By Townhall Chicago News Staff
Several Chicago Cubs minor league prospects are competing in the 34th annual Arizona Fall League, which entered its third week of play Monday with the Mesa Solar Sox taking on the Surprise Saguaros.
The Cubs are one of five organizations sending players to Mesa’s roster, alongside the Angels, Athletics, Blue Jays and Red Sox, according to the AFL roster breakdown published by MLB.com on Oct. 18. The league features 15 of MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 prospects across its six teams, with all 30 major league organizations represented.
The AFL season began Oct. 3 and will conclude with the championship game Nov. 14 at the Peoria Sports Complex. The Fall Stars Game is scheduled for Nov. 8 at Salt River Fields, according to MLB.com.
Mesa’s lineup is anchored by Angels shortstop Arjun Nimmala, ranked No. 34 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 list, who closed the 2026 minor league season with 10 home runs in his final 16 games. Nimmala went 4-for-5 with a pair of triples, a double and a walk on Thursday, earning recognition as one of the AFL’s Week 2 top performers, according to MLB.com.
The Mesa Solar Sox held a 4-6 record heading into Monday’s action, according to the AFL scoreboard on MLB.com. The team played its Monday matchup against the Surprise Saguaros at 4:30 p.m. ET.
The Saguaros feature the highest-ranked prospect in this year’s AFL, Rangers shortstop Sebastian Walcott at No. 8 on the Top 100 list. Walcott launched a grand slam on Oct. 16 and carried a .292/.345/.500 slash line through his first six Fall League games, according to MLB.com’s weekly performers report.
Nearly 60 percent of all AFL players historically make a major league roster, according to the league. The AFL alumni list includes 321 All-Stars, 19 MVPs and six Cy Young Award winners.
For the Cubs, the AFL provides a critical developmental window after the conclusion of the major league season. The league allows organizations to give their top minor leaguers six additional weeks of competitive at-bats against advanced pitching and hitting, and it gives front offices a final look at prospects ahead of the Nov. 17 40-man roster deadline, according to MLB.com.
All but five games of the 90-game regular season are available to stream free on MLB.com and MLB.TV, according to the league. The Fall Stars Game and championship game will also be broadcast on MLB Network.
The Solar Sox play the Scottsdale Scorpions on Tuesday at 9:30 p.m. ET and face the Surprise Saguaros again on Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. ET, according to the AFL schedule.
