Browsing: fall

India’s losing streak at the 2025 ICC Women’s ODI World Cup extended to three matches as they went down to England at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore on Sunday.

Half centuries from Smriti Mandhana, skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, and Deepti Sharma went in vain as the hosts snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.

Having been asked to bowl first, India restricted England to 288/8 in their quota of 50 overs.

It was a brilliant comeback from the Indian bowling unit after the experienced Heather Knight blasted her way to a 91-ball 109.

The former England captain was well supported by opener and wicketkeeper Amy Jones, who scored a 68-ball 56 before falling to the off-spin of Sharma.

Sharma was the standout performer with the ball for India, finishing with figures of 4/51 in her ten overs. The young Sree Charani was expensive but picked up the other two wickets.

Asked to chase down what would have been a record Indian chase in Women’s World Cup history, India fell short by the barest of margins.

This was after Mandhana (88) and Harmanpreet (70) stitched a 125-run stand for the fourth wicket.

#News | India fall to third straight loss at 2025 ICC Women’s World Cup🇮🇳💔

Half centuries from Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur, and Deepti Sharma in vain as the hosts fall short by 4 runs

ENG: 288/8 (50)
IND: 284/6 (50)#Cricket #CWC25 #INDvENG pic.twitter.com/1yRTWIOWPZ

— The Bridge (@the_bridge_in) October 19, 2025

After Harmanpreet fell to Nat Sciver-Brunt, Mandhana found an able ally in Sharma (50).

But once Mandhana was snapped up by Linsey Smith in the 42nd over, the Indian chase derailed spectacularly.

India needed just 55 runs to win at the fall of Mandhana, but eventually fell short by four runs.

The win assured an unbeaten England of a semi-final spot, joining Australia and South Africa.

The loss for India, on the other hand, leaves them at a precarious spot with their next match against New Zealand on Thursday essentially turning into a quarter-final.

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The much-awaited return to international cricket for Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, and their legions of fans who had woken up early on a Sunday morning of the festival weekend in India, was spoiled by Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc as both the senior Indian batsmen were dismissed for single-digit scores in the IND vs AUS 1st ODI.

The IND vs AUS three-match ODI series got underway at Perthâ€s Optus Stadium, which is known for its spicy, pace-friendly pitch where Australia had previously lost all their ODI matches.

Another challenging surface was dished out today by the Optus curators, and matters were made worse for India as Mitchell Marsh, the stand-in Australian captain, won the toss and elected to bowl first with the rain threat around, which made the conditions even more advantageous for the Australian pacers who ensured their team got a rocking start.

Rohit and Kohli were in superb nick in their last ODI assignment, which was the ICC Champions Trophy. However, that tournament was played in the UAE in March.

Now, six months later, on a bouncy surface in Australia, with no international match practice behind them, both Rohit and Kohli failed to get to double digits, with the latter bagging his first-ever duck on Australian soil.

Rohit Sharma, whose ODI captaincy has been taken away, did play a gorgeous straight drive off Starc to collect his first boundary. But the metronomic Hazlewood got the better of the senior Indian opener with a typical back-of-length delivery in the channel outside the off-stump, the ball bouncing extra than Rohit anticipated with his poke, and he edged it to Matt Renshaw at second slip.

In came Virat Kohli, whose last Test century came at this very venue last year. But today, the 36-year-old had to walk back with only a duck to his name. He was tested initially by accurate line and length from Starc and was lucky not to outside edge behind as he missed his drive far away from his body. A maiden over.

In Starcâ€s next over, Kohli went for a drive again to a delivery once again well outside the off-stump. The Indian superstar didnâ€t care for looking to keep it down on the ground; his uppish, mishit drive flew to the left of the backward point fielder, Cooper Connolly, who took an excellent diving catch.

The excitement of the fans to watch Ro-Ko back in India colors was dimmed in just over half an hour of the match. Netizens let out their disappointment and frustrations with the two seniors on Twitter.

