The Pittsburgh Pirates have yet another budding star developing into one of the sport’s best prospects, as Wyatt Sanford has earned an invitation to the Arizona Fall League All-Star team.
Sanford has been one of the best hitters in the AFL this season and that started from his very first contest with the Glendale Desert Dogs. In his first game in Arizona the Frisco Texas product went deep for his first homer of the Fall league. Sanford would match that power with the longest homer of his career on October
22 when he hit a 454 foot shot to centerfield off a 95 mph fastball. Sanford’s power has been on display all year as he went from only hitting five last season to clobbering 19 in 2026.
In addition to his power at the plate, Sanford has been a consistent threat at the plate and has been very efficient during his time in the desert. The 20-year old shortstop is hitting 283/.386/.417 through 15 games. In that span he’s scored 13 runs and has had 17 hits, two doubles, nine RBIs and was walked nine times. For a predominantly defensive first infielder, he’s grown very quickly into a confident hitter.
Sanford spoke with Alex Stumpf of North Shore Nine and discussed his development as a hitter and the adjustments he made in the weight room and at the plate.
“This year was definitely a big confidence boost for sure. It felt really good coming up to the plate with an extra tool this year and I think it’s just going to propel me in my career with the years coming,” Sanford said. “Working on becoming a complete hitter down here. Had a lot of swing-and-misses here so trying to refine that while I’m here and if I can refine that, I’ll be a good little player.”
As the fifth-ranked Pirates’ prospect, there will be a lot of eyes on Sanford, especially after the showcase he’s put on in the AFL. He was the only Pirate to be selected to the AFL All-Star team this season.
The 20th annual AFL Fall-Stars Game will take place on Sunday, November 8, 2026, at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick in Scottsdale.
