Scottsdale, Ariz. – Kansas City Royals catching prospect Blake Mitchell had a key moment in the Surprise Saguaros Arizona Fall League championship run, which ended with a 9-4 win against the Peoria Javelinas on Nov. 14 at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick in Scottsdale.
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Surprise Saguaros catcher Blake Mitchell – Mitchell hit an opposite-field walk-off single for the Surprise Saguaros against the Mesa Solar Sox reliever Holt Jones deep to the left field wall to easily score outfielder Joe Lampe from second base in the semifinals on Nov. 13 in a 4-3 win.
Mitchell was drafted by the Royals in the first round of the 2023 MLB Draft with the eighth overall pick.
“Yeah, you know, I was super excited. My family was also extremely excited. They’re a great organization, so I couldn’t ask for, you know, a better home,” Mitchell told World Baseball Network about being drafted by the Royals on Nov. 14.
Mitchell, 21, finished his minor league season with their High-A affiliate, the Quad Cities River Bandits, and he reflected on his results in 2025.
“I would say my defensive progress. I feel like I’ve done a lot of work back there and definitely, you know, improving all around, especially with framing,” Mitchell said of his defensive skills.
“J.C. Boska and our catching coordinators have done a lot of work with me, and I give him a lot of praise for that.”
Mitchell had three home runs, 19 RBIs, 12 stolen bases, and a slash line of .218/390/.320 in 197 at-bats.
“I would say just overall, I need to show more offensive consistency. You know, putting the ball in play more often, fewer strikeouts, putting together better at-bats,” Mitchell said about his offense in 2025.
Mitchell is the Royals’ second-ranked prospect on MLB Pipeline.com and ranks 62nd on their Top 100 Prospect Rankings.
Surprise Saguaros pitcher Trenton Denholm – Surprise Saguaros right-handed pitcher Trenton Denholm won AFL Pitcher of the Week on Nov. 17 for his efforts in the semifinals against the Mesa Solar Sox in a 4-3 win. Denholm threw four no-hit innings with no runs allowed and two strikeouts. He was the only pitcher in the AFL to throw four no-hit innings this fall.
Denholm, 25, is a pitcher for the Cleveland Guardians, and he reached their Triple-A affiliate, the Columbus Clippers, at the end of the 2025 season. He had 16 strikeouts in 12 ⅔ innings and an ERA of 2.13 this fall for the Surprise Saguaros.
Peoria Javelinas catcher Alfredo Duno – Cincinnati Reds catching prospect Alfredo Dunn put on a show to remember for the Peoria Javelinas with his three home run game and six RBIs in their 9-4 semifinals win against the Scottsdale Scorpions on Nov. 13 Duno, 19, was rewarded with winning the AFL Hitter of the Week and he was the first player since 2005 to have at least three home runs and Six RBIs in a playoff game. He had four home runs, nine RBIs, and an OPS of 1.509 from Nov.10-14, which led the AFL.
Duno is the Reds’ second-ranked prospect and ranks 48th on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 Rankings. He was the Reds’ top international signing in 2023 out of Venezuela for $3.2 million.
Duno hit two of those three home runs in the semifinals at distances of 453 feet and 456 feet, and they were clearly gone off the bat. He also threw a runner out attempting to steal second base behind the dish in that same game.
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“That’s my country and I’m going to represent it the best I can,” Duno told World Baseball Network postgame on Nov. 13. “I think my family has been one of my biggest support systems in my career, and they have helped me be able to make this a career.
Duno spent the entire 2025 minor league season with the Reds’ Low-A affiliate, the Daytona Tortugas. He had 18 home runs, 81 RBIs, and a slash line of .287/.430/.518 in 390 at-bats.
Scottsdale Scorpions infielder Seaver King – Scottsdale Scorpions infielder Seaver King is a shortstop prospect with the Washington Nationals. King, 22, went from having only one college offer from Wingate University in North Carolina in 2022 and became the 10th overall pick out of Wake Forest in the 2024 MLB Draft.
“Yeah, I mean, I’ve come a long way. You know, having one offer in college and now being here has been a really good moment,” King told World Baseball Network about being drafted by the Nationals on Nov. 12. “So, at the end of the day, it’s baseball at any level. So, I just try to keep it that way.”
King came from a great group of players at Wake Forest, being in the same draft class as Athletics Rookie of the Year Nick Kurtz (fourth overall) and Reds starting pitcher Chase Burns (second overall).
“I mean, those are some of my best friends. So, seeing them succeed, you know, makes me happy. And, seeing Kurtz win rookie of the year and Burns do his thing has been really good,” King said.
King hit some road bumps with the Nationals’ Double-A affiliate and had six home runs, 43 RBIs, 30 stolen bases, and a slash line of .244/.297/.337 in 505 minor league at-bats this season.
“I mean, it was just baseball. I don’t really think the level changed anything. I was in my own head. Just kind of struggling with a few things. And I got a good reset, came out here, and I’m kind of doing my thing,” King said.
This fall, King had two home runs, 24 RBIs, six stolen bases, and an OPS of 1.031 in 64 at-bats with the Scottsdale Scorpions. King could put himself on the Nationals’ radar for his MLB debut at some point next season. King is the Nationals’ seventh-ranked prospect on MLB Pipeline.
King wants to be remembered for: “Playing the game with his hair on fire, loving the game, and just having fun.”
Salt River Rafters first baseman/outfielder Charlie Condon – Condon won the AFL Dernell Stenson Sportsmanship Award on Nov. 14 with the Salt River Rafters. This is awarded annually to the AFL player who best exemplifies unselfishness, hard work, and leadership.
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Condon, 22, put together a historic college baseball season, setting an NCAA BBCOR record with 37 home runs in 2024 for the Georgia Bulldogs. He was selected third overall in the 2024 MLB Draft by the Colorado Rockies. Condon reached the Rockies’ Double-A affiliate, the Hartford Yard Goats, this past season. Condon also played on Team USA collegiately in 2023.
“It was fun. I played with a decent number of guys who are out here now in the Arizona Fall League. That’s the nation’s best college talent, and representing your country at the same time is really cool,” Condon told World Baseball Network on Nov.10.
Condon is their second-ranked prospect and 61st on MLB Pipeline. He also played with the Rockies Arizona Complex League team and their High-A affiliate, the Spokane Indians, in 2025. He had 14 home runs, 58 RBIs, and a slash line of .268/.376/.444 in 365 at-bats across all three levels.
“As you go up, the competition keeps getting better. You’re testing yourself against some of the best talent — iron sharpens iron.” Condon added. “You just keep putting good reps in against good competition. Once you figure it out, you’re ready for the next level.”
Condon is a person who cares deeply about his craft and his outlook on the game, but he also values the image he leaves behind as a person.
“I want people to remember me as a good baseball player, but more important is my reputation as a person and teammate. Baseball means the world to me, and I’ll do everything I can to be the best I can for as long as I can — but doing it the right way and keeping that moral fiber matters most,” Condon said.”
There were a lot of strong prospects in the league, and some of these names will make an impact in MLB clubhouses for years to come.