IND vs AUS: Twitter Reactions As Fans Left Disappointed With Rohit Sharma And Virat Kohliâ€s Failures In 1st ODI

We waited for 5 fkin months to watch him play. He travelled from London to Delhi to Mumbai to Perth only to score 8 ball duck 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭#INDvsAUS pic.twitter.com/uLp7n3dNdu

— Ananya (@dasala_mosa_) October 19, 2025

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Next Match:

San Francisco State

10/18/2025 | 5 p.m.

Oct. 18 (Sat) / 5 p.m.

 San Francisco State

History

LOS ANGELES — Cal State LA’s women’s volleyball team came up short Friday night in a first-place showdown between California Collegiate Athletic Association unbeatens.

The Golden Eagles dropped the first two sets and saw a spirited comeback come up short in a 25-16, 25-12, 24-26, 25-20 loss to Cal Poly Pomona in the CCAA Game of the Week in University Gym. Cal State LA (12-4, 8-1 CCAA) had a nine-match winning streak snapped, while Cal Poly Pomona (11-4, 9-0 CCAA) won its ninth straight match with the four-set win.

Neither team had lost since Cal State LA beat Cal Poly Pomona in a five-set match in the finale of the Cal State LA Invitational last match. The Broncos, with their win on Friday, still haven’t lost since then.

The Golden Eagles now trail the Broncos by one game as the conference hits the halfway point of the season. The teams will not meet again during the regular season.

Samarah DaCoud had 19 kills and six digs and hit .326 for the Golden Eagles, while Ayjah Landers had eight kills, three blocks and seven digs.

Sarah Ybarra led Cal Poly Pomona with 21 kills and five blocks, while Elle Walker had 13 kills and Charlotte Koerber had 10 kills and 19 digs.

Madison Clark had a team-high five blocks, while Arielle Chandler had 15 set assists and six digs.

Cal Poly Pomona had a 61-40 advantage in kills and a 13-9 edge in blocks. The Broncos outhit the Golden Eagles, .333-.125. The Golden Eagles had five service aces – two by Jameson Sanders – and nine errors, while the Broncos had six aces and 10 errors.

The Golden Eagles started slowly and dropped the first two sets before storming back and making things very interesting. Cal State LA faced an early 5-2 deficit in the third turning things around. The Golden Eagles took a 17-12 lead after a kill and ace by DaCoud, but then had to battle late to stay in the match. Cal Poly Pomona tied it at 20-20 before a kill by Zuhal Cetin, a block by DaCoud and Rachel Lowe and an attack error gave the Golden Eagles a 23-20 lead. The Broncos tied it at 23-23 and 24-24 before a block by Clark and DaCoud and a kill by Landers pushed the match to a fourth set.

Cal State LA fell into a 12-7 deficit before a service error, an attack error, back-to-back aces from Sanders and a block by Landers and Lowe evened the set. The set was tied for a final time at 18-18, but back-to-back kills by Ybarra gave the Broncos a 20-18 lead and, after Cal State LA got as close as 21-20, the Broncos scored the final four points to close out the match.

Cal State LA will return to action with a home match against San Francisco State on Saturday at 5 p.m.

Â

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The 21-year-old Tigers shortstop posted a .991 OPS across three levels this season, coming back from injury to log 101 hits in 88 games and walk 13 more times than he struck out. Along the way, he found his power stroke and upped his home run total from five a year ago to 19 against more advanced pitching—something that helped him climb all the way up to becoming Baseball America’s No. 2 overall prospect.

It was, by just about any measure, a season to remember for one of the game’s best prospects.

But as he reflected on the past season during his stint in the Arizona Fall League, McGonigle made one thing clear: Thereâ€s still work to be done.

