The Arizona Fall League has handed out its 2026 hardware, and the names at the top of the list are the players who made the strongest late-season push in the desert.
Cleveland shortstop Welbyn Francisca took home the Joe Black MVP Award after a dominant run in Arizona. The Guardians’ No. 19 prospect finished the AFL with league-best marks in RBIs (29), batting average (.427), slugging percentage (.733) and OPS (1.227).
Francisca added four home runs in 17 games and earned the start at shortstop for the American League in the Fall Stars Game. He had already put together a solid regular season, hitting .272/.366/.513 across three levels and finishing with a brief stop at Double-A Akron.
St. Louis outfielder Tai Peete was named Offensive Player of the Year after a big fall of his own.
The Cardinals’ No. 17 prospect hit .351 with a 1.103 OPS in the AFL and started in center field for the National League in the Fall Stars Game. He also swiped 20 bases in 19 games, a sharp jump from the 16 steals he posted in 66 regular-season games.
Peete spent the year across three levels and wrapped it up at Double-A Springfield with a .908 OPS.
Baltimore’s Vance Honeycutt earned Defensive Player of the Year honors, and the award fits the way he’s long played the game. The Orioles’ 2024 first-rounder kept flashing the kind of center-field defense that made him a standout at North Carolina, pairing elite range with a plus arm. He also gave his bat a boost in the Fall League, finishing with a 1.029 OPS.
Colorado catcher Jack O’Dowd was named Breakout Player of the Year after a fall that capped off a strong season at the plate. A year after being signed out of the Pioneer League, O’Dowd hit 23 home runs with a .947 OPS in 107 games.
In Arizona, he led the league in doubles with eight and tied for the home run lead with six. The Fall Stars Game also brought a special crossover moment with his father, Dan.
Kenya Huggins of the Athletics took Reliever of the Year after turning his AFL stint into a sharp rebound. Huggins had 103 strikeouts in 91 innings during the year, though he finished the regular season in Double-A Midland with a 6.63 ERA. In the Fall League, he posted a 1.74 ERA with 13 strikeouts in 10 1/3 innings.
The Dernell Stenson Sportsmanship Award went to Nationals outfielder Teo Banks. The award, created in 2004 to honor the memory of former player Dernell Stenson, recognizes the player who best shows unselfishness, hard work and leadership.
Banks finished second in the AFL with 27 hits, hit .342 in 24 games and added four home runs with a .989 OPS. The former 18th-round pick had previously hit .251 with six home runs in 92 games for High-A Wilmington.
The AFL’s Community Champion Award, introduced in 2025, went to Tigers right-hander Maddox Long. The award is given to the player who stands out for community service and positive impact beyond the field.
Long’s rise has been steady and impressive, going from undrafted Division II arm to a pitcher who posted a 3.74 ERA in 33 1/3 innings in Detroit’s system after a stint in the Pioneer League. He carried that momentum into Arizona, where he logged a 1.59 ERA in 17 innings.
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