Young Sluggers Highlight 2024 Arizona Fall League All-Star Rosters

Several top Major League Baseball prospects will be on display Saturday night at Sloan Park in Mesa for the 2024 Arizona Fall League All-Star Game.

AFL home run leader Josue Briceno of the Detroit Tigers, stolen-base leader Caleb Durbin and four impressive catchers lead the American League squad. Batting leader Sammy Siani of the Pittsburgh Pirates, 19-year-old Zyhir Hope of the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres' 18-year-olds Leodalis De Vries and Ethan Salas are among the top National League prospects in the event.

The game will be shown live on the MLB Network at 8 ET and available at MLB.com

Briceno, 19, has eight homers, 20 RBI and a .392 average in 21 games this fall. Born in Maracay, Venezuela – the hometown of Tigers legendary slugger Miguel Cabrera – the 6-foot-4, 200-pound first baseman got an $800,000 signing bonus in January 2022.

He was signed as a catcher but with fellow AFL all-star Thayron Liranzon developing at their, the less-agile Briceno was moved to first. He's just tapping into power this fall after missing time this summer with a sprained right knee. In 140 minor-league games over three years, he has 13 homers with a .283 average.

Liranzo, 21, a switch-hitter acquired in a trade-deadline package that sent pitcher Jack Flaherty to the Dodgers, is hitting .326 this fall after batting .315 in 26 games at High-A West Michigan after the deal. Scouts love his arm strength but he must improve his footwork and release – one reason he's out here.

Creed Willems has big power from the left side and a strong arm behind the plate. The 245-pounder even legged out an inside-the-park homer earlier this week. He signed for $1 million as a Baltimore Orioles draft pick in 2021.

Carter Jensen had 18 homers and 17 steals in 125 games over two levels in the Kansas City Royals system this summer. Signed for $1,097,500 as a third-round pick in 2021, scouts like his arm behind the plate and smooth left-handed swing.

Brooks Brannon is hitting .333 this fall. The 20-year-old has not hit much since being a ninth-round choice out of high school in 2022, but shows good instincts behind the plate and a decent arm. He appears to be translating good exit-speed line drives into hits on the way to improving his .257 career average in 84 minor-league games.

Durbin, 24, has 23 stolen bases in 24 attempts. The 5-foot-6 infielder also has 4 doubles, 4 homers and a .296 average in his second fall in Arizona. A year ago, the right-handed hitter went 22-for-23 in steals and batted .353.

Acquired from the Atlanta Braves in 2022, Durbin batted .287 in Triple-A this summer with a career-high 10 homers and 29 steals in 32 tries. With Gleybar Torres a free agent, Durbin could compete for a job with the AL champion Yankees next spring.

NL Leaders

Hope was acquired by the Dodgers in a trade that sent first baseman Michael Busch to the Chicago Cubs. Though only 5-9, 190 pounds, he blasted a 470-foot homer early in the AFL season and displays extreme speed and athleticism in the outfield.

Salas is the AFL's second-youngest player but already has played 177 games in the minors. He got the largest bonus of the January 2023 international signing period at $5.6 million at age 16. He's improving an already sound defensive game and starting to hit, too. He has 3 homers, 19 RBI and a .256 average in 20 AFL games after batting.206 with 4 homers in 111 games at High-A Fort Wayne.

De Vries is the AFL's youngest player, signed in January for $4.2 million. The shortstop had 11 homers and 13 steals at High-A Lake Elsinore. At 6-2, the switch-hitter is expected to add some muscle and pop as he grows.

Siani, 23, younger brother of St. Louis outfielder Michael Siani, leads the AFL with a .406 (26-for-64) average. That's quite a jump from his .234 mark in 398 minor-league games. He changed his swing and is getting results. The Pirates drafted Siani in the first round in 2019 and signed him for $2,150,000.

