Ranking The 10 Hottest Arizona Fall League Prospects | Hot Sheet (10/19/26)

1. Arjun Nimmala, SS, Angels

• Team: Mesa Solar Sox
• Age: 21
• Why He’s Here: .545/.667/1.091 (6-for-11), 5 R, 2 2B, 2 3B, 0 HR, 3 RBIs, 4 BB, 1 SO, 1-for-1 SB

The Scoop: Nimmala was the prize of the midsummer trade that sent righthander José Soriano from the Angels to the Blue Jays. The toolsy shortstop has tremendous upside, which he’s shown off in spades during his time in the Fall League. Four of his five extra-base hits came in the season’s second week, and he struck out just once in 15 plate appearances. That’s a marked improvement from the first week, when he racked up eight strikeouts in 17 PAs. If he can make more consistent contact, he could be a fixture of future Angels lineups. (JN)

2. Welbyn Francisca, SS, Guardians

• Team: Surprise Saguaros
• Age: 20
• Why He’s Here: .750/.727/1.000 (6-for-8), 2 R, 0 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 6 RBIs, 2 BB, 0 SO, 1-for-1 SB

The Scoop: After a regular season limited by injuries to just 79 games, Francisca is making the most of his time in the desert. The switch-hitting shortstop collected five hits on Opening Day and has hardly stopped hitting since then. He racked up six hits in eight at-bats in the second week of the AFL, including his first triple of the fall. He also did not strike out in any of his 11 plate appearances. Overall, he has just one strikeout in 32 AFL PAs. (JN)

3. Patrick Reilly, RHP, Orioles

• Team: Peoria Javelinas 
• Age: 25
• Why He’s Here: 1-0, 1 GS, 0.00, 4.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 SO

The Scoop: Reilly returned to the mound in June after undergoing Tommy John surgery during the 2025 season. He threw 53 regular season innings and improved each month. He’s carried that into the Arizona Fall League, where he’s had two strong appearances. This past week’s start was especially impressive, as he struck out seven over four shutout innings and allowed only two baserunners. He threw 34 of 53 pitches for strikes and generated 10 whiffs. His fastball sat 94-96 mph, and he mixed in his slider at 81-85 mph. Reilly is Rule 5-eligible this offseason, and if he continues to impress in Arizona, he could make for a difficult decision for the Orioles. (IC)

4. Kannon Kemp, RHP, Padres

• Team: Peoria Javelinas
• Age: 22
• Why He’s Here: 0-0, 0.00, 4 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 SO, 0 HR

The Scoop: Drafted by the Padres in the eighth round out of the Texas prep ranks, Kemp spent the majority of his season with High-A Fort Wayne, pitching to a 5.72 ERA over 33 innings. He made one start this past week for Peoria, tossing four scoreless innings against Scottsdale, striking out five, walking two and allowing no hits. Kemp throws a mid-to-high-90s four-seam fastball, an above-average changeup, an upper-80s slider and a sinker. With power across his arsenal and above-average command, he’s likely better than what his numbers have shown to date. (GP)  

5. Briggs McKenzie, LHP, Braves

• Team: Glendale Desert Dogs
• Age: 20
• Why He’s Here: 1-0, 2.25, 4 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 6 SO, 0 HR

The Scoop: McKenzie, the Braves’ fourth-round pick from 2025, was on a quick path before injuries cut short his season. Now, he’s making a strong impression in the desert, where pitching is usually in short supply. Two of McKenzie’s three starts have been strong, and his most recent turn featured six strikeouts across four hitless frames. He’s allowed 10 runs (nine earned) in his three starts, but all but two came in his second outing. Over the course of his first and third turns, the lefthander has gone 6.2 innings and allowed two runs on two hits while striking out nine and walking five. (JN) 

6. Teo Banks, OF, Nationals

• Team: Salt River Rafters
• Age: 23
• Why He’s Here: .412/.412/.647 (7-for-17), 2 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBIs, 3 SO, 2-for-2 SB

The Scoop: It’s been a strong Fall League for Banks, who leads Salt River in batting average, hits and total bases. This past week, Banks did most of his damage in a pair of three-hit games. He connected on a homer in Monday’s game, his first of the AFL season. He also stole a couple bases this week and generally was a tough out. A 2024 18th-round pick out of Tulane, Banks hit .251/.333/.375 with six home runs and 21 stolen bases over 92 games in the regular season. He’s not been considered much of a prospect up to this point, but a strong AFL showing could be a springboard. (GP)

7. Kyle DeBarge, 2B, Twins

• Team: Salt River Rafters
• Age: 23
• Why He’s Here: .455/.538/.545 (5-for-11), 3 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 2 RBIs, 2 BB, 3 SO, 0-for-0 SB

The Scoop: DeBarge is looking to bounce back in the Fall League after hitting .221/.325/.352 in his first season with Double-A Wichita. He seems to have quickly acclimated to the pitching in Arizona and had a solid week, headlined by a 4-for-4 performance on Thursday. He set the table for Salt River all night from the leadoff spot, reaching base five times via three singles, a double and a walk. He now has 10 hits in his first eight games in Arizona and is one of 11 players to reach double digits in hits so far. DeBarge started the season inside the Twins’ Top 30, but fell off the list in May. He will look to maintain his production through the rest of the fall and build on it in 2027 to try and regain his prospect status. (IC)

8. Miguel Mendez, RHP, Giants

• Team: Scottsdale Scorpions
• Age: 24
• Why He’s Here: 0-0, 3.18, 2 GS, 5.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 HR, 2 BB, 9 SO

The Scoop: Mendez was in the Arizona Fall League way back in 2023, but he may prefer if you don’t remember. That year, he posted a 9.95 ERA in six appearances with a 2.21 WHIP and .300 opponent average. This year, though, is going much more smoothly. Mendez sat at 95-97 mph last week, and his slider got 13 whiffs in just 27 pitches. He did give up home runs to Matthew Ellis and Charles Davalan, but in the hitter-happy AFL, that’s just the price of pitching in the desert. (JJ)

9. Zion Rose, OF, Royals

• Team: Surprise Saguaros
• Age: 21
• Why He’s Here: .500/.727/1.000 (3-for-6), 6 R, 1 HR, 5 RBIs, 3 BB, 2 SO, 1 HBP, 1-for-1 SB

The Scoop: Rose, the Royals’ first-round pick this summer, hit a 103.1 mph grand slam in one of his two games this week and reached base five times in the other. He scored two runs in the latter game and also was stranded at third twice. The left fielder is getting a useful leg up on his 2027 MiLB season, and with more weeks like this, it could help him reach Double-A faster than many of his 2026 draft contemporaries. (JJ)

10. Caleb Bonemer, OF, White Sox

• Team: Glendale Desert Dogs
• Age: 21
• Why He’s Here: .231/.333/.769 (3-for-13), 2 R, 1 2B, 2 HR, 2 BB, 3 SO

The Scoop: Bonemer has hit safely in eight of nine AFL games so far, and he homered in back-to-back games this past week. His home run on Friday night was especially impressive, as it was a 111.9 mph blast estimated to have traveled 431 feet. The most important part of Bonemer’s AFL performance, though, is seeing how he’s acclimating to the outfield. He’s gotten to play left, center and right field, but he’s not getting much action. This past week, he had just one putout in four games. It was a sacrifice fly, so at least he did get a chance to figure out whether he should throw home or to third (which he did). (JJ)