“I struggled with defense this year,†McGonigle said. “Thatâ€s why Iâ€m here. Iâ€m really trying to lock in on that. I struggled with throwing, range—even just routine ground balls, sometimes I have hiccups on. Iâ€m trying to find the right foot patterns to approach different ground balls and just make every single play thatâ€s hit at me.â€

That kind of self-awareness and work ethic has defined McGonigle since his amateur days. It’s part of what the Tigers valued when they selected him 37th overall in 2023.

A polished, lefthanded bat with a mature approach at the plate, McGonigleâ€s offensive reputation preceded him long before he entered pro ball. He consistently barrels pitches, shows plate discipline beyond his years and has proven he can handle advanced pitching at every stop so far.

But while the bat has translated seamlessly, McGonigle’s defensive development is still an area requiring improvement. Though his arm strength is considered an above-average tool, his lateral quickness and overall consistency in the field remain a work in progress. The Tigers have recognized it—and so has McGonigle.

“This is the biggest offseason for me,” he said.

And so, Detroit challenged McGonigle with an unfamiliar assignment this fall: more reps at third base. It’s a position heâ€s played in-game just once—way back during the clubâ€s Spring Breakout exhibition in March.

Helping to guide that transition is a name synonymous with Tigers defensive excellence in Hall of Famer Alan Trammell. The legendary shortstop has worked closely with McGonigle throughout his career, serving as both mentor and infield coordinator.

“He was all in,†Trammell said of McGonigle’s new defensive assignment. “Heâ€s one of the top prospects. He could say ‘Why? Whatâ€s wrong with me playing shortstop?’ But thatâ€s not who he is. Heâ€s open to anything to help the organization win. That tells you a lot about Kevin McGonigle.â€

So far, McGonigle has soaked up every bit of insight he can from his sessions with Trammell, treating each one like a masterclass in infield play. Throughout the season, heâ€s focused on refining the small but crucial details—the kinds of things that separate solid defenders from great ones.Â

Heâ€s learned techniques like how to handle deep throws from the backhand side—if you’re going to miss, aim for the grass to give the first baseman a long, manageable hop—and he’s worked on setting his base properly, learning to generate power from his legs instead of relying solely on his arm so that his throws carry more velocity and stay on target.

“Heâ€s a sponge,†Trammell said. “Since the day he signed, heâ€s been really engaged. Thatâ€s one of the key attributes I always look for in young players. Heâ€s already a pretty darn good defensive player, but thereâ€s always room for improvement, and he knows that. He wants to be great.â€

They’re subtle adjustments, but McGonigle knows they can make all the difference over the course of a season—and a career.

“Being surrounded by people like Alan Trammell has helped a lot,†McGonigle said. “Heâ€s helped me so much through my first years of pro ball. Sitting down and listening to guys like him will help you further your career. I try to hone in on the little things they teach, and thatâ€s whatâ€s gotten me better since the day I was first drafted.â€

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Mariners over Dodgers in 6

All due respect to the Blue Jays and Brewers, who fully deserved the No. 1 seeds they carried into this postseason, but a Mariners-Dodgers championship clash feels more like a fight between baseball’s two best teams.

L.A.’s resume speaks for itself. The Dodgers were World Series champs last season, then flexed their fully loaded roster by pacing themselves in what was still a 93-win effort. As a result, they are peaking at the perfect time and, frankly, almost have this inevitable feeling about them.

Yet, the Mariners are giving real team-of-destiny vibes. They’ve already matched their most LCS wins in franchise history (two), they’ve been surging since early September and they might have the best blend of stars, depth, sluggers, speedsters, starters and back-end bullpen arms of any team—or have a collection that at least can from a viable argument against the Dodgers’.

Maybe we’re blinded by the feel-great potential here for the Mariners’ first ever trip to the World Series to end in a champagne-soaked celebration. Or maybe this is the recognition of how great this group can be. This lineup is better than it has shown in the postseason, and this pitching staff can dominate any point of a game. Seattle has what it will take to stop L.A. from becoming baseball’s first repeat champion in 25 years.

