international class, to Double-A at age 17 last summer. They had Leodalis De Vries, the best player in this year's international crop, spend all of this season

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The moment that the Camelback Ranch gates opened an hour before first pitch Friday night, fans speed walked, jogged and outright sprinted to the edge of the Scottsdale Scorpions' dugout down the first-base line. The premier prospect showcase usually draws a cavalcade of fans clamoring to see

This is an excerpt from the latest edition of the Ben's Biz Beat Newsletter, bringing Minor League Baseball business and culture news to your inbox each and every Thursday. Check out the full newsletter HERE. The following ballpark road trip recap is presented by Wyndham, proud sponsor of Minor League

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Only one pitcher in the Arizona Fall League features a knuckleball. It danced in Devin Kirby's Salt River Rafters debut on Friday, almost too much. Kirby landed just 12 of his 31 knucklers for strikes, yet persevered nonetheless. The Twins right-hander entered with the bases loaded with

PEORIA, Ariz. -- The Arizona Fall League is often referred to as a finishing school. But there’s a new descriptor for the circuit, courtesy of musician Tyson Ritter. “It’s like a potluck,” the All-American Rejects lead singer said. “Every team brings their own…” “Brings their own jersey,” lead guitarist Nick

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- If Dominique Wilkins was basketball's Human Highlight Film, Zyhir Hope is the Arizona Fall League's version. In two games in the developmental league, Hope has provided two jaw-dropping plays. In his AFL debut on Tuesday, the Dodgers' No. 11 prospect covered 76 feet in less than six

MESA, Ariz. – From the moment Xavier Isaac set foot in Arizona, his confidence was sky high. It took all of one batting practice session for MLB’s No. 36 prospect to know that with a left-handed swing geared to send the ball soaring over the fence, he’d have a blast

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Jake Cunningham offered one of the best power/speed combinations in the 2023 college class. Nevertheless, he lasted 154 picks in the Draft because a right ankle injury hampered him throughout his junior year at UNC Charlotte and there were some concerns about his ability to make consistent

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Six months ago, Danny Kirwin was an unsigned, undrafted free agent. A year removed from being Rider University’s athlete of the year, he was back on campus in Lawrence Township, N.J., as a volunteer coach for the baseball program while continuing to revamp his arsenal at Tread

SURPRISE, Ariz. – Batters love hitting in the Arizona Fall League. The dry, humid air coupled with temps that often hover around triple digits in the early weeks often lead to a pile of extra-base hits and fly balls that might have landed on the warning track in other settings

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Connor Phillips went from the top of the Reds organization to the bottom in nine months. After making his big league debut last September, he found himself reassigned to the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League this June. Because Phillips posted a 9.92 ERA with as many walks as

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Scouts consider Mariners shortstop Colt Emerson one of the best pure hitters in the Minor Leagues. He more than lived up to his reputation in his Arizona Fall League debut. Emerson went 5-for-6 with with four doubles, five RBIs, two runs and a stolen base as his

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- One of the biggest names in the Arizona Fall League gave fans a thrill and a scare in his opening game Tuesday night. Termarr Johnson led off against right-hander Dylan Ray (Diamondbacks) by taking two called strikes and a ball before staying back perfectly on a changeup

Minor League Baseball announced the 2024 winners of the Organization of the Year Award, Executive of the Year Award, Future Star Award, Driving Diversity Award, and the CommUNITY Champion Award. Nominees from each league were selected by their peers and were candidates for the overall awards.

Minor League Baseball announced the San Jose Churros (San Jose Giants) were selected as the 2024 winner of MiLB’s season-long event series, Copa de la Diversión™.

Each week, MiLB.com profiles an elite prospect by chronicling the steps he's taken toward achieving his Major League dream. Here's a look at third-ranked Astros prospect Brice Matthews. For more stories about players on The Road to The Show, click here. The Astros have been aggressive when it comes to

MESA, Ariz. -- Denzel Clarke features some of the best all-around tools in the Arizona Fall League, and he put several of them on display on Opening Night. Clarke went 2-for-4, stole two bases and made a nice running catch in the right-center gap to rob Creed Willems (Orioles) of

The month of October brings baseball fans the excitement of postseason play in the Majors and the dawn of a new Arizona Fall League campaign. The Surprise Saguaros and Mesa Solar Sox will kick off the 32nd season of AFL competition on Monday at 9:30 p.m. ET, pulling the curtain

Founded in 1992, the Arizona Fall League brings prospects from all 30 organizations together to compete for six weeks in the only stateside offseason circuit. In the Fall League, top prospects get the opportunity to face upper-level competition for possibly the first time, or a player can make up for

Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other

The wheel never stops turning in these parts. The Minor League season may be over and the Majors might be in the midst of the postseason, but the Arizona Fall League begins with its Opening Day on Monday. So let’s give the MLB Pipeline Top 100 Prospects list a quick

Triple-A baseball. The final hurdle on the road to the Majors. A blend of up-and-coming prospects and veteran players looking for one last shot at glory in the bigs. There isn't another step on the ladder ... the next stop is the promised land. The blend of old and young

Welcome to Crooked Numbers, a monthly column dedicated to Minor League Baseball on-field oddities and absurdities. The edition, rounding up the month of September, encapsulates the end of the regular season as well as the playoffs. Thanks for reading this season, and here's to an even more "Crooked" 2025.