Fall Ballers: Spartanburgers Reflect on Arizona Fall League Experience

After catching 74 games in his first full season of professional baseball, Ben Hartl was ready to take a load off. Back in his hometown of Springfield, Illinois, Hartl’s offseason itinerary consisted of golf trips with buddies, concerts with his girlfriend and quality time with his family. Four days later, those plans had to be scrapped.

Driving back from watching a game at his old junior college, Hartl got a call from Rangers Director of Player Development Josh Bonifay, which contained an invite to Minor League Baseball’s most prestigious offseason showcase: the Arizona Fall League.

“I could never say no to a situation like that,” said Hartl. “It was so fun.”

The Fall League has served as an addendum to the minor league season since 1992. Each organization can send up to seven players to the AFL. At first, it was meant for players who were in Double-A or above. Eligibility requirements have relaxed over time, expanding the reach to Complex League prospects and rehabbing big leaguers alike, but most clubs send their best talent to the desert.

“When you’re playing a team and they’re in the back end of their bullpen, these guys are still throwing 95-100 miles per hour,” said Hartl. “It was such a learning experience.”

Along with Hartl, Kolton Curtis, Joey Danielson, Dylan Dreiling, Malcolm Moore, and Chandler Pollard represented Texas and Hub City as part of the Surprise Saguaros, one of six AFL teams in the circuit. One of the Fall League’s purposes is giving players whose seasons were abbreviated by injury a chance to accrue extra repetitions. Pollard lost his 2025 campaign in June due to a fractured tibia and was simply excited to be back on a baseball field after months of rehab. Moore, who missed two months of the Spartanburgers season with a fractured hand, finally found a bit of a groove at the plate, smacking a home run and driving in 8 RBIs.

"There's definitely the component of you haven't seen pitching in two-and-a-half months, and then there's also the component of how the bat feels in your hands," Moore told MLB.com in November. "There's a lot of hands in the swing and it was a little tough for me coming back. But I'm just trying to stack wins now and look forward to next season."

Famous Saguaro alums include Freddie Freeman, Jason Heyward and Jimmie Rollins. The 2025 Saguaros were made up of Rangers, Royals, Phillies, Brewers and Guardians farmhands. The diverse roster allowed for the sharing of tips and tricks — Dreiling picked up three drills from Rangers Triple-A hitting coach Matt Lawson which have become his daily routine. More importantly, the mixing and matching of players led to the formation of lasting friendships.

“(Phillies outfield prospect) Dylan Campbell and I were playing MLB the Show together this past weekend,” said Pollard. “We both got off to slow starts, so we figured some success in the game would translate to real life. DC hit two home runs in his next series.”

Dreiling Hartl and Moore both built connections with Royals prospect Blake Mitchell, who shared catching duties with the pair of Hub City backstops throughout the fall. Hartl and Mitchell even traded some bats at the end of the season.

“You’re watching all these first-round picks, and they’re glorified in baseball and on social media,” said Hartl. “But you realize they’re just normal dudes.”

“A lot of the prospects I know from the showcase circuit or hearing their names around pro ball,” said Moore. “It’s cool to see the guys you played with and against at Spring Training. Being with the Rangers guys and winning a championship helped us get closer.”

The Saguaros’ connective tissue, woven together by card games, trips to get ice cream, and bonding on the bench, led to a successful season. The Saguaros finished 16-10 and persevered through adversity to win the AFL championship. Surprise fell behind the Peoria Javelinas (made up of Orioles, Reds, Padres, Mariners and Twins prospects) early in the title game but launched a seven-run rally in the eighth to overtake Peoria and raise the banner.

“Early in the game, the vibe of the team wasn’t really there,” said Dreiling. “But in the fifth inning, the vibe changed. We just had fun.”

Dreiling and Pollard, who shared the field for just one game in Hub City but became fast friends in Arizona, played pivotal roles. Both came off the bench, in rather quick fashion, and went 2-for-3 with an RBI.

“I came out of the bathroom, and they told me I was on deck,” said Pollard. “Then everyone just started hitting at the same time.”

The offensive onslaught led to a 9-4 victory and rings for the six Spartanburgers, who after falling just short of a SAL championship two months earlier, wrapped up their 2025 seasons with a title.