The Arizona Fall League is back Oct. 3 for its 34th season, and the headline names are easy to spot. Dodgers outfielder Eduardo Quintero, Tigers outfielder Zyhir Hope and White Sox third baseman/outfielder Caleb Bonemer are all part of the mix.
But the AFL has built its reputation on uncovering players who weren’t the obvious attractions when they first arrived in Arizona. More than 3,000 players have reached the Majors through the league, and plenty of them came in without much buzz.
Last year’s examples included Sam Antonacci, Jake Bennett and Esmerlyn Valdez, who were relatively anonymous before breaking out in Arizona and then producing as big league rookies this season. Owen Ayers followed a similar path, going from a 24-year-old catcher who had never played above Single-A to AFL Breakout Player of the Year and then a Top 100 prospect this year.
That’s the fun of this league: the surprises. And this year’s group has a bunch of names worth tracking closely.
Boston Smith arrives in Peoria with the Mariners after being traded twice, and he’s coming off a first full pro season in which he hit .274/.424/.566 with 31 homers.
Myles Bailey, playing for Mesa with the Cubs, brought the most raw power and the best exit velocities in the 2026 Draft. He’s also returning from a broken ankle.
Luke Hill heads to Surprise with the Guardians after building his reputation at Mississippi for plate discipline and bat-to-ball skill, then showing more pop in his first full professional season.
At third base, Chase Harlan is making noise in Glendale with the Dodgers. He’s moving up the board among the game’s best hot-corner prospects after turning plus-plus raw power into 14 homers in 86 games this season.
Wyatt Sanford is another Glendale name to know, this time for the Pirates. The shortstop is known as a quality defender, and his bat took a major step forward: after a .760 OPS with five homers in 64 games in his first year as a pro, he posted a .963 OPS with 19 blasts in 77 games in his second.
There’s no shortage of tools in the outfield, either. Dakota Jordan, with Scottsdale and the Giants, brings double-plus raw power and speed, giving him the best all-around tools in the Fall League. Braylon Payne, also in Scottsdale but with the Brewers, has tools that rival Jordan’s and may have the best blend of exit velocities and speed in the Minors.
Zion Rose joins Surprise with the Royals as the sixth overall pick in the 2026 Draft, and he offers hitting ability, raw power and athleticism.
Breyson Guedez, a DH for Mesa and the Athletics, is already more advanced at the plate than most teenagers, and he backed that up with a 425-foot home run during Spring Breakout.
On the mound, Patrick Forbes is the arm to watch for Salt River and the Diamondbacks. He was dominant when healthy in his pro debut, though elbow and flexor issues limited him to three months on the shelf.
In Other News...
Pirates Already Moving On From A Deadline Bullpen Addition
The Pirates made another bullpen adjustment on September 22, designating right-handed reliever Camilo Doval for assignment while activating Kirby Yates from the injured list. Doval had only been in Pittsburgh since the August 1 trade with the Yankees, and his stint came after the club picked him up to help stabilize a relief corps that has been in constant flux.
Instead, the move points straight toward the offseason and the bigger rebuild of the bullpen that still awaits. Dovals time with the Pirates ended after he logged a 3.79 ERA over 19 innings, and Pittsburgh is already signaling that it plans to keep searching for more reliable late-inning answers as it looks ahead to next year. [Read more 🡒]
Pirates Prospect Murf Gray Is Rising Faster Than Fans Expected
Murf Grays first professional season gave the Pirates plenty to feel good about, and not just because he ended the year in Double-A Altoona. The 2026 rise was quick even by the standards of a prospect who keeps forcing his way up the ladder, as Gray moved through three levels while putting together a .305 average, a .969 OPS and 32 home runs.
The production was enough to land Gray on MLB Pipelines Top 100 Prospects list, but the numbers only tell part of why he has gotten attention inside the organization. Pirates director of coaching and player development Michael Chernow pointed to Grays growth on both sides of the ball, noting improvements in his hitting and defense as the season went on, which is exactly the kind of progression that can turn a fast riser into a real factor in the system. [Read more 🡒]
Pirates Final Cardinals Series Puts Pressure On Two Familiar Arms
The Pirates close out their final home series against the Cardinals with a rotation setup that should feel familiar by now, even if the faces keep shifting. Jared Jones gets the opener after a strong September stretch, an unannounced starter handles the middle game, and Paul Skenes is lined up for the finale, giving Pittsburgh another look at two young arms it has leaned on heavily while trying to piece together the back end of the season.
For Jones, the timing offers another chance to keep building on recent form in a setting where the Pirates have little left to play for except evaluation and momentum. Skenes, meanwhile, remains the more complicated storyline, since the talent has been obvious all year but the consistency has not, with mechanical issues still part of the conversation as the club tries to manage his workload and development. The bullpen picture also gets a little more interesting with rookie pitchers Khristian Curtis, Wilber Dotel and Antwone Kelly expected to work in relief during the series. [Read more 🡒]