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Oct 14, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Nashville Predators forward Michael McCarron (47) celebrates with forward Cole Smith (36) after scoring a goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the second period at Scotiabank Arena. Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

After a 4-1 victory in Ottawa against the Senators Monday afternoon, the Nashville Predators faced their first test of finishing a back-to-back on the road.

Tuesday night, the Preds traveled to Toronto for the second of a four-game swing through Canada. They fought hard, but came up short in a 7-4 loss to the Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena.

Jake McCabe, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, John Tavares, Bobby McMann, Auston Matthews (2) and William Nylander scored for the Maple Leafs.

Michael McCarron, Erik Haula, Roman Josi and Nick Perbix tallied the Preds’ goals. Josi scored his first goal in nine months after coming back from an upper-body injury and a POTS diagnosis.

HAULLLLAAAAAAAA pic.twitter.com/HEhtxpURC7

— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) October 15, 2025

The Maple Leafs were coming off two consecutive losses to the Detroit Red Wings, and took out their frustrations on the Predators. They built a 2-0 lead before the Preds roared back early in the second with two goals in 44 seconds to tie the score.

The Leafs answered with three goals of their own and staved off a spirited comeback by the Predators, who suffered their first loss in regulation and fall to 2-1-1 for the season.

“A little bit slow early, but we got to our game in the second period,” Preds Head Coach Andrew Brunette said during his media availability after the game. “I thought we played fast, thought we got in there, and we had some opportunities.”

Brunette scratched Brady Martin for the second game in a row. He told reporters earlier in the day this was part of Martin’s development plan.

With Martin sitting, Tyson Jost skated on a line with Filip Forsberg and Ryan O’Reilly. Ozzy Wiesblatt made his season debut and collected two assists on the night.

Here are three takeaways from the game.

The Preds Showed A Lot Of Heart

Toronto was desperate to play well in front of the home crowd, and showed it in the opening period.

The Preds couldn’t register a shot through the first six minutes, but finally began narrowing the gap and ended the frame with eight shots to Toronto’s nine. Problem was, two of the Leafs’ shots went into the net, and built a 2-0 lead.

The second period saw the Preds outshoot the Leafs 14-6, with McCarron and Haula bringing them even 2-2 with goals just 44 seconds apart.

Once again, Toronto refused to give in, and the Preds found themselves sinking in quicksand despite showing grit throughout the game.

“Probably gave up a little bit more than we wanted to…a couple weird bounces for them, but in saying that, we maybe shot ourselves in the foot a little bit,” McCarron said. “We gave up too many chances against. At the same time, we scored four goals, good PK. You’re going to run into some good teams here.”

The two teams traded a total of four goals in the final four minutes of the game. The Preds tallied eight goals in their first two road games, twice the number they scored in the first two home games combined. They left Toronto without a win, but didn’t allow the Leafs to run away from them.

Big Juice Was Outdueled

It was a battle of the backup goalies, with Justus Annunen getting his first start of the young season. Cayden Primeau was in net for the Leafs.

It was Primeau who came out on top, stopping 22 of 26 shots. Annunen saved 18 of 23 Leafs shots.

While Annunen kept the game from getting completely out of hand, he was out of position on McMann’s goal after Brady Skjei made a great defensive play on the initial shot. That gave the Leafs their two-goal lead back after the Predators had worked hard to get back in the game.

“There were times when I thought we carried the play and we looked great,” Perbix said. “We were pressing on them, leaning on them, and then we just kind of gave something up. There’s a team over there (that will) capitalize on almost every opportunity you give them. So we’ve got to tighten that up.”

Juuse Saros has been virtually unstoppable through his first three games, posting a 2-0-1 with a 1.64 goals-against average and .947 save percentage. No one is expecting Annunen to be Saros’s equal, and the No. 1 guy has to be rested once in a while.

One game is too small a sample size to judge, but Big Juice will need to have some big games to keep hopes of a turnaround season alive for the Preds.

