Major League Baseball's Arizona Fall League begins October 9th

The Arizona Fall League will be commemorating its 20th anniversary throughout this fall's campaign, and once again, the elite finishing school for prospects has assembled an impressive collection of Minor League talent to celebrate in style.
A total of 24 players currently on MLB.com's Top 100 Prospect list are on the rosters announced on Wednesday, led by Minors stolen-base record holder Billy Hamilton of the Reds, Anthony Rendon of the Nationals and the Marlins' Christian Yelich, all of whom are in the top 30.

Players from 10 countries -- Australia, Brazil, Canada, Cuba, Curacao, the Dominican Republic, the Netherlands, Puerto Rico, South Korea and Taiwan -- will also be on hand.

The biggest objective for the AFL, which begins play on Oct. 9, is to get participants ready for the big leagues, of course. All the players on this year's rosters know the track record of the league: that a large majority of alumni go on to play in the big leagues, many in the following season.



Dr. Mattalino receiving the Roland Hemond Award in 2011

Dr. Mattalino has been the Medical Director and Head Orthopaedic Surgeon since the inception of the Fall League. In 2011 Dr. Mattalino received the Roland Hemond Award for his service to the Fall League. The Roland Hemond award is presented annually to recognize baseball executives who have provided at least fifteen years of outstanding service to professional baseball and served the Arizona Fall League in a key leadership capacity. Hemond is a forefather of the Arizona Fall League, often being considered the "Architect of the Fall League."