Fall League homecoming: Tucson natives take center stage

Tucson baseball fans got a rare chance to watch two hometown players return to the city as professional prospects when the Arizona Fall League brought a doubleheader to Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium on Saturday. Mason White of the Boston Red Sox and Cade McGee of the St. Louis Cardinals grew up together, attended Salpointe Catholic High School and eventually reached the Fall League after taking different routes through college and the draft. Their appearance gave local fans a personal connection to a showcase featuring many of the sport’s future major leaguers.

White and McGee have known each other for roughly 15 years. They attended elementary school together, competed against one another in youth All Star games and began playing on the same team when White was a freshman in high school. For three seasons at Salpointe, they were teammates and workout partners, often hitting together or training at a friend’s garage gym during the COVID period. Sharing a professional game in Tucson was not something either player expected when they were younger.

“I didn’t even think it would be possible,” White said of playing together in Tucson. The opportunity became real after the Fall League announced that a game would return to the city. McGee said the experience was especially meaningful because the two players had spent so much of their development pushing one another forward, from childhood baseball through their high school years and into the professional ranks.

Their paths began to separate after Salpointe. McGee attended Gonzaga and later transferred to Texas Tech, where his development eventually led the Cardinals to select him in the ninth round of the 2024 draft. White remained in Arizona, playing for the University of Arizona and appearing at nearby Hi Corbett Field before the Red Sox chose him in the fourth round in 2025. White is now ranked as Boston’s No. 26 prospect.

The possibility of McGee returning to Tucson for college once existed. After entering the transfer portal following the 2023 season, McGee spoke with White about joining the Wildcats. He also attended Arizona’s Pac 12 tournament while considering his options. McGee had recently been injured and had returned home for surgery, giving the longtime friends a chance to talk in person. He ultimately chose Texas Tech, a decision he joked might still leave White holding a grudge.

Their high school evaluations help explain why neither player followed a straight line to professional baseball. Area scouts remembered both as capable players who did not immediately stand out, and neither was selected for the Area Code Games team. McGee may have shown more confidence in his ability to make consistent contact, while White offered greater offensive upside but also raised concerns because of his strikeouts. College baseball gave both players time to refine their games and improve their draft stock.

The homecoming drew large groups of supporters to Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium. Fans wearing Peoria Javelinas shirts with McGee’s name on the back came to see a player who left Tucson for college and now lives in Dallas. White, who still spends his offseasons in Tucson and works out at the University of Arizona, also had substantial local support. The cheering continued even though the former teammates combined to go one for six at the plate. For the players, the reception mattered as much as the statistics.

White described the event as an opportunity for Tucson to see a collection of prospects who could eventually reach the major leagues. The Arizona Fall League is designed to bring advanced young players together, allowing organizations to evaluate talent against strong competition and giving fans a close look at the next wave of professional baseball. For Tucson, the doubleheader also demonstrated how many local connections can exist within that national prospect showcase.

The second game added even more Arizona flavor. Brendan Summerhill, the Tampa Bay Rays’ No. 28 prospect, played alongside White at Arizona for three seasons and was selected in the 2025 Competitive Balance Round A. Summerhill helped Scottsdale defeat Salt River 10 to 2, going two for two and scoring four runs. Demetrio Crisantes, the Arizona Diamondbacks’ top prospect and the No. 84 prospect in Major League Baseball, brought another hometown following to the stadium. Crisantes is from Nogales, about an hour south of Tucson, and a large contingent from his community made the trip north to support him. Together, the local players turned a Fall League stop into a celebration of southern Arizona baseball, giving fans a chance to see familiar names on a stage built for future big leaguers.