By Jason Stone
Mail | X: @thestonecave

All Arizona Fall League teams change from year to year as top prospects move on to their major league teams and affilates rotate among the six Valley area teams.

But somehow Surprise’s entry in the after-season league of top prospects manages to be near the top each year.

The Saguaros will try to keep it going on Wednesday, Oct. 8 when they kick off the 2025 season with 12 games at Surprise Stadium.

The AFL released its official schedule this week, which includes appearances from all five other teams in Surprise.

In every year since 2019, the Saguaros have finished first or second in the league, including back-to-back AFL championships in 2022 and 2023. The team finished runner-up last year after a 3-2 loss in the championship game to the Salt City Rafters.

Eight players who reached the majors were on Surprise’s runner-up team last year, including Jax Caglianone, the Royals’ top draft pick in 2024.

In addition to featuring players from the spring training home teams Texas Rangers and Kansas City Royals, like it does every year, Surprise fans will also see players from the Cleveland Guardians, Milwaukee Brewers and Philadelphia Phillies this year. Those three franchises rotate among all AFL teams each year.

The other 25 MLB clubs send players to the other five teams: Glendale Desert Dogs, Mesa Solar Sox, Peoria Javelinas, Salt River Rafters and Scottsdale Scorpions.

The 2025 schedule will include three appearances from the Glendale Desert Dogs, the Mesa Solar Sox and the Scottsdale Scorpions. The regular season runs until Wednesday, Nov. 5 when the Scorpions make their final visit.

Most games start at 1:30 p.m., although the season opener against Glendale and games on Oct. 15,  and Oct. 21 have 6:30 p.m. first pitches.

Tickets for adults are $14 for each game, while seniors 60 and older and children ages 11 to 17 are $12. Kids 10 and under receive free admission but must be accompanied by an adult.

Season passes are also available for between $70 to $160 for adults and $31 for kids 10 and under to join the Kids Club.

Even though kids are free for individual games, the Kids Club pass comes with additional perks for the young fans. Those benefits include exclusive merchandise, access to a VIP Line for Kids Run the Bases after select games, a chance to be the “GameDay Kid” and special player experiences.

Season passes are available at mlb.com/arizona-fall-league/tickets.

The stadium box office will open one hour prior to each game to sell iIndividual game tickets. Cash won’t be accepted at the box office, however.

For fans looking for information on the AFL, contact the Surprise Stadium Box Office at 623-222-2222, or visit mlb.com/arizona-fall-league.

Jason Stone can be reached at jstone@iniusa.org. Visit yourvalley.net. We’d like to invite our readers to submit their civil comments, pro or con, on this issue. Email AZOpinions@iniusa.org.

Jason Stone
Senior News Editor | Surprise

jstone@iniusa.com

Meet Jason
Jason Stone joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in 2019, after a distinguished three decade media career that included stops at the Arizona Republic, iHeart Media/Clear Channel and Beckett Sports Card magazine. He remembers when airports sold newspapers.

Community: He is a big supporter of the Valley's original sports team: The Phoenix Suns.

Education: Northern Arizona University with a BS in broadcast journalism and a minor in sports coaching.

Random Fact: The capital of Nebraska is Lincoln.

Hobbies: Surfing, backgammon and men who aren't afraid to cry.