Every team’s top prospect in Arizona Fall League 2024

As always, the Arizona Fall League is loaded with talent. The developmental circuit, which starts its six-week season on Monday, has sent more than 3,000 players to the big leagues, including Hall of Famers Roy Halladay, Todd Helton, Derek Jeter and Mike Piazza and current stars including Mookie Betts, Bryce Harper, Aaron Judge and Francisco Lindor.

Fourteen members of MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 Prospects list will play in Arizona this fall, headlined by Royals first baseman Jac Caglianone (No. 15), Padres catcher Ethan Salas (No. 17) and Rays first baseman Xavier Isaac (No. 18). In addition, White Sox shortstop Colson Montgomery (No. 25) and Guardians outfielder Chase DeLauter (No. 39) return to the desert after ranking as the Fall League’s two best prospects a year ago.

Below, we identify the top prospect each organization will showcase in the AFL:

Blue Jays: Kendry Rojas, LHP (No. 11)
It’s been a rough year for Toronto pitching prospects, particularly when it comes to injuries to hurlers like Ricky Tiedemann, Brandon Barriera and Landen Maroudis. Rojas was not immune after shoulder issues limited him to 62⅔ innings, primarily with High-A Vancouver, where he looked dominant with a 2.43 ERA and 61 strikeouts in 55⅔ frames. The 21-year-old southpaw can show two above-average pitches in his fastball and slider that could lead to promising Fall League results on top of the needed workload.

Orioles: Creed Willems, C/1B (No. 22)
It looked like Willems was headed to Texas Christian as a talented two-way player when the Orioles changed his plan by taking him in the eighth round of the 2021 Draft and going over slot to sign him for $1 million. He’s a left-handed-hitting catcher with some pop, and he’s swatted 17 homers in consecutive seasons, reaching Double-A for the first time in 2024 while cutting his K rate compared to the year prior. He has arm strength, but has work to do on his overall receiving.

Rays: Xavier Isaac, 1B (No. 2/MLB No. 18)
A surprise pick at 29th overall in 2022, Isaac has made the Rays look smart in his first two full seasons by climbing to Double-A before his 21st birthday. His raw power will arguably be the best in the entire Fall League — right there with Jac Caglianone’s — and the dry desert air could lead to some impressive slugging numbers. Watch out for Isaac’s contact rate — he struck out 40.6 percent of the time during a 31-game Double-A run — and his glovework with Tampa Bay indicates he should get some time in the outfield as well as his typical first base.

Red Sox: Brooks Bannon, C (No. 27)
Brannon signed for third-round money ($712,500) as a ninth-rounder in 2022, when he led national high school players with 20 homers (tying dad Paul’s North Carolina state record) and 91 RBIs. He generates some of the best raw power and highest exit velocities among Red Sox farmhands and also shows a plus arm behind the plate, but he has totaled just 79 games the past two seasons while dealing with back and knee issues. He slashed .251/.325/.396 with six homers in 54 Single-A contests this year.

Yankees: Carlos Lagrange, RHP (No. 20)
Lagrange missed much of the season with back issues but can reach triple digits with his fastball and flash some plus sliders in the mid-80s when at his best. Signed for just $10,000 out of the Dominican Republic in 2022, he led the Rookie-level Florida Complex League with 63 strikeouts in 41 2/3 innings during his U.S. debut the following year.

Guardians: Chase DeLauter, OF (No. 2/MLB No. 39)
DeLauter rated as the AFL’s No. 2 prospect in 2023, batting .299/.385/.529 with more walks (14) than strikeouts (11) and a league-best 27 RBI, and he’s returning after missing most of this season with a fractured left foot. The 2022 first-rounder from James Madison hit .261/.341/.500 with eight homers in 39 games, mostly in Double-A, and few prospects can match his combination of size (6-foot-4, 235 pounds), athleticism, performance and plate discipline.

