For six weeks, some of the best prospects in baseball shined in the Arizona Fall League, the game’s most elite prospect circuit. At season’s end, the best of the best earned well-deserved hardware.
The Fall League annually awards the Joe Black MVP Award to its top performer, and since 2021 has bestowed precious metal to its top pitcher, offensive player, reliever, breakout and defensive players of the AFL season. Additionally, the Dernell Stenson Sportsmanship Award has been a league staple since 2004.
Here are the 2025 award winners:
MVP: Kevin McGonigle, INF, Tigers
The highest-ranked prospect to descend upon the Fall League in recent memory showed precisely why he’s ranked the game’s No. 2 overall prospect. McGonigle (DET No. 1) shined as the best player on the AFL’s top-seeded team, powering a high-flying Scottsdale offense from the top of the lineup. He finished regular-season play with 25 hits, five homers and 22 runs scored in 19 games, slashing a robust .362/.500/.710 while walking more than he struck out (19-12 BB/K). McGonigle enjoyed two four-hit games and homered five times in his last 13 contests to finish tied for second in the league in taters. He also was tied for second in runs and stood third in slugging and OPS while ranking in the top 10 in average, hits, RBIs and OBP. In short, he looked like a prospect very close to contributing in a big way at the next level. Full story »
Offensive Player of the Year: Esmerlyn Valdez, OF, Pirates
It might not be possible for a hitter to be hotter than Valdez at the start of the fall campaign. The Pirates’ No. 15 prospect cranked eight homers in the first two weeks of play to jump out to a lead in that category he’d never relinquish. Though he cooled as the season wore on, Valdez still finished with a super-impressive line: .368/.513/.842 and an eye-popping 1.355 OPS. His slugging percentage led the AFL, his OPS was second and his OBP sixth. After a breakout year in which he hit 26 homers, it was the type of finish that seems to assure the Pirates will add Valdez to their 40-man roster this month rather than expose him to the Rule 5 Draft. As the circuit’s top masher, there was no hitter more feared in the Fall League. Full story »
Defensive Player of the Year: Enrique Bradfield Jr, OF, Orioles
One of the Minor Leagues’ fastest players and best defenders, Bradfield lived up to that reputation all fall, finishing second on the circuit with 17 stolen bases and routinely impacting games with his legs and glove in center field for Peoria. The Orioles’ No. 4 prospect racked up 37 putouts and an assist with only one error while taking away potential hits with several diving and sliding catches. One of the most memorable was the defensive highlight of the fall, when he made a game-sealing home run robbery against Mesa on Oct 28. But really, he was worth the price of admission every time he took the field.
Pitcher of the Year: James Hicks, RHP, Astros
The best story of the Fall League this year might have been Hicks, the Astros’ No. 26 prospect and a 13th-round Draft pick from 2023. The 24-year-old had the kind of season you just don’t see from starting pitchers in the Fall League. He was unscored upon across 14 innings in his four appearances (two starts). Hicks racked up 19 strikeouts against only two walks and one hit batsmen, eliciting a meager .130 average-against during one of the more dominant AFL runs for a pitcher in recent memory. He’s just the third hurler to finish with at least 14 scoreless innings in the league since 2005. Of AFL pitchers to throw at least 14 innings, Hicks’ 0.57 WHIP ranked second, his .380 opponents’ OPS fifth and average-against seventh. Full story »
Reliever of the Year: Cade Denton, RHP, Rockies
Drafted out of Oral Roberts University in the sixth round in 2023, Denton spent the regular season at High-A Spokane, posting a 3.73 ERA in 42 games. He took things to another level in the Fall League, registering scoreless outings in six of his seven appearances for Salt River. He pitched to a 18-4 SO/BB, an 0.85 WHIP and a .152 average-against while averaging more than an inning per appearance. Denton’s 3.46 ERA really stands out when its compared to the Rafters’ team mark of 6.74, even including his contributions.
Breakout Player of the Year: Owen Ayers, C, Cubs
A 19th-round pick in 2024, Ayers lugged a .228 career Minor League average into the Fall League, having played the past two seasons at Single-A Myrtle Beach. But he started mashing upon arriving in Arizona and never stopped, batting .379/.539/.591 with 25 hits and 22 walks (against only 10 strikeouts) in 20 games for Mesa. Ayers led the league in walks, ranked second in OBP and finished seventh in OPS (1.130), while ranking among the top 10 in runs, hits and average. It was an elite performance that few saw coming. Full story »
Dernell Stenson Sportsmanship Award: Charlie Condon, 1B/OF, Rockies
The Stenson Sportsmanship Award was created in 2004 to honor the memory of former player Dernell Stenson, who was killed the previous year in Arizona during the AFL season. The sportsmanship award is presented annually to the player who best exemplifies unselfishness, hard work and leadership. Condon, the Rockies’ second-ranked prospect (MLB No. 61), fits the bill. The third overall pick in the 2024 Draft enjoyed a productive finish to his first full pro season, tying for the league lead in hits (28) while batting .337/.439/.434 with one homer and 13 RBIs in 22 games for Salt River.
“He’s a pro’s pro,” Rafters manager Eric Patterson said. “He’s signing autographs for kids. He’s great with the fans, great with his teammates. You notice a lot of his teammates kind of gravitate towards him. The humility, the way he’s there to kind of give advice, the way he listens and he learns from his teammates and his staff — just can’t say enough good things about him. He’s a pro’s pro for sure.”
AFL Community Champion Award: Logan Wagner, INF, Dodgers (No. 30)
New in 2025, the Arizona Fall League Community Champion Award is presented each season to an AFL player who exemplifies a strong commitment to community service and positive impact beyond the game. This award celebrates a player’s contributions to local communities through charitable activities, volunteer work, mentorship, and other acts of service. The recipient is recognized not only for their performance on the field but for their dedication to giving back and being a role model within the community. Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Logan Wagner earned this award after attending local reading program events, PLAYBALL events, and receiving high praise for his character and connection with fans throughout the season.
