SCOTTSDALE – Calvin Schapira understands baseball’s unique place in the Valley better than most. Born and raised in Scottsdale, Schapira grew up attending Cactus League and Arizona Fall League games – two leagues that existed before the Arizona Diamondbacks ever arrived on the scene in 1998.
“I think baseball flies a little under the radar here sometimes,” he said. “The community and product we have is really special. You’re exposed to it so much. You go to dinner and you see big leaguers during the fall league and spring training. You don’t get that everywhere and I think that made it a pretty special place to grow up and play.”
Schapira won’t be a spectator when the 2026 edition of the Arizona Fall League begins play on Saturday. He’ll be pitching for the Peoria Javelinas as a 26-year-old prospect in the Seattle Mariners organization. Like the players around him, he is eager to improve his skills as he chases his dream.
“I’m a little bit on the older end of the spectrum,” he said. “But watching these younger guys and being able to compete with them is a great opportunity. I think just being a sponge to everyone around me is the biggest thing I can do to steward this opportunity.”
Since 1992, the Arizona Fall League has hosted players from all 30 Major League Baseball organizations. Many of the top minor league prospects come to further develop their skills in the hope of taking another step closer to becoming a big leaguer.
Although the players all have the same goal of reaching the majors, they have taken different journeys to the fall league. Some of them were top draft picks who were projected to be the next group of all-stars in the majors. Others came with fewer accolades.
Among the players participating in the 2026 fall league season, 12 are ranked in MLB Pipeline’s top 100, including Eduardo Quintero, an outfielder in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization who will be playing for the Glendale Desert Dogs as the 19th-ranked prospect in all of baseball.
Perhaps the most recognizable player in the fall league’s history was never even a top baseball prospect. In 1994, Michael Jordan left the Chicago Bulls as a three-time NBA champion and three-time MVP to pursue a career in baseball. His ill-fated fall league foray included a stint with the Scottsdale Scorpions. During his lone season in the AFL, Jordan batted .252, which was an improvement on his .202 average in Double-A that year.
In addition to Jordan, some of the best players in recent memory have played in the fall league while they were still minor leaguers. Albert Pujols, Derek Jeter, and Mike Trout are just a handful of the names that have graced the fall league before achieving stardom in the majors.
All three were also inducted into the Arizona Fall League Hall of Fame. Established in 2001, the AFL’s Hall of Fame measures players’ major league accomplishments, rather than their performance in the AFL. To qualify for eligibility, each inductee must have five-plus years of major-league service time and must have won at least two major MLB awards. Of the 45 inductees, 11 were inducted as coaches and 34 as players.
Although not all prospects are as highly regarded as stars such as Pujols, Jeter, Trout and Quintero, they still all have the same mindset of coming to the fall league to continue developing into the best player they can be.
Luke Hill, an infielder in the Cleveland Guardians organization, is another player with ties to Arizona. Hill played for Arizona State his freshman year of college. Hill also admires the baseball culture in the state and is excited to return to Arizona to participate in the AFL.
“It’s really unmatched,” he said. “I remember coming here as a freshman and everyone said ASU was one of the epitomes of college baseball. And then coming here in my professional career for spring training is surreal. It feels like a flashback almost. And it’s awesome to be back here for the fall league now.”
Hill looks forward to working on his fielding skills with the Surprise Saguaros this fall.
“With the Guardians we always talk about being more consistent on the defensive end,” he said. “I feel confident in myself and know I have the talent. I just want to play smart on that end and be aware of what’s going on and to expect the ball every pitch.”
Arizona Fall League teams and home stadiums
- Glendale Desert Dogs, Camelback Ranch
- Mesa Solar Sox, Sloan Park
- Peoria Javelinas, Peoria Sports Complex
- Salt River Rafters, Salt River Fields at Talking Stick
- Scottsdale Scorpions, Scottsdale Stadium
- Surprise Saguaros, Surprise Stadium
Other players take advantage of the opportunities in the fall league to make up for the reps they missed in the regular season, such as New York Mets pitching prospect Ryan Lambert.
“I was hurt for a couple months during the season,” he said. “I’m really excited to be here and try to get back to my full capacity of pitching.”
The fall league features players from all levels of the minor leagues. Lambert reached Triple-A last season, putting him one step away from the majors. Now, he hopes to use the fall league to continue developing with the Saguaros and take another step toward his major league debut.
“I know I still have some stuff to work on,” he said. “I’m looking to throw more strikes and maybe develop a third pitch. So I’m grateful the Mets sent me here to be able to work on that.”
Even after spending nearly the entire year on the field, Hill’s desire to play has not faded. The long season may take a physical toll, but his love for the game keeps him going.
“My body might be barking a little bit,” Hill said, “but I genuinely love playing this sport so I don’t view it as a job or anything.”
For the players arriving in Arizona this fall, the goals may be different. Some are looking to refine their skills, others are trying to recover from an interrupted season and some are simply hoping to take the next step toward the major leagues. But they share the same opportunity: another month to compete, develop and prove themselves against some of the best prospects in a desert proving ground that for some, could lead to the big leagues.
Here is the full Arizona Fall League schedule.
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