As the Arizona Fall League (AFL) regular season ends, here are some news, notes, and how to watch Major League Baseball’s best prospects.
Josue Briceno Finishes Off Record-Setting Fall
It is hard to top a three-homer game, but Tigers prospect Josue Briceno had somehow gotten even hotter over the final stretch. The 19-year-old started his week off by going 2-for-3 with his AFL-leading 9th home run on Monday before turning in a 5-for-5, four RBI performance on Wednesday. To cap it all off, Briceno kicked off Wednesday’s matinee with a homer in the top of the first, marking the seventh straight appearance in which he collected a hit. Briceno became the first player in the 32-year history of the Arizona Fall League to win the Triple Crown, leading the league with a .433 batting average, ten home runs, and 27 RBI.
https://twitter.com/MLBPipeline/status/1856799729251713339
Caleb Durbin Sets Steal Standard
While Briceno was making history at the plate, Yankees prospect Caleb Durbin was breaking records on the basepaths. The speedster stole two more bases on Monday to reach 26 on the season, breaking Rich Hollifield’s record of 24 from 1994. The feat becomes even more impressive when you consider Hollifield’s mark came during a 50-game AFL season, and Durbin needed less than half of that to break the record. In two separate stints in the AFL, Durbin has stolen 48 bases in 52 attempts. The 24-year-old has also impressed at the plate, posting a terrific .312/.427/.548 line and blasting five home runs.
https://twitter.com/MLBPipeline/status/1856153657000996940
Alex Santos II Secures Strikeout Crown
With six more punchouts on Wednesday, Astros prospect Alex Santos II set a new AFL standard with 26 strikeouts on the season. The 22-year-old right-hander allowed just one earned run over three strong innings, lowering his fall ERA to 3.57. A strong performance in the AFL was just what Santos needed after a rough regular season in which he made just six appearances and had a 7.83 ERA.
https://twitter.com/MLBPipeline/status/1856851439252906263
Two Top Prospects Finish Arizona Fall League Strong
Despite not having the regular season they wanted, both Padres prospect Ethan Salas and Royals prospect Jac Caglianone put exclamation points on impressive Arizona Fall League appearances. The former went opposite field for his fourth home run of the fall, while the latter hit a three-run bomb in the bottom of the first for his fifth longball. Each player currently sits in the top 20 of MLB.com’s Prospect rankings and will look to carry their AFL momentum into 2025.
https://twitter.com/MLBPipeline/status/1857163032486400144
Garrett Martin Picks Up Where He Left Off
There has been a long-standing debate about whether a Home Run Derby appearance can mess up a hitter’s swing, but someone forgot to tell Garrett Martin. The Yankees prospect followed up his title on Saturday by homering in his first at-bat in Monday’s contest. Martin has now followed up his 12-homer regular season with five home runs in 19 games during the fall.
https://twitter.com/MLBPipeline/status/1856158623027667281
Jerming Rosario Turns in Dominant Performance
Dodgers right-hander Jerming Rosario saved his best AFL performance for last, striking out seven Solar Sox batters over three scoreless innings. The outing caps a rollercoaster 2024 for Rosario, who struck out an impressive 120 batters in 108.2 innings but was held back by his 73 walks. Rosario will likely start 2025 at Triple-A Oklahoma City, where he will look to cut down on his walks and position himself for an MLB call-up.
https://twitter.com/MLBPipeline/status/1856908453228196005
