Fall league showcases the top prospects in Minor League Baseball
Rochester, Minn. – Nineteen Northwoods League alums are currently competing in the prestigious 2025 Arizona Fall League. Prior NWL alums like Lars Nootbaar (La Crosse ’16), Bryson Stott (Wisconsin Rapids ’17), Caleb Durbin (Rockford ’19, Fond du Lac ’20 & ’21), Kyle Manzardo (Willmar ’20), Drake Baldwin (Kenosha ’20, Madison ’21) and Jakob Marsee (Great Lakes ’20, Kokomo ’21, Traverse City ’22) have all participated in the AFL within the last 5 years and have gone on to star in Major League Baseball.
There are six teams in the Arizona Fall League: the Scottsdale Scorpions, Mesa Solar Sox, Salt River Rafters, Glendale Desert Dogs, Peoria Javelinas and Surprise Saguaros. These club names were picked by Major League Baseball as reflective of the Southwestern desert traditions in the state.
Each August, Major League clubs determine the players who will go to Arizona. Each Major League Baseball team sends seven top prospects to the Arizona Fall League. The games are played in six total ballparks that house MLB Spring Training, with select events in additional ballparks.
The roots of the Arizona Fall League go back three decades, when the Major Leagues wanted to create an easily accessed offseason league. With the Arizona Fall League, managers, coaches, scouts, and league officials can be under direct guidance of league and club personnel in league-affiliated ballparks and premier training facilities. The AFL is designed to serve as the ‘finishing school’ of the minor leagues for players, coaches, umpires, and aspiring employees.
How good are the players in the Arizona Fall League? Over 40 percent of all players named to the 2025 MLB All Star Game in Atlanta were AFL alums. Ten out of 20 players in the starting lineups for that game (starting pitchers and DH included) played in the Arizona Fall League.
The former Northwoods League players and their AFL team are as follows:
Glendale Desert Dogs (2)
St. Louis Cardinals
C Graysen Tarlow (Willmar Stingers 2022, 2023) Double-A
Toronto Blue Jays
INF Josh Kasevich (Waterloo Bucks 2021) Triple-A
- Blue Jays #13 Prospect
Mesa Solar Sox (3)
Athletics
RHP Blaze Pontes (Waterloo Bucks 2021) High-A
OF Ryan Lasko (Fond du Lac Dock Spiders 2021) High-A
- Athletics #18 Prospect
New York Yankees
INF Coby Morales (La Crosse Loggers 2022) Double-A
Peoria Javelinas (2)
Baltimore Orioles
RHP Zach Fruit (Traverse City Pit Spitters 2020) Double-A
San Diego Padres
INF Ryan Jackson (St. Cloud Rox 2022) Double-A
Salt River Rafters (9)
Arizona Diamondbacks
RHP Kyle Amendt (La Crosse Loggers 2020) Triple-A
RHP David Hagaman (Fond du Lac Dock Spiders 2022) High-A
- Diamondbacks #15 Prospect
Boston Red Sox
RHP Jonathan Brand (Willmar Stingers 2020) Triple-A
Pittsburgh Pirates
RHP Derek Diamond (Fond du Lac Dock Spiders 2020) Double-A
RHP Carlson Reed (Fond du Lac Dock Spiders 2021) High-A
Colorado Rockies
RHP Cade Denton (Wausau Woodchucks 2021, 2022) High-A
RHP Austin Smith (Duluth 2019) Double-A
INF Charlie Condon (St. Cloud Rox 2022) Double-A
- Rockies #2 Prospect
INF Braylen Wimmer (La Crosse Loggers 2020) Double-A
Scottsdale Scorpions (3)
Detroit Tigers
RHP Carlos Lequerica (Thunder Bay Border Cats 2019) High-A
Houston Astros
RHP Nate Wohlgemuth (Duluth Huskies 2021) High-A
OF Zach Cole (Rochester Honkers 2021) Triple-A
- Astros #19 Prospect
More information on the Arizona Fall League can be found here: Arizona Fall League
###
The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. Having completed its’ 32nd season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in history with 26 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, nearly 2400 NWL alums have been drafted and over 410 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 two-time World Series Champion Max Scherzer (TOR), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist and Brandon Crawford and World Series Champion and Cy Young Award winner Chris Sale (ATL). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and 2019/2021 Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (NYM) and 2023 World Series Champion, MLB All-Star, MLB Gold Glove, two-time Silver Slugger winner and two-time All-MLB first team shortstop Marcus Semien (TEX). League games are viewable live on Northwoods League+ (at watch.northwoodsleague.com) and ESPN+.