The Power Play Has Lost Power

Stop us if you’ve read this before: the Preds’ power play was stalled again.

The unit seems to be more inclined to pass rather than take a shoot-first approach. They’re failing to get penetration and find consistent chances to score.

Nashville came into the game a paltry 1-for-15 with the man advantage, an Tuesday did nothing to raise that percentage. They didn’t have as many opportunities as they did against the Sens the day before, but failed in both their tries against the Leafs.

“You just got to flush it, got to move on from this one,” Perbix said. “Obviously, we’ll do some video, learn from this, from the mistakes we made, and build off the stuff that we did good, because I do believe there was plenty of good that we did out there.”

The penalty-kill unit didn’t have to work as hard, either, compared to the penalty fest in Ottawa. They successfully killed off both penalties and are now 11-of-12 through four games.

Their only blemish on the young season came Monday against Ottawa, when they gave up an empty-net goal on a 6-on-4. Otherwise, they are perfect in 5-on-4.

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Tune into the Arizona Fall League and the Dominican Winter League (LIDOM) to watch some of baseball’s brightest young stars. You can see MLB’s top prospects in action, with AFL matchups streaming for free on both MLB.com (here and on the AFL site) and MLB.TV. LIDOM games are included as part of MLB.TV’s Postseason Package, which is available for $29.99.

Surprise @ Mesa, 9:30 p.m. ET
One feel-good story of the Fall League’s first week was Mesa backup Owen Ayers (CHC), who hit .455 during the opening week of play. He boosts a Solar Sox lineup that also features speedster Starlyn Caba (MIA No. 5) against Surprise, a lineup anchored by Blake Mitchell (MLB No. 62/KC No. 2).

Glendale @ Peoria, 4:30 p.m. ET
Probables: Alex Amalfi (TOR) vs. Carson Montgomery (SD)

Salt River @ Scottsdale, 4:30 p.m. ET
It’s a battle of bat-first prospects as Kevin McGonigle (DET No. 1) — the game’s No. 2 overall prospect and the highest-ranked prospect to play in the AFL since Vladimir Guerrero Jr. — leads the Scorpions against slugger Charlie Condon (COL No. 2/MLB No. 61) and the Rafters. Starting pitchers Brandon Neely (BOS, Salt River) and Sean Paul Liñan (WSH No. 14) will try to keep the ball from flying between these two lineups.

Mesa @ Surprise, 9:30 p.m. ET
Probables: TBD vs. Daniel Espino (CLE No. 29)

Peoria @ Mesa, 4:30 p.m. ET
Probables: Luis De León (BAL No. 21) vs. TBD

Surprise @ Salt River, 9:30 p.m. ET
Probables: Trenton Denholm (CLE) vs. Jack Mahoney (COL)

Glendale @ Scottsdale, 9:30 p.m ET
The Fall League’s top-ranked lefty — White Sox prospect Hagen Smith (MLB No. 88/CWS No. 5) — takes the hill for Glendale, which has two sidelined Top 100 prospects Josue De Paula (No. 13/LAD No. 1) and Braden Montgomery (No. 35/CWS No. 1) on its roster. Smith faces a Scottsdale team featuring Walker Janek (HOU No. 4) and Seaver King (WSH No. 7), both of whom enjoyed a big opening week at the dish.

Peoria @ Salt River, 4:30 p.m. ET
Probables: Maikel Miralles (SD) vs. David Hagaman (AZ No. 15)

Glendale @ Surprise, 4:30 p.m. ET
Desert Dogs left-hander Chen-Wei Lin (STL No. 16) logged two scoreless innings in his Fall League debut, though he’ll look to tighten up his command while displaying the stuff that allowed him to rack up four strikeouts in his first outing. Surprise counters with Top 100 prospect Blake Mitchell (MLB No. 62/KC No. 2).

