Arizona Fall League Announces Key 2022 Schedule Dates

Image credit: (Photo by Jill Weisleder/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

The Arizona Fall League on Wednesday released the framework of its schedule for the upcoming season, with some notable changes. 

Beyond the traditional horde of high-end prospects (past years have featured current stars Bryce Harper, Mike Trout, Aaron Judge, Ronald Acuña Jr., Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Mookie Betts and many more), fans of the AFL will have a few twists on the league’s normal format. 

The news came in a series of tweets on the league’s official account, starting with the news that the league will hold its Opening Day on Monday, Oct. 3. This is 10 days earlier than the 2021 Opening Day.

Twelve days into the season, the league will move from its traditional ballparks—Scottsdale Stadium, Salt River Fields, Peoria Sports Complex, Surprise Stadium, Sloan Park and Camelback Ranch—and instead hold a tripleheader at Chase Field, the big league home of the Diamondbacks. 

The annual Fall Stars game will become a two-day festivity again, with the league’s first true home run derby being held on Nov. 4, followed by the Fall Stars Game on Nov. 5. For the first time, the midseason showcase will be held at Sloan Park, the spring training home of the Cubs and the AFL home of the Mesa Solar Sox. 

The postseason has also been tweaked. Instead of a single-game, winner-take-all championship, there will be a play-in game to determine which team will earn the right to play for the crown. The play-in game will take place in Peoria on Nov. 11 and will pit the Nos. 2 and 3 seeds against one another for a championship berth.

A day later, the winner of the play-in game will play the No. 1 seed in the championship game, which will be held at Scottsdale Stadium (the spring training home of the Giants).