PEORIA, Ariz. — After six weeks of torrid competition across the Valley of the Sun, one game will decide the 2022 Arizona Fall League champion.
With a new playoff format in tow, Glendale defeated Peoria on Friday night to advance to Saturday’s title stage. Waiting are the Surprise Saguaros, who finished with a league-best 19-10 mark during the regular season; Surprise holds a distinct head-to-head advantage over Glendale, having won five of six contests this year.
The championship game will be broadcast live from Scottsdale Stadium on MLB Network at 8 p.m. ET (6 p.m. local) with Scott Braun, Jim Callis and Dan O’Dowd on the call. Surprise is eyeing its first league crown since 2013, while Glendale is looking to break into the title column for the first time since becoming an AFL host city. (The Desert Dogs — then in Phoenix — last claimed gold in 2008, wrapping up a dominant run of five straight championships.)
There are six Top 100 prospects between the two rosters, but winner-take-all scenarios portend to heroes emerging in all shapes and sizes. Individual prospect statuses — and season-long accomplishments — go out the window and the instinctive desire to win a ring emerges. (Yes, there will be jewelry for the victors.)
Surprise’s roster contains prospects from both 2022 World Series participants, the Astros and Phillies, along with the Pirates, Rangers and Royals. Glendale boasts talent from the Reds, Dodgers, Twins, Brewers and White Sox. Here is one prospect from each affiliate to watch in the season’s final contest.
Pirates: Nick Gonzales, INF (No. 5, MLB No. 93)
Gonzales is a rare two-time Fall Star selection that has furthered his development and slashed .279/.351/.500 with the Saguaros. Plantar fasciitis kept the infielder off the diamond for more than two months over the summer, facilitating another journey back to his home state in the AFL. No Surprise batter will enter hotter than Gonzales, the seventh overall pick in the 2020 Draft, who slashed four hits during the regular-season finale Thursday, tying his pro career high for knocks in an outing.
Rangers: Luisangel Acuña, SS (No. 7)
The younger brother of Braves All-Star Ronald, Luisangel has flashed offensive potency in his own right over the past six weeks. Still just 20 years old, Acuña swatted a pair of homers and added nine steals to cap a year that saw him climb as high as Double-A Frisco, where he was an average of more than four years younger than his competition. After claiming a Texas League title ring, the Venezuela native’s experience and power/speed blend could serve as the impetus to a victory.
Royals: Samad Taylor, 2B/OF (No. 25)
Acquired by Kansas City at the Trade Deadline in July as part of the return package for Whit Merrifield, Taylor was added to the Royals’ 40-man roster earlier this week. He hasn’t displayed much hit tool during his time in the Fall League, but his speed has been showcased in spades with nine steals in 10 attempts. Taylor has already displayed his flare for the dramatic, swatting a resounding homer earlier in the fall when the club played at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. In a winner-take-all scenario, his aggressiveness on the basepaths could be a game changer.
Astros: Will Wagner, 3B (unranked on Houston’s Top 30)
Wagner was an extra-base machine throughout the Fall League, with 11 of his 18 knocks notching at least two bags. The lefty-swinger finished first in the AFL in isolated power (.365) and second in OPS (1.145) during the regular season, collecting 15 RBIs in just 14 games. An 18th-round selection in the 2021 Draft out of Liberty, Wagner climbed as high as Double-A Corpus Christi in his first full season after compiling a 124 wRC+ in his time with High-A Asheville.
Phillies: Cristian Hernandez, RHP (unranked on Philadelphia’s Top 30)
The 22-year-old native of Venezuela was named to the Fall Stars Game last week, continuing a linear progression of success since his acclimation to relief work. He has peppered the strike zone with a mid-90s sinker, posting just one walk to his ledger across 11 frames for Surprise. Slated to serve as the opener, Hernandez has allowed a single earned run over eight appearances. The Saguaros posted a league-best 4.33 team ERA during the regular season and if they’re to claim their first league title in nearly a decade, putting up zeros will be imperative.
Reds: Noelvi Marte, 3B/SS (No. 2, MLB No. 17)
At the forefront of Glendale’s semifinal victory with a homer and a pair of RBIs, the 21-year-old was the centerpiece of the Reds’ Trade Deadline acquisitions this past season. The highest-ranked prospect dealt in 2022, Marte posted an .829 OPS across two High-A stops between the Seattle and Cincinnati organizations. He nearly led the Spanish National Team to the World Baseball Classic with an impressive four-game showing before heading to Arizona. With the franchise boasting a plethora of talented shortstops, Marte has begun his transition to the hot corner during his time with Glendale.
Dodgers: Andy Pages, OF (No. 5, MLB No. 66)
Much like Marte, Pages is bringing percolating lumber into the league’s final contest. After a slow start following his arrival in Arizona, the 21-year-old has settled in to deliver eight multihit performances. The Cuban slugger swatted a go-ahead roundtripper on the final day of the regular season, tying him for the team lead with five homers. Power has been the name of Pages’ game since his stateside arrival, slugging 26 jacks this past year for Double-A Tulsa. That pop will make him a threat each time he strides into the box.
Twins: Edouard Julien, 2B (No. 14)
The breakout sensation of the Fall League, Julien has significant helium following a monstrous AFL campaign that saw him slash .400/.563/.686 over 21 regular-season contests. The Quebec, Canada, native led the league in average, on-base percentage, walks (23) and OPS, while finishing third in hits (28) and total bases (48). Glendale’s catalyst atop the order spent the entirety of the 2022 season with Double-A Wichita, where he compiled a whopping .422 wOBA and 145 wRC+ across 113 games.
Brewers: Zavier Warren, 1B/3B (unranked on Milwaukee’s Top 30)
Warren’s plate discipline has been bested only by Julien over the past six weeks. A lefty-swinger with a gifted eye, the third-round selection from the 2020 Draft finished eighth in on-base percentage (.443), walking (22) more than he struck out (16). On Oct. 28, the 23-year-old enjoyed a multihit outing against Surprise in which he collected an AFL-best four RBIs.
White Sox: Sammy Peralta, LHP (unranked on Chicago’s Top 30)
A deceptive arm slot makes the southpaw a candidate to have a significant impact during the title game. With Surprise boasting left-handed power bats such as Wagner and Trevor Hauver (Rangers), the Queens, N.Y., native will give the Desert Dogs a neutralizing presence out of the bullpen. An 18th-round selection in the 2019 Draft out of the University of Tampa, the 24-year-old whiffed 14 batters across 14 frames during the fall circuit regular season. Peralta has put himself on the doorstep of the big leagues with his performance after compiling 11 K/9 across 62 innings between Double-A Birmingham and Triple-A Charlotte.