Scottsdale @ Mesa, 9:30 p.m. ET
Probables: Anderson Brito (HOU No. 7) vs. TBD

Mesa @ Glendale, 3:30 p.m. ETTBD vs. TBD

Salt River @ Peoria, 6:30 p.m. ET
Probables: Brandon Dufault (LAA) vs. Rhett Lowder (CIN No. 1/MLB No. 80)
Trying to put an injury-plagued 2025 campaign behind him, Lowder will look to build off his strong AFL last week in a rematch with the Rafters. The right-hander threw 21 of his 23 pitches for strikes, struck out two and did not allow a run during two scoreless frames for the Javelinas. Salt River will look for an offensive spark from Charlie Condon (COL No. 2/MLB No. 61).

Surprise @ Scottsdale, 9:30 p.m. ET
Probables: Eiberson Castellano (PHI No. 24) vs. James Hicks (HOU No. 26)

Salt River @ Glendale, 4:30 p.m. ET
Probables: Luis Perales (BOS No. 9) vs. TBD

Mesa @ Peoria, 4:30 p.m. ET
Probables: TBD vs. Ryan Hawks (SEA)

Surprise @ Scottsdale, 8:00 p.m. ET
Probables: Jose Corniell (TEX No. 3) vs. Jake Bennett (WSH No. 10)

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Brayden Schenn contributed a goal and an assist for the Blues (2-1-0), while Nick Bjugstad buried his first of the season and Jake Neighbours added an empty-net strike with 2:13 left on the game clock.

Goalie Jordan Binnington stopped 29 of the 31 shots he faced as St. Louis won its second game in a row.

Kiefer Sherwood scored both Vancouver goals, including a short-handed tally on a breakaway midway through the second period.

Kevin Lankinen, making his first start of the season, registered 30 saves for the Canucks (1-2-0).

Blues centre Pius Suter made his return to Vancouver, where he played the last two seasons before signing with St. Louis as a free agent on July 2.

Canucks: The home side came into the game with a perfect penalty kill, but saw the streak snapped 8:13 into the second when Snuggerud popped a shot in past Lankinen on a St. Louis power play. Vancouver has killed 12-of-13 infractions to start the 2025-26 campaign.

Blues: Snuggerud led the Blues offence with six shots. The 21-year-old rookie now has seven points (three goals, four assists) across 10 regular-season NHL games to start his career.

Less than two minutes after Sherwood cut Vancouver’s deficit to a single goal with a short-handed tally, Bjugstad replied for the Blues. The centre fired a rocket from inside the top of the faceoff circle 13:45 into the second to make it 4-2 for St. Louis.

The Canucks’ power play went 0-for-1 on Monday, and is now 0-for-7 to start the season.

Blues: Host the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday.

Canucks: Kick off a five-game road trip against the Stars in Dallas on Thursday.

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Max Greyserman didn’t get his first PGA Tour victory at the Baycurrent Classic, but he got closer to earning a couple of signature-event starts next season.

Greyserman closed in 65 Sunday in Japan, but fell one shot shy of Xander Schauffele. The runner-up showing, however, moved him from 58th to 51st in FedExCup points. Nos. 51-60 at the end of the Tour’s fall season will qualify for the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and the Genesis Invitational.

Current Aon Next 10

• 51. Max Greyserman
• 52. Aldrich Potgieter
• 53. Chris Kirk
• 54. Aaron Rai
• 55. Min Woo Lee
• 56. Jordan Spieth
• 57. Garrick Higgo
• 58. Jake Knapp
• 59. Wyndham Clark
• 60. Joe Highsmith

Four tournaments remaining in FedExCup Fall:

• Oct. 23-26: Bank of Utah Championship
• Nov. 6-9: World Wide Technology Championship
• Nov. 13-16: Butterfield Bermuda Championship
• Nov. 20-23: RSM Classic

At the conclusion of the RSM on St. Simons Island, Georgia, the top 100 (down from 125 in previous years) in FEC points will earn full exempt status in 2026.