Here are the full 2024 Fall Stars Game rosters:

American League

: Thayron Liranzo, Detroit Tigers; Carter Jensen, Kansas City Royals; Creed Willems, Baltimore Orioles; Brooks Brannon, Boston Red Sox. First base: Josue Briceño, Tigers; Jac Caglianone , Royals; Niko Kavadas, Los Angeles Angels; Peyton Williams, Toronto Blue Jays. Second base: Max Ferguson, Red Sox; Adrian Pinto, Blue Jays. Third base: Caleb Durbin, New York Yankees; Cody Freeman, Texas Rangers. : Max Acosta, Rangers. : Tre' Morgan, Tampa Bay Rays; Denzel Clarke, Athletics; Alejandro Osuna, Rangers; Garrett Martin, Yankees.

: Samy Natera Jr., Angels. RHP: Luinder Avila, Royals; TJ Brock, Blue Jays; Marc Church, Rangers; Allan Hernandez, Cleveland Guardians; Danny Kirwin, Red Sox; Carlos Lagrange, Yankees; Jack Noble, Minnesota Twins; Alex Santos II, Houston Astros; Grant Taylor, Chicago White Sox.

National League

: Ethan Salas, San Diego Padres; Moises Ballesteros, Chicago Cubs; Geovanny Planchart, Pittsburgh Pirates. First base: Romeo Sanabria, Padres; Skyler Messinger, Colorado Rockies. Second base: Thomas Saggese, St. Louis Cardinals; Tommy Troy, Arizona Diamondbacks; Juan Baez, Milwaukee Brewers. Third base: Gino Groover, Diamondbacks; Jonathan Long, Cubs. : Leodalis De Vries, Padres; Jett Williams, New York Mets; Edwin Arroyo, Cincinnati Reds. : Zyhir Hope, Los Angeles Dodgers; Robert Hassell III, Washington Nationals; Andrew Pintar, Miami Marlins; Sammy Siani, Pirates.

LHP: Evan Justice, Rockies. : Jose Acuña, Reds; Ryan Birchard, Brewers; Derek Diamond, Pirates; Isaac Gallegos, Atlanta Braves; Cale Lansville, San Francisco Giants; Griff McGarry, Philadelphia Phillies; Luis Mey, Reds; Chase Solesky, Nationals; Eriq Swan, Dodgers.

Making Their Pitch

Many pitchers in the 2024 AFL are coming off injuries and being limited in their work. There are not a lot of hard throwers and more breaking-ball, back-end of rotation types here. Those who have triple-digit fastballs include right-handers LaGrange, Mey and Swan.

Mey has six saves and not allowed a run over 7 2/3 innings as he continues a breakout season. The 6-5, 235-pound right-hander has a sinker that hits 100 mph. Overall in 2024, he has 15 saves, 71 strikeouts in 72 2/3 innings, allowing only 38 hits.

Lagrange hasn't given up a run over 6 2/3 innings but has walked 12. At 6-7, he needs to work on repeating his delivery. When he does, the results are good. Even with control issues (75 walks in 102 1/3 pro innings) he's allowed 60 hits and fanned 141.

Swan, 23, has fanned 14, walked one and hit 101 on the radar gun. He's raw but intriguing.

AFL History

Though the league began in 1992, its' first All-Star Game was not until 2006. Future MLB stars in that event were 2011 NL MVP Ryan Braun, slugger Mark Reynolds, outfielders Jacoby Ellsbury, Hunter Pence, infielders Chase Headley and pitchers Gio Gonzalez and J.A. Happ.

The AFL Hall of Fame has 43 inductees. To qualify, an AFL alumni must have played 5+ years in the majors and won at least two major MLB awards. Among members are Dusty Baker, Terry Francona, Nomar Garciaparra, Roy Halladay, Todd Helton, Matt Holliday, Derek Jeter, Andrew McCutchen, Mike Piazza, Albert Pujols, Jimmy Rollins, Max Scherzer, Mike Trout and Michael Young.