Royals: Jac Caglianone, 1B/LHP (No. 1/MLB No. 15)
Kansas City has high hopes for this year’s sixth overall pick and made the aggressive move to get him more professional at-bats with an assignment to the AFL. Caglianone’s power is already world-renowned after he clubbed 68 homers in his final two seasons at Florida and ranked fourth in Division I with an .875 slugging percentage this spring. The left-handed slugger cooled down some in pro ball, hitting .241/.302/.388 with two long balls in 29 games for High-A Quad Cities, so the Fall League offers him an opportunity to end on a high in the desert while getting more acquainted with the Royals’ facilities in Surprise.

Tigers: Thayron Liranzo, C/1B (No. 6)
Detroit was pleased to acquire Liranzo from the Dodgers in the Jack Flaherty deal at the Deadline, and the switch-hitting backstop made the organization look good by slashing .315/.470/.562 with five homers and more walks (26) than strikeouts (20) in 26 games for High-A West Michigan following the move. He’s still a project behind the plate, albeit with plus arm strength, but the bat alone could push him into the Top 100 if he carries his late-summer momentum into autumn.

Twins: Kala’i Rosario, OF (No. 19)
Selected with the Twins’ final pick in the pandemic-shortened 2020 Draft out of the Hawaii high school ranks, Rosario was expected to build off a very productive 2023 season in which he took home Midwest League MVP honors, tied for last year’s Arizona Fall League home run lead and won the AFL Home Run Derby. He did spend time in Double-A and showed off some of his raw power, but he missed nearly three months due to an elbow injury, so he’s back in Arizona to make up for lost time.

White Sox: Colson Montgomery, SS (No. 2/MLB No. 25)
The AFL’s top prospect last fall, Montgomery struggled through the most difficult season of his career this summer at Triple-A (.214/.329/.381, 18 homers in 130 games) but still has more upside than most shortstops in the Minors. A 2021 first-rounder as an Indiana high schooler, he’s an athletic 6-foot-3, 225-pounder with plus power and good patience at the plate.

Angels: Cole Fontenelle, 3B (No. 21)
After bouncing around from Washington to McLennan Junior College to Texas Christian as a collegiate player, Fontenelle’s big season with the Horned Frogs led to him landing in the seventh round of the 2023 Draft. As the Angels often do, they challenged him with an aggressive assignment to Double-A and he was off to a good start, but his season ended after 22 games following a slide into second base that resulted in a dislocated ankle and fractured fibula. He’s in Arizona to literally get his legs back under him.

Astros: Jose Fleury, RHP (No. 10)
The Astros repeatedly find pitchers at bargain prices on the international market, including Fleury for just $10,000 in the Dominican Republic in 2021. Utilizing a quality low-80s changeup with fade that helps his other three pitches play up, he posted a 3.82 ERA with a .216 average-against and a 74/26 K/BB ratio in 68 1/3 Double-A innings despite a thigh injury that cost him two months.

A’s: Henry Bolte, OF (No. 5)
The A’s stayed local in the second round of the 2022 Draft, nabbing Bolte from nearby Palo Alto High School in northern California and giving him an over-slot bonus of $2 million to sign him away from his commitment to the University of Texas. He’s shown off his power-speed combination in each of his two full seasons, combining for 29 homers and 78 stolen bases while reaching Double-A for the first time. While he’s drawn walks (11.9 pct career BB rate), he still needs to work on his approach and cut down on his swing-and-miss (34.6 pct K rate).

Mariners: Colt Emerson, SS (No. 1/MLB No. 27)
The Mariners have a terrific 1-2 AFL punch with Emerson and Young, their top two prospects, playing in Peoria. Emerson was the Mariners’ first-round pick in 2023, the third of three straight high school bats taken with their first selection. While he did make it to High-A in his first full season, he was limited to 70 games because of a foot injury early in the year and then an oblique issue later on, so he can make up for lost at-bats this fall while preparing for a potential jump to Double-A.