Among the notable movers this past week: Micheal Thorbjorsen (third at Baycurrent) jumped 18 spots to 72nd; Takumi Kanaya (T-4) moved from 135th to 113th; and Alex Smalley (T-4) got some breathing room, moving up 10 places to 77th.

Nos. 95-105 on the FedExCup Fall points list (*exempt for 2026):

• 95. Beau Hossler
• 96. Adam Scott*
• 97. Sami Valimaki
• 98. Patrick Fishburn
• 99. David Lipsky
• 100. Max Homa*
• 101. Isaiah Salinda
• 102. Austin Eckroat*
• 103. Joel Dahmen
• 104. Max McGreavy
• 105. Victor Perez

With the Arizona Fall League underway, we’ll be continuing our usual Hot Sheet installments by ranking the hottest prospects in the AFL each week. Contributing this week were BA staffers Josh Norris and Jesús Cano.

Just as with our regular in-season Hot Sheet, our weekly AFL list simply recognizes how the hottest prospects in the minors did in the past week—itâ€s not a re-ranking of the Baseball America Top 100 Prospects.

We host our weekly Hot Sheet Show on YouTube at 3:30 p.m. ET on Mondays. Weâ€ll also be answering prospect questions in our weekly Hot Sheet chat on Tuesdays at 2 p.m. ET.

1. Luis De Leon, LHP, Orioles

• Team: Peoria Javelinas
• Age: 22
• Why Heâ€s Here: 0-0, 2.25, 4 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 SO, 0 HR

The Scoop:Through the first few games of the AFL season, De Leon has easily been the circuitâ€s most impressive arm. The tall southpaw dominated in his first outing, using a high-octane arsenal fronted by a heavy, mid-90s sinker and backed by a breaking ball and changeup capable of getting plenty of swings and misses. His seven strikeouts were tied for the most in the league. (JN)

2. Max Anderson, 2B, Tigers

• Team: Scottsdale Scorpions
• Age: 23
• Why Heâ€s Here: .571/.700/1.000 (4-for-7), 3 R, 3 2B, 0 HR, 2 RBIs, 3 BB, 2 SO, 0-for-0 SB

The Scoop:While much of the spotlight in Scottsdale shines on Kevin McGonigle, Anderson should draw plenty of excitement, too. Despite limited action over the week, Anderson delivered an eye-catching performance in just his second game, going 3-for-4 with three doubles and two RBIs. His ability to drive the ball with authority and produce runs adds another layer of excitement to an already-talented Scorpions lineup. The 23-year-old slashed .296/.350/.478 with 19 home runs between Double-A and Triple-A this season. (JC)

3. Corey Avant, RHP, Athletics

• Team: Mesa Solar Sox
• Age: 23
• Why Heâ€s Here: 0-0, 3.00, 3 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 SO, 0 HR

The Scoop:Avant’s AFL debut served as something of a breakout for the righthander, who punched out seven Salt River hitters over three innings. A ninth-round pick out of Wingate in 2023, he ran his fastball into the upper 90s and got eight whiffs over the course of his outing. Avant’s breaking pitches were especially effective, drawing four misses on 11 swings. (JN)

4. Wuilfredo Antuñez, OF, Guardians

• Team: Surprise Saguaros
• Age: 23
• Why Heâ€s Here: .500/.571/1.500 (3-for-6), 3 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 4 RBIs, 1 BB, 2 SO, 1-for-1 SB

The Scoop:Antuñez was a low-dollar signee for Cleveland who broke out in 2022 and has been a steady producer throughout the course of his minor league career. His AFL campaign has gotten off to a scorching start, including long balls for two of his three hits in the seasonâ€s opening week. His second home run left the bat at 103.6 mph, and his single from the same game produced an exit velocity of 107 mph. (JN)

