CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Six Appalachian League alumni will represent their Major League organizations at the 2026 Arizona Fall League (AFL) beginning Saturday, Oct. 3. The AFL is regarded as the premier league for baseball’s top prospects to put their talents on display.
San Diego Padres No. 26 prospect Alex McCoy (ELZ ‘22) will play for Peoria. McCoy signed with the Padres following the 2024 MLB Draft. In 123 games between High-A and Double-A in ‘26, McCoy slashed .278/.355/.467 with an .822 OPS, 19 home runs, 31 doubles, one triple, 71 RBI, 74 runs and 24 stolen bases.
Appy League All-Stars Fidel Ulloa (BRS ‘22) and Ryland Zaborowski (PUL ‘22) will also head to the AFL. Ulloa will pitch for Salt River. In 36 Double-A appearances this year, he went 6-3 with seven saves and a 3.72 ERA while holding opponents to a .225 batting average. Meanwhile, Zaborowski hit .279 with a .906 OPS, 16 home runs, 14 doubles and 68 RBI in 66 games across three levels in his first professional season.
The Arizona Fall League is comprised of all 30 MLB organizations, divided into six teams, with each team representing five affiliations. Each MLB organization sends prospects to the Valley to compile the league’s rosters. The Appy League will have representatives on five of the six teams. The Johnson City Doughboys are the only Appy League club with multiple alumni on AFL rosters.
The entire list of alumni in the AFL and the organizations they represent are listed below:
Glendale Desert Dogs
Anson Aroz (Johnson City ‘22) - Los Angeles Dodgers
Mesa Solar Sox
Ryland Zaborowski (Pulaski ‘22) - Los Angeles Angels
Peoria Javelinas
Alex McCoy (Elizabethton ‘22) - San Diego Padres
Salt River Rafters
Connor Foley (Johnson City ‘23) - Arizona Diamondbacks
Fidel Ulloa (Bristol ‘22) - Colorado Rockies
Surprise Saguaros
Magnus Ellerts (Danville ‘21) - Cleveland Guardians
About the Appalachian League
Founded in 1911, the Appalachian League is one of the longest-running baseball leagues in history. The Appy League is the only collegiate summer league under MLB and USA Baseball’s Prospect Development Pipeline (“PDP”) and is an integral part of the identification and development process for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Teams and other future National teams.
For more information about the Appalachian League, visit appyleague.com or follow @appyleague and @appyleaguedata on X, and @appyleague on Instagram.
