With the release of the 2024 MLB schedule last week and the release of the 2023 Arizona Fall League schedule this week, all we need is the 2024 spring training schedule release–expected in August–to plan our travels for the next year.
This will be a big year for the Arizona Fall League (AFL): it’s the 30th anniversary of a smorgasbord for hardcore baseball fans, where tomorrow’s stars are featured in a very real competition.
The Arizona Fall League lineup: Glendale Desert Dogs (Camelback Ranch-Glendale), Peoria Javelinas (Peoria Sports Complex), Salt River Rafters (Salt River Fields at Talking Stick), Scottsdale Scorpions (Scottsdale Stadium), Mesa Solar Sox (Sloan Park) and Surprise Saguaros (Surprise Stadium). MLB teams determine which prospects to send to their designated AFL teams. All teams will play 30 Games, with most game times starting at either 2:30 p.m. or 6:30 p.m. (Arizona Time). The 2:30 p.m. start time is new; we’ll see if it lasts.
Here are the highlights of the upcoming 2023 Arizona Fall League: Players report on Sept. 26, with Opening Day slated for Oct. 2. Events to note in the calendar:
- Saturday, Oct. 14: Neutral site tripleheader at Goodyear Ballpark, where all AFL teams play in the same ballpark on the same day.
- Saturday, Oct. 28: Neutral site game between the Javelinas and Solar Sox at Hohokam Stadium, A’s spring home.
- Friday, Nov. 3 and Saturday, Nov. 4: AFL Home Run Derby and the Fall Stars Game, set for Sloan Park.
- Friday, Nov. 10: AFL play-in game. The #2 and #3 seeds will square off to face the #1 seed.
- Saturday, Nov. 11: AFL Championship Game at Scottsdale Stadium.
With the release of the MLB 2024 regular season schedule, we now know the season begins on March 28, which means spring training will wrap up on March 26. Look for a 2024 spring training schedule beginning Feb. 23, with pitchers and catchers reporting Feb. 13 or so. We track the schedules closely at our Spring Training Online site. The best way to stay current is to sign up for the free Spring Training Online newsletter.