5. Seaver King, 2B, Nationals

• Team: Scottsdale Scorpions
• Age: 22
• Why Heâ€s Here: .385/.467/.692 (5-for-13) 5 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 6 RBIs, 1 BB, 2 SO, 1-for-1 SB

The Scoop: King put on a show on Wednesday, going 3-for-4 with a double and his first home run of the fall. His biggest swing came against Angels righthander Najer Victor, against whom he drove a sinking fastball the other way for a 364-foot laser over the right field wall for a three-run homer that showcased both his power and plate coverage. Itâ€s an encouraging sign for Washingtonâ€s 2024 first-round pick, who started strong in High-A but faced growing pains after a midseason promotion to Double-A, where he slashed just .233/.287/.313. (JC)

6. Juan Flores, C, Angels

• Team: Salt River Rafters
• Age: 19
• Why Heâ€s Here: .333/.400/.889 (3-for-9) 1 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 0 BB, 2 SO, 0-for-0 SB

The Scoop:At just 19 years old, Flores is one of the youngest players in the Arizona Fall League, so extra reps are exactly what he needs at this stage in his development. The power-hitting catcher is coming off an up-and-down season with High-A Tri-City, where he slashed .207/.283/.341 with 10 home runs, 11 doubles and 40 RBIs over 89 games. Known for his aggressive approach at the plate and natural raw power, Flores wasted no time making an impression in his AFL debut, launching a no-doubt, 420-foot home run that served as a reminder of his high offensive ceiling. (JC)

7. David Hagaman, RHP, Diamondbacks

• Team: Salt River Rafters
• Age: 22
• Why Heâ€s Here: 0-0, 0.00, 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 SO, 0 HR

The Scoop:Hagaman made his pro debut this season in the Arizona Complex League after completing rehab from Tommy John surgery he had while still an amateur. Quickly, he showed enough stuff to merit inclusion in the deal that brought Merrill Kelly to Texas. Hagaman showed the same swing-and-miss stuff in his first AFL outing this past week, racking up five strikeouts in three shutout innings. (JC)

8. Hagen Smith, LHP, White Sox

• Team: Glendale Desert Dogs
• Age: 22
• Why Heâ€s Here: 0-0, 0.00, 3 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 SO, 0 HR

The Scoop:In his first AFL start, Smith showed the same whiff-worthy stuff that made him famous at Arkansas and wooed the White Sox into selecting him in the first round in 2024. He showed both sides of his profile in his first AFL start—scattered strikes but filthiness when everything is in sync. The result was four strikeouts over three shutout frames with three hits and two walks in the middle of it all. (JN)

9. Cutter Coffey, 3B, Blue Jays

• Team: Glendale Desert Dogs
• Age: 21
• Why Heâ€s Here: .462/.500/.538 (6-for-13) 3 R, 1 2B, 0 HR, 1 RBIs, 1 BB, 2 SO

The Scoop:Coffey made the most of a rain-shortened week, showcasing steady production rather than power. While he didnâ€t have a breakout performance or go deep, Coffey impressed with his consistency at the plate, collecting six hits over the week to highlight his contact skills and disciplined approach. Coffey had a solid 2025, hitting .273/.359/.427 with 11 home runs in 99 games, marking the second time heâ€s played that many games..(JC)

10. Esmerlyn Valdez, OF, Pirates

• Team: Salt River Rafters
• Age: 21
• Why Heâ€s Here: .286/.615/1.143 (2-for-7) 3 R, 0 2B, 2 HR, 2 RBIs, 6 BB, 1 SO

The Scoop:Power. That is what Valdez is known for, and he wasted no time putting it on display in his first two Arizona Fall League games. Making his debut Tuesday, Valdez unloaded on the third pitch he saw—a hanging slider from Blue Jays righthander Alex Amalfi—and crushed it 425 feet to straightaway center. He followed it up with another powerful display against Scottsdale, turning around yet another slider and launching it deep. This time, the ball left his bat at a scorching 114.4 mph and traveled an estimated 414 feet. (JC)

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