Philadelphia Phillies Send Stacked Farm System to Arizona Fall League

The Philadelphia Phillies are giving six of their Top 30 minor-league prospects tickets to the Arizona Fall League.

May 26, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of a Philadelphia Phillies hat and glove on the bench against the Atlanta Braves in the seventh inning at Truist Park. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

While most Major League teams are sending one or two Top 30 prospects to the Arizona Fall League, the Philadelphia Phillies are going all-in and will send six of their best prospects to the postseason league.

MLB announced the initial rosters on Wednesday, so there could be adjustments. But, if there aren’t, the Phillies are sending an all-star team.

The six Top 30 prospects heading to the AFL are shortstop Bryan Rincon (No. 10), outfielder Gabriel Rincones Jr. (No. 11), right-handed pitcher Wen-Hui Pan (No. 20), right-handed pitcher Griff McGarry (No. 21), right-handed pitcher Christian McGowan (No. 22) and infielder Otto Kemp (No. 28).

The other prospects headed for the AFL are catcher Jordan Dissin, left-handed pitcher Tristan Garnett and left-handed pitcher Wesley Moore.

Rincon and Rincones are getting the shot in part because both have dealt with injuries this season and need more playing time.

Rincon missed part of the season with a hamstring issue but was still able to move up to High-A Jersey Shore. He was only able to play in 35 games and finished with a slash line of .198/.331/.322/.653 with two home runs and 15 RBI.

Rincones played in the AFL last year and a torn thumb ligament this season limited him to 68 games. But when he played he finished with a slash line of .252/.347/.453/.800 with 11 home runs and 32 RBI.

One of the more intriguing pitching prospects is McGarry, who at one time was a top 10 prospect but saw his development stall out. But, he rebooted himself as a reliever this year and was effective.

Philadelphia will play with the Glendale Desert Dogs in Glendale, Ariz.. The Phillies prospects will play alongside prospects from the St. Louis Cardinals, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Cincinnati Reds and the Chicago White Sox

The other five teams in the AFL play in Mesa, Peoria, Salt River, Scottsdale and Surprise.

AFL action starts on Oct. 7 and since it was founded in 1992 more than 3,000 players have participated and moved on to the Majors at some point.

During the season, there are several special events, including a tripleheader at Goodyear Ballpark on Oct. 19, a game at Grand Canyon University on Oct. 25 and a doubleheader at American Family Fields of Phoenix on Oct. 26.

The Fall Stars game is set for Nov. 9 at Sloan Park, with the annual home run derby set for Nov. 8.

When the season concludes on Nov. 14, there will be a play-in semifinal game between the second- and third-place finishers in the standings on Nov. 15 at Scottsdale Stadium. The championship game is held the next day at Salt River Fields.