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MLB Pipeline prospect analyst and reporter Jonathan Mayo visits the Jack Vita Show to recap the 2025 Arizona Fall League season. Jonathan has worked at MLB.com since 1999, and is the author of the 2023 book Smart, Wrong, and Lucky: The Origin Stories of Baseball's Unexpected Stars. The Arizona Fall League just wrapped up its 33rd season, with the Surprise Saguaros winning their third championship in four years. Jonathan spent two weeks this fall in Arizona and got a good look at this year's crop of talent. Which players were he and Jack most impressed by? Was Kevin McGonigle, MLB Pipeline's no. 2 overall prospect, truly the best player competing in AFL this year? Who were some of the other best prospects that played in Arizona this fall? Who were some of this year's under-the-radar prospects? Who were some guys who were not in the Top 100 coming into the AFL season, that had a nice showing in the desert, and might move into the next Top 100 rankings (coming in January)? Lastly, how do the Surprise Saguaros keep doing it? What sets them apart from the rest of the league? The Saguaros have appeared in six straight AFL Championship games, and have won the Championship three times over the last four years. Are they the team of the 2020s? Pick up a copy of Jonathan's book, Smart, Wrong, and Lucky: The Origin Stories of Baseball's Unexpected Stars, and check out his new podcast, Something Worth Saving! You can follow him on Twitter (@JonathanMayo) and Instagram (@jonathanmayob3).

Our Seattle sports guy Mario Lanza (creator of the Funny 115, Survivor: Historian Podcast and Staff Picks Movie Podcast) returns to the Jack Vita Show to lament the end of the 2025 Seattle Mariners season, as the Mariners were eliminated from playoff contention last Monday night. Where did the M's go wrong, and what needs should they address this winter? Along the way, Mario and Jack preview the World Series and chat about trends from this year's postseason. Are teams bunting too much? Why is bunting such a struggle for so many players this time of year? Mario and Jack also discuss the lost art of contact hitting, and why players like Josh Naylor have become so valuable. What did Jack think of the Milwaukee Brewers raising an "L" flag, mocking the Chicago Cubs, after eliminating the Cubbies from the playoffs? Mario and Jack talk about why rivalries are great for the sport. All this, and so much more, only on the Jack Vita Show!

Dave Sims spent 18 seasons as the lead play-by-play broadcaster for the Seattle Mariners, calling M's games on both television and radio. Last winter, he accepted a new job, as the radio voice of the New York Yankees, having lived in New York for over 40 years. In his first year away from Seattle, the Mariners clinched their first trip to the American League Championship Series since their magical 2001 season. Dave visits the Jack Vita Show to chat about the Mariners' historic playoff run, their chances in the ALCS against a potent Toronto Blue Jays team, his first season in the Bronx, why the Yankees came up short this year, and much more, as he and Jack recap the Division Series round of the postseason and look ahead to the ALCS and NLCS. What does this Mariners team have that past teams didn't? Dave gives his assessment of the squad, and voices his support for a city that has been extremely meaningful to him. He also discusses what went wrong for the Yankees this postseason, and what needs they will need to address this winter. Does he see the team re-signing Bellinger, who plans to opt out of the final year of his contract? Dave also grew up in Philadelphia and has been a Phillies fan his entire life. Dave shares his thoughts on the Phillies' early postseason exit, and reveals what course of action he expects the club to take as it faces critical decisions regarding the futures of seasoned veterans Kyle Schwarber, JT Realmuto and Ranger Suarez, all of whom are set to hit free agency. Dave shares some insider info regarding the prospect of Schwarber returning. Later, Jack and Dave touch on the Milwaukee Brewers' NLDS victory over the Chicago Cubs, and preview the Brewers' showdown with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS. It's an episode you will NOT want to miss! Follow Dave on Twitter (@davesims_) and Instagram (@tdss), and subscribe to his podcast, Hey Now! The Dave Sims Show, available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever podcasts are found.

MLB Pipeline prospect analyst and reporter Jim Callis returns to the Jack Vita Show, to preview the 2025 Arizona Fall League. Jim has been covering prospects for over 35 years. In today's episode, he shares some stories from previous years at the Arizona Fall League. He gives a quick rundown of what fans can expect from AFL, and why they should follow along online, and make a trip to Arizona for the AFL experience. This is Jack's third year on-scene at the Arizona Fall League. Last year, he provided coverage of Philadelphia Phillies top pitching prospect Andrew Painter for The Philadelphia Inquirer. This year, he plans to pick up freelance work for other outlets, covering prospects participating in AFL. The Fall League has become a favorite for Jack, and he shares why it's one of the best hidden gems in sports. Jim provides a look at what prospects fans should keep an eye on in the Arizona Fall League this year. This year's AFL crop features eleven players from MLB Pipeline's Top 100 prospects list: Kevin McGonigle (no. 2), Sebastian Walcott (no. 6), Josue De Paula (no. 13), Braden Montgomery (no. 35), Alfredo Duno (no. 48), Charlie Condon (no. 61), Blake Mitchell (no. 62), Jonny Farmelo (no. 75), Rhett Lowder, (no. 80), Hagen Smith (no. 88) and Cam Collier (no. 94). Jim also discusses under-the-radar prospects that could break out this year in the AFL. Last year, Caleb Durbin won AFL Breakout Player of the Year. Now, he's a key cog in the Milwaukee Brewers' potent lineup, as the club pushes for its first World Series in franchise history. Later, Jim shares stories of Tim Tebow and Kyle Schwarber participating in the Fall League. Both played in the AFL in 2016. It's a crash course in AFL that you certainly will NOT want to miss!

Longtime Seattle Mariners fan and entertainment writer Mario Lanza returns to the Jack Vita Show to talk baseball and Survivor. The Mariners were active at the trade deadline, acquiring corner infielders Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suarez from the Arizona Diamondbacks. The club reaped the benefits immediately, winning 10 of its next 11 games, before hitting a snag. The M's proceeded to lose seven of their ensuing eight games. It's been a summer of high highs and low lows for the Mariners, but with just over a month remaining in the regular season, Seattle finds itself just 1.5 games back of the Houston Astros for first place in the American League West. Mario and Jack put the Mariners' season under the microscope, and attempt to predict how they see the club finishing the year. Hear why Jack believes the M's have the highest ceiling of any team in the American League. Later, they debate the merits of Cal Raleigh's season and his AL MVP candidacy. Mario's thoughts on the topic may surprise you! Along the way, they also touch on an extremely close NL West race between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres, as well as various news from around Major League Baseball. Later, Mario and Jack chat about Survivor 50, the final season of Mario's Survivor Historians Podcast, The Funny 115, Saturday Night Live, and plenty more! It's an episode you will NOT want to miss!