Rangers: Alejandro Osuna, OF (No. 16)
The younger brother of former All-Star closer Roberto Osuna and the nephew of ex-big leaguer Antonio Osuna, Alejandro signed for $125,000 out of Mexico in 2020. His offensive profile (polished lefty hitter, solid raw power) earns him comparisons to Alex Verdugo, whom he idolizes. The Rangers named him their Minor League player of the year after he slashed .292/.362/.507 with 18 homers and 17 steals in 102 games between High-A and Double-A.

Braves: Drake Baldwin, C (No. 5)
After starting for three years at Missouri State, Baldwin landed in the third round of the 2022 Draft with the Braves. He had a solid first full season with High-A Rome (.844 OPS) and he made his way from Double-A to Triple-A in 2024, posting an OPS of .891 in 72 games at the highest level. The 2024 Futures Gamer is a left-handed-hitting catcher who has the chance to be a big league regular behind the dish.

Marlins: Kemp Alderman, OF (No. 12)
Alderman helped Mississippi win the 2022 College World Series before going in the second round the following year. At 6-foot-3 and 250 pounds, he has drawn physical comparisons to Hunter Renfroe, earns some top-of-the-scale grades for his raw power and also possesses plus arm strength. A broken hamate cost him the first two months of the season, after which he batted .242/.306/.391 with eight homers in 77 games between four levels.

Mets: Jett Williams, SS/OF (No. 2/MLB No. 53)
The 2022 14th overall pick climbed three levels from Single-A to Double-A in a breakout first full season but was robbed of a strong followup when right wrist surgery forced him to miss four months this summer. Williams managed only 33 games as a result, making him an easy pick to lead the Mets’ AFL contingent. At his best, the 20-year-old doesn’t expand the zone, leading to strong OBPs, and is a menace on the basepaths with his plus speed.

Nationals: Cayden Wallace, 3B (No. 11)
A second-round pick by the Royals in 2022, Wallace was moved to the Nationals in July in a swap for reliever Hunter Harvey. He’s only played 15 total games for Washington affiliates since then due to oblique and rib injuries, meaning the Fall League will give the Nationals a longer and truer look at their new third-base prospect. When healthy, Wallace can flash at least average power and his plus-plus arm strength can make him a defensive asset at the hot corner, where he could compete with Brady House for the future of the position in Washington.

Phillies: Bryan Rincon, SS (No. 10)
A native Venezuelan who came to the Pittsburgh area for high school, Rincon was a low-risk Day 3 slot signing ($125,000) in Round 14 of the 2022 Draft. He managed to reach High-A and hold his own in his first full season and was heating up after a slow start back with Jersey Shore when a hamstring injury in May kept him out of action until late August. He’s a glove-first shortstop right now who will try to make up for some lost plate appearances against more advanced AFL pitching.

Brewers: Brock Wilken, 3B (No. 7)
Wilken clubbed 71 homers at Wake Forest, making him the ACC’s all-time leader in the category, before the Brewers selected him 18th overall last year. After opening with Double-A Biloxi, he suffered multiple facial fractures when hit by a pitch on April 11. He wasn’t quite the same player after he returned in early May, finishing with a .199/.312/.363 line and 17 homers in 108 games with the Shuckers. The Southern League has been a considerable pitchers’ league, and the more hitter-friendly AFL may be a spot where Wilken’s power (and aptitude to hit fly balls) will play up.

Cardinals: Thomas Saggese, INF (No. 4)
Saggese is the rare Fall Leaguer with Major League experience, having played 18 games for St. Louis in September. His numbers there were subpar (.204 average, .556 OPS), in part because of his aggressive approach, though he did a good job overall of making contact. Honing in on pitches he can drive should be a priority in the Fall League. Also pay attention to where Saggese plays for Glendale, the majority of his MLB reps came at second while he also saw time at short and third.

