By now most baseball fans are fully aware of the significance of being selected to the annual Arizona Fall League. A quick look at the AFL’s Hall of Fame and most notable former players pretty much tells you just how big of a deal it is to be selected to baseball’s most prestigious off-season league, which began in 1992 and is celebrating its 25th anniversary this fall.

“It’s really an honor to be out here,” said Dodgers right-handed pitching prospect Ralston Cash.

Cash was selected by the Dodgers in the second round of the 2010 First-Year Player Draft out of Lakeview Academy in Cornelia, Georgia. The 25-year-old Cornelia native has a career record of 21-21 and 3.70 ERA through six minor league seasons. He began the 2016 season at Double-A Tulsa but was promoted to Triple-A Oklahoma City on July 19, where he help the OKC Dodgers earn a playoff berth with his 4-0 record and 2.62 ERA in his 24.0 innings of relief.

Cash’s AFL performance could have a direct bearing on whether or not the Dodgers will add him to their 40-man roster to protect him from the upcoming Rule 5 Draft.
(Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

Cash admits that after a grueling 140-game minor league season (plus the postseason) putting in another six weeks is a bit tough physically but said that he wouldn’t miss it for the world.

“It’s a grind but it’s been a lot of fun out here,” Cash said. “I’m doing fine. I was dealing with a knee issue a couple weeks ago but it’s fine now. Just being around this caliber of players has been great.”

Also enjoying his AFL experience is right-hander Corey Copping, who the Dodgers selected in the 31st round of the 2015 draft out of the University of Oklahoma.

“It’s been a blast,” Copping said. “Just meeting everybody from different teams, overall it’s been a blast.”

Like Cash, Copping feels that the level of competition found in the AFL is the absolute best in all of minor league baseball.

“Greater for sure,” said Copping. “This league is full of top prospects. This is the best competition I’ve faced so far.”

The 22-year-old Pasadena, California native began the 2016 season with the Pioneer Rookie League Ogden Raptors but was promoted to the Advanced Single-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes on July 8, completely bypassing the Low Single-A level. With the Quakes Copping posted a 2-0 record and 3.72 ERA. Why was the young right-hander moved up so quickly? Perhaps his participation in the Driveline conditioning program that the Dodgers are experimenting with had something to do with that.

“It definitely helped me. It was a tough program,” said Copping of the Driveline program. “It helped me get bigger, stronger. I’m going to pitch better.”

Copping said that his AFL experience has been “a blast.”
(Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

Copping hopes to begin the 2017 season at Double-A Tulsa and believes that his AFL experience will help him in that regard.

“That’s my goal. I’m going to work at it,” he said.

As for the off-season, Copping has slightly different plans than most of his Dodgers AFL teammates.

“I’ve got to go back to [the University of] Oklahoma to finish up some classes and then I’m going to get back at it, start working out and stuff.”