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Padres prized top prospects headline 2024 Arizona Fall League rosters

Eric Cole
Eric Cole

Friars On Base

2024 San Diego Padres Spring Training / Matt Thomas/San Diego Padres/GettyImages

While most of the attention is currently on the San Diego Padres clinching a playoff spot and continuing their march towards a potential division title, this time of year is also when prospects get another chance to shine as the Arizona Fall League rosters are announced.

The Arizona Fall League consists of teams that are assembled with at least six prospects from every MLB organization. While the AFL used to be a huge showcase for the top prospects in baseball, what it has morphed into is a fall league where teams send prospects that need some extra playing time either because they missed significant time that season due to injury or just need additional work.

That doesn't mean high-end prospects don't take part in the AFL, though. It's just not as big of a spectacle as it once was.

The Padres are bringing back the nostalgia, though, sending two of their best prospects, Ethan Salas and Leo De Vries, to the 2024 Arizona Fall League (among other Padres farmhands).

Ethan Salas, Leo De Vries poised to take the Arizona Fall League by storm

This year, all Padres prospects going to the AFL will play for the Peoria Javelinas (teams rotate every very often) along with prospects from the Braves, Mariners, Brewers, and Marlins. San Diego's group is easily the strongest of the bunch. Not only are they sending two top flight talents in Salas and De Vries, but they are also adding Romeo Sanabria, Ryan Berget, Luis German, Harry Gustin, David Morgan, and Gabe Mosser along with coaches Leo Rosales and Juan Pena.

While the other Padres prospects are interesting in their own right, this announcement is all about Salas and De Vries. Salas is considered one of the best prospects in baseball, although his 2024 season has been somewhat disappointing with a .206/.288/.311 line in 111 games at High-A. As for De Vries, the jewel of the Padres' most recent IFA signing class quickly rocketed up prospect ranks with an .802 OPS at Low-A before a shoulder injury cut his pro debut short. Sending him to the AFL allows him to make up for the time he spent on the IL as well as showcase him to fans and the rest of the league.

The 2024 Arizona Fall League begins on Oct. 7 and will run all the way through Nov. 16, including the four-team playoff. Yes, they even have an All-Star Game down there. Stay tuned for more details on how you can follow along with Salas, De Vries, and the rest of the Padres prospects that will be looking to make a name for themselves.

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Eric Cole

Eric Cole

I started my career writing about baseball covering the Atlanta Braves for SB Nation's Talking Chop back in 2015 which has since been renamed Battery Power. After years of writing for those fine folks, I made the decision to take over as Site Expert at House That Hank Built before becoming a full-time MLB Staff Writer for FanSided in 2023. Along the way, I have been a guest on multiple ESPN radio affiliates as well as 680 The Fan and 92.9 The Game to discuss Braves baseball and especially Braves prospects and was a long-time host on the Battery Power podcast. These days, I continue to write about the Braves as well as covering the Astros, Padres, and Angels with particular expertise with minor league coverage, the MLB Draft, and bashing Anthony Rendon when possible. When I am not writing about or talking about baseball (which is seldom), I am an avid baseball card collector (Maddux and Soroka being my primary personal collections) and I also collect shark teeth. All other sports are mostly dead to me as my Bills have broken my heart too many times.