Fall league showcases the top prospects in Minor League Baseball
Rochester, Minn. – Starting this week, twenty-one former Northwoods League players will be competing over the next two months in Arizona against the top players in Minor League Baseball.
There are six teams in the Arizona Fall League: Scottsdale Scorpions, Mesa Solar Sox, Salt River Rafters, Glendale Desert Dogs, Peoria Javelinas and the Surprise Saguaros. The names of the teams were picked by Major League Baseball to reflect the Southwestern desert traditions in the state.
The teams are broken into two divisions, East and West and each Major League Baseball team sends six top prospects to the Arizona Fall League. Most of the players are Double-A and Triple-A Minor League players. Each team can choose to send one player considered a Class A player.
Nearly 60 percent of all AFL players make a Major League roster, with an incredible 321 All-Stars, 19 MVPs, six Cy Young Award Winners, seven World Series MVPs, 99 Silver Sluggers, 88 Gold Gloves, and 30 Rookies of the Year.
The former Northwoods League players and their AFL team are as follows:
Glendale Desert Dogs
Korey Lee La Crosse 2017-2018
Lars Nootbaar La Crosse 2016
Peoria Javelinas
Jesse Scholtens Lakeshore 2015
Matt Batten Thunder Bay 2015
Bryson Stott Wisconsin Rapids 2017
Zach DeLoach Wisconsin 2018
Salt River Rafters
Hayden Senger Lakeshore 2016
Ryan Kreidler Mankato 2017
Surprise Saguaros
Michael Byrne Madison 2016
Spencer Mraz St. Cloud 2018
Ivan Johnson Kalamazoo 2018
Jake Means Waterloo 2018
Mesa Solar Sox
Justin Evans Eau Claire 2017
Brody Rodning Eau Claire 2015-2016
Graham Spraker La Crosse 2015-2016
Jonah Bride Wis. Rapids/Waterloo 2015
Andy Weber Thunder Bay 2016-2017
Scottsdale Scorpions
Tanner Tully Battle Creek 2014
Cole Waites Wisconsin Rapids 2018
Kole Cottam Willmar 2016
Richard Palacios Wisconsin Rapids 2016
More information on the Arizona Fall League can be found here: Arizona Fall League
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The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. Having completed its’ 28th season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 22 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires and front office staff, over 270 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time All-Star and 2016 Roberto Clemente Award winner Curtis Granderson, three-time Cy Young Award winner and World Series Champion Max Scherzer (LAD), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and World Series Champion Chris Sale (BOS). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and 2019/2021 Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (NYM) and 2021 All-Star, MLB Gold Glove finalist and 2019 Second Team All-MLB shortstop Marcus Semien (TOR). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website at watchnwl.com. For more information, visit www.northwoodsleague.com or download the Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play.