Cubs: Moises Ballesteros, C/1B (No. 4/MLB No. 41)
Signed for $1.2 million out of Venezuela in 2021, Ballesteros has blossomed into one of the best young hitting prospects in baseball, batting .289/.354/.471 with 19 homers in 124 games between Double-A and Triple-A at age 20. He has outstanding bat-to-ball skills, developing power and advanced control of the strike zone. He carries significantly more than his listed 195 pounds on his 5-foot-7 frame, so there’s some question about his ability to become a regular catcher, though he does have soft hands.

Pirates: Termarr Johnson, 2B (No. 3/MLB No. 78)
Thought to be one of the best high school hitters in recent memory as the 2022 Draft approached, Johnson went No. 4 overall that July. He hasn’t quite lived up to that advanced billing, starting slow in both of his two full seasons. In each case, he did start to heat up and reached Double-A just after his 20th birthday. The left-handed hitter has some pop, can steal some bases and draws a ton of walks, but needs to cut down on the K rate.

Reds: Edwin Arroyo, SS (No. 3/MLB No. 67)
The Mariners got Arroyo in the second round of the 2021 Draft and the Puerto Rican shortstop who relocated to Florida for his senior year of high school was one of the youngest members of the class. He was sent to the Reds in the Luis Castillo trade and a strong finish to the 2023 season put an up arrow next to his name. A torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder that required surgery in March and ended his 2024 season temporarily stopped his progress, something he’s hoping to continue with his stint in the AFL.

D-backs: Tommy Troy, SS (No. 5)
The 12th overall pick in the 2023 Draft, Troy suffered a broken left foot in his first taste of pro ball and then missed much of his first full season with a left hamstring strain that limited him to 72 games. It was essentially a lost year in 2024 for the Stanford product. But D-backs officials have praised his work ethic at every turn, and Troy might just need regular game action to get back to being the shortstop who showed five average-to-above average tools in school. Playing in the friendly confines of Salt River Fields shouldn’t hurt either.

Dodgers: Zyhir Hope, OF (No. 11)
Hope intrigued scouts as a two-way prospect before becoming a full-time outfielder after signing with the Cubs for an over-slot $400,000 as a Virginia high schooler in the 11th round of the 2023 Draft. Part of the package the Dodgers received for Michael Busch and Yency Almonte in January, he slashed .287/.415/.490 with nine homers and eight steals in 54 games at Single-A despite missing three months with a shoulder injury. One of the best all-around athletes in the AFL, he combines plus raw power, double-plus speed and well-above-average arm strength.

Giants: Bryce Eldridge, 1B (No. 1/MLB No. 50)
Eldridge has zoomed from Single-A to Triple-A as a 19-year-old in his first full pro season, batting a combined .289/.372/.513 with 23 homers in 116 games. The 16th overall pick in the 2023 Draft as a Virginia prepster, he also showcased a 92-96 mph fastball and solid slider as an amateur but has focused on hitting since turning pro. He has a huge frame (6-foot-7, 223 pounds) and huge power, and he’s also an advanced hitter with a good plan at the plate.

Padres: Ethan Salas, C (No. 1/MLB No. 17)
Salas entered 2024 with plenty of hype after reaching Double-A at just 17 years old the previous year, but the catcher’s season at High-A Fort Wayne (.206/.288/.311, four homers in 111 games) brought pause to evaluators across the industry. The backstop did show positive signs late, leading High-A with 12 doubles from Aug. 1 to the end of the season, and might be headed to the AFL at the right time. His advanced defensive work behind the plate continues to give him a promising floor, and Peoria pitchers should look forward to working with the teenager.

Rockies: Ryan Ritter, SS (No. 12)
Ritter went from John A. Logan Community College to Kentucky, building a reputation as a glove-first shortstop. The Rockies took him in the fourth round of the 2022 Draft and he proceeded to produce offensively much more consistently than expected, turning in a 20/20 season while going from Single-A to Double-A. His 2024 campaign wasn’t quite as impressive, but he got hot in July before an ankle injury shelved him for a month, so he’s headed to Salt River to make up for some of those lost at-bats.