MLB announced the rosters for the Arizona Fall League Tuesday and here are the seven Cubs prospects who will play there beginning in early October.
Pitchers (5)
RHP Jhon Cabral
RHP Anhuar Garcia
RHP Yoendris Gonzalez
RHP Dominick Reid
RHP Luis Rujano
Infielders (3)
1B Myles Bailey
2B/3B Juan Cabada
Outfielders (1)
Kade Snell
You have likely not heard of many of these prospects, as most of them have not played above the lower levels of the system.
I noted Myles Bailey in the headline because he was the Cubs’ second round pick this year out of Florida
State, where he batted .363/.582/.913 with 13 home runs in 26 games. He suffered a leg injury that ended his college season in April and he did not play in the Cubs system at all this year.
The Cubs clearly want Bailey to get some playing time this year, and that’s the story for many of the prospects listed above. That’s apparently the current organizational philosophy behind the Cubs sending players to the AFL, guys who they want to get more playing time due to injury or other issues that kept them out during the regular season.
I’ll let Josh weigh in on these players as he knows more about them than I do.
The AFL is comprised of six teams, each of which have prospects from five MLB organizations. Cubs prospects play for the Mesa Solar Sox, who have home games at the Cubs spring ballpark, Sloan Park. The other four teams that will send prospects to the Solar Sox are the Angels, Athletics, Blue Jays and Red Sox.
Here are the other five AFL teams and the MLB teams sending prospects their way:
Glendale Desert Dogs: Braves, Dodgers, Marlins, Pirates, White Sox
Peoria Javelinas: Cardinals, Mariners, Orioles, Padres, Reds
Salt River Rafters: D-backs, Nationals, Rockies, Twins, Yankees
Scottsdale Scorpions: Astros, Brewers, Giants, Rays, Tigers
Surprise Saguaros: Guardians, Mets, Phillies, Rangers, Royals
The AFL begins play Saturday, Oct. 3 and concludes with the championship game at Peoria Sports Complex on Saturday, Nov. 14. There will also be a Fall Stars Game at Salt River Fields on Sunday, Nov. 8. The Fall Stars Game and AFL championship game are generally televised on MLB Network, if you need a baseball fix in November (and who here doesn’t?).
Here’s the complete AFL schedule:
If you are in the Phoenix area during this time, attending an AFL game is fun and inexpensive ($14, or $12 for seniors 60+ and teens 11-17; kids 10 and under with an adult are free, get tickets here). There are usually a few hundred people at each game, many of whom are family members of the players. It’s an enjoyable baseball experience.
