Meadows highlights Bucs headed to Surprise

The Arizona Fall League annually provides a place to see the best prospects in baseball all playing in the same place. This season, the league’s 25th, which begins on Oct. 11 and runs through the championship game on Nov. 19, is once again pulling out all the stops.

The preliminary rosters, announced on Wednesday, are packed with future stars, sent by all 30 organizations to fill the AFL’s six teams. There are a total of 21 players on MLBPipeline.com’s Top 100 Prospects list scheduled to compete in Arizona this fall, though the rosters will change and be amended as organizations finalize who they are sending.

That crop is headlined by Red Sox prospect Yoan Moncada, the No. 1 prospect in all of baseball, whom Boston has discussed as a potential callup for the stretch run. Primarily a second baseman over his first year-plus in pro ball, Moncada has been getting time at third base late in the Double-A Eastern League season, so it should surprise no one to see the Cuban import get more looks at the hot corner in the AFL.

2016 Arizona Fall League rosters Click on the AFL team name to see complete roster. AFL club MLB clubs Glendale CWS, HOU, LA, STL, WSH Peoria BAL, CIN, SD, SEA, TB Salt River ARI, ATL, COL, DET, MIL Surprise BOS, KC, MIN, PIT, TEX Scottsdale LAA, NYM, NYY, PHI, SF Mesa CHC, CLE, MIA, OAK, TOR

Austin Meadows is another Top 10 overall prospect headed to the Fall League, ranked No. 9 overall. Braves infielder Ozzie Albies (No. 14) will be there as well, along with No. 20 prospect Gleyber Torres, the key player the Yankees got from the Cubs in the Aroldis Chapman deal. Torres be joined in Arizona by his former organization-mates Ian Happ (No. 24) and Eloy Jimenez (No. 26), who had his coming out party at the Futures Game in July.

For Meadows, this will be a repeat trip to the AFL. The Pirates outfielder was there a year ago and hit just just .169 in 65 at-bats. Meadows missed time this season, first following a fractured orbital bone suffered in Spring Training, then with a right hamstring issue later in the year.

“I’m looking forward to it,” Meadows said. “Last year was good for me, a good learning experience. I’m excited to meet some new guys and improve my game. I kind of figured — missing about a month earlier this year, and also with the eye injury earlier in the year — I’d have a shot going back and making up some time.”

“That was probably the best competition I had …

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