University of Georgia Athletics
Photo by: Conor Dillon/UGAAA
Pair Of Bulldogs Set To Play In AFL
October 02, 2026 | Baseball
ATHENS, Ga. – Former Georgia standouts Ryland Zaborowski and Brian Zeldin have been selected to play in the Arizona Fall League (AFL) which opens Saturday and annually features many of the top Major League Baseball (MLB) prospects.
Each MLB team sends seven prospects (four pitchers and three position players) to the AFL, and the games are played in six total ballparks that house MLB Spring Training. The AFL culminates with a title game on November 14 at the Peoria Sports Complex. It is carried live on MLB Network, MLB.com and the MLB App.
Zaborowski, a 6-5, 250-pound first baseman from Gilbert, Ariz., signed with the Los Angeles Angels in 2025 as a free agent following an All-America season with the Bulldogs. He appeared in 45 games before being sidelined with an elbow injury. A graduate transfer who earned a degree in sport management from Miami, Ohio, Zaborowski led the Southeastern Conference with a .370 batting average, a .788 slugging percentage and a .500 on base percentage. He hit 17 home runs and drove in 61 runs in his lone season with Georgia when the Bulldogs advanced to the NCAA Tournament and finished with a 43-17 record.
After beginning this year in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League, Zaborowski was promoted to Single-A Rancho Cucamonga and ended the season in Advanced-A with Tri-City. In his second game with Tri-City, he blasted a home run out of Gesa Stadium. This year, he batted a combined .279 with 14 doubles, 16 home runs and 68 RBI in 66 games. He posted a .906 OPS, and in 48 starts at first base, he registered a .990 fielding percentage. In the AFL, he will play for the Mesa Solar Sox.
Zeldin, a 5-11, 200-pound right-handed pitcher from Atlanta, Ga., signed a free agent deal with the Minnesota Twins this past February. Initially, he made his professional debut with the Lexington (KY) Legends, an Independent team in the Atlantic League before joining the Twins. This year across two levels in Single-A with the Twins, Zeldin went a combined 5-2 with a 6.93 ERA and three saves in 35 appearances. In 49.1 innings, he tallied 70 strikeouts and 39 walks. In the AFL, he will play for the Salt River Rafters.
Zeldin, who earned a degree in healthcare markets and finance from the University of Pennsylvania in 2023, played two seasons for the Bulldogs as a graduate transfer. He appeared in 42 Georgia games and went 5-4 with a 5.67 ERA and six saves in 87.1 innings for teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
The AFL is comprised of all 30 MLB organizations, divided into six teams, with each team representing five affiliations. The full AFL schedule can be found at https://www.mlb.com/arizona-fall-league.
Each MLB team sends seven prospects (four pitchers and three position players) to the AFL, and the games are played in six total ballparks that house MLB Spring Training. The AFL culminates with a title game on November 14 at the Peoria Sports Complex. It is carried live on MLB Network, MLB.com and the MLB App.
Zaborowski, a 6-5, 250-pound first baseman from Gilbert, Ariz., signed with the Los Angeles Angels in 2025 as a free agent following an All-America season with the Bulldogs. He appeared in 45 games before being sidelined with an elbow injury. A graduate transfer who earned a degree in sport management from Miami, Ohio, Zaborowski led the Southeastern Conference with a .370 batting average, a .788 slugging percentage and a .500 on base percentage. He hit 17 home runs and drove in 61 runs in his lone season with Georgia when the Bulldogs advanced to the NCAA Tournament and finished with a 43-17 record.
After beginning this year in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League, Zaborowski was promoted to Single-A Rancho Cucamonga and ended the season in Advanced-A with Tri-City. In his second game with Tri-City, he blasted a home run out of Gesa Stadium. This year, he batted a combined .279 with 14 doubles, 16 home runs and 68 RBI in 66 games. He posted a .906 OPS, and in 48 starts at first base, he registered a .990 fielding percentage. In the AFL, he will play for the Mesa Solar Sox.
Zeldin, a 5-11, 200-pound right-handed pitcher from Atlanta, Ga., signed a free agent deal with the Minnesota Twins this past February. Initially, he made his professional debut with the Lexington (KY) Legends, an Independent team in the Atlantic League before joining the Twins. This year across two levels in Single-A with the Twins, Zeldin went a combined 5-2 with a 6.93 ERA and three saves in 35 appearances. In 49.1 innings, he tallied 70 strikeouts and 39 walks. In the AFL, he will play for the Salt River Rafters.
Zeldin, who earned a degree in healthcare markets and finance from the University of Pennsylvania in 2023, played two seasons for the Bulldogs as a graduate transfer. He appeared in 42 Georgia games and went 5-4 with a 5.67 ERA and six saves in 87.1 innings for teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
The AFL is comprised of all 30 MLB organizations, divided into six teams, with each team representing five affiliations. The full AFL schedule can be found at https://www.mlb.com/arizona-fall-league.
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