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

Editor’s Note: Looking for Royals lefthander Justin Lamkin? You can read in-depth coverage of his AFL success recovering from injury here.

1. Tai Peete, OF, Cardinals

• Team: Peoria Javelinas
• Age: 21
• Why He’s Here: .438/.526/1.000 (7-for-16), 7 R, 3 2B, 3 3B, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 3 BB, 0 SO, 4-for-5 SB

The Scoop: Peete has been one of the most impressive players in the Fall League all season, but his recent exploits have put him in a class all by himself. The speedy outfielder tripled in four straight games for his Javelina club, including three this past week. Those triples in 12 AFL games are more than half the total he produced in 66 games during the regular season, which included two games in which he hit for the cycle. Halfway through the AFL season, he’s positioned himself nicely as a candidate for the league’s MVP award. (JN)

2. Jack O’Dowd, C, Rockies

• Team: Salt River Rafters
• Age: 25
• Why He’s Here: .462/.462/1.308 (6-for-13), 3 R, 2 2B, 3 HR, 6 RBIs, 0 BB, 4 SO

The Scoop: Let the record show that O’Dowd’s excellent week was not affected by the outfield shift rules in place at Salt River. The Rafters were on the road for three of their four games this week and his only hit at Salt River was a 397-foot pull shot that cleared the fence. That was O’Dowd’s fifth home run in just 10 games, giving him sole possession of the AFL home-run lead. (JJ)

3. Briggs McKenzie, LHP, Braves

• Team: Glendale Desert Dogs
• Age: 20
• Why He’s Here: 1-0, 0.00, 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 SO, 0 HR

The Scoop: Aside from one disastrous outing (eight runs in 2.2 innings), McKenzie’s time in the Fall League has been excellent. In his most recent start, the lefthander spun five shutout innings with four strikeouts and a pair of walks. That was more in line with the rest of his time in the AFL, which has seen him allow just two runs over 11.1 innings and three starts. At five innings, the outing also tied for the longest of his career. (JN)

4. Eric Bitonti, 1B, Brewers

• Team: Scottsdale Scorpions
• Age: 20
• Why He’s Here: .471/.526/.765 (8-for-17), 3 R, 2 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 5 RBIs, 2 BB, 5 SO, 3-for-3 SB

The Scoop: Bitonti possesses an intriguing blend of power and speed for his size, and he showed it off this past week in the Arizona Fall League. He had two hits in every game he played, including three extra-base hits. He consistently made hard contact, with his exit velocities routinely exceeding 100 mph. He turned on a 94 mph fastball for a home run he drove 422 feet to left field with an exit velocity of 102.7 mph. Bitonti stands 6-foot-5 and isn’t the fastest baserunner, but he shows good instincts. He went 24-for-25 on steals during the regular season and is now 4-for-4 in Arizona after stealing three bases this week. Bitonti was once seen as a top 10 prospect in the Brewers’ system, but he now ranks in the back of the Top 30. If he can access his power by keeping his strikeout totals in check, he still has major-league upside. (IC)

5. Dominick Reid, RHP, Cubs

• Team: Mesa Solar Sox 
• Age: 22 
• Why He’s Here: 1-0, 0.00, 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 SO, 0 HR

The Scoop: A right shoulder impingement cost Reid three months of the season, but he’s made the most of his Fall League to date. Reid has revamped his pitch mix with an added cutter, and he now throws seven different pitch shapes. In his latest start, he tossed four scoreless innings, striking out five while allowing two baserunners. He’s cut his four-seam usage this fall, while upping the usage of his sinker, sweeper, slider and new cutter. It’s given Reid the ability to change looks with a deep repertoire against both righties and lefties. (GP)

6. Yerlin Confidan, OF, Reds

• Team: Peoria Javelinas
• Age: 23
• Why He’s Here: .583/.583/1.167 (7-for-12), 4 R, 2 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 3 RBIs, 0 BB, 3 SO

The Scoop: No one hit the ball harder this past week than Confidan, who moved into the top 10 in the AFL in batting average. He’s also now second in the league in slugging thanks to three triples on the season. Confidan scorched a 108.7 mph single up the middle in the first inning on Wednesday, hit a 110.7 mph double in the third and followed with a 106.7 mph home run in the sixth. But he never got a chance to get a triple to finish the cycle, as the game was called after six innings because of rain. Confidan then went 3-for-4 in his following game, highlighted by a 111.1 mph single. In the past week, he’s hit four of the 30 hardest balls in the AFL this year, with all four topping 110 mph. (JJ)

7. Dax Kilby, SS, Yankees

• Team: Salt River Rafters
• Age: 19
• Why He’s Here: .389/.421/.778 (7-for-18), 4 R, 2 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 2 RBIs, 1 BB, 2 SO, 3-for-3 SB

The Scoop: After a season mostly lost to injuries, Kilby is making up at-bats in the Fall League. So far, he’s living up to the reputation he established in his first year as a pro. The four extra-base hits he clubbed this past week were half the total he’s produced in three weeks of the AFL. That list also included his second home run of the fall, which came off of Padres prospect Winyer Chourio and boasted an exit velocity of 107.1 mph to travel an estimated 419 feet to dead center field. (JN)

8. Tekoah Roby, RHP, Cardinals

• Team: Peoria Javelinas
• Age: 24
• Why He’s Here: 1-0, 0.00, 4 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 SO, 0 HR

The Scoop: Returning from Tommy John surgery and getting your first action in the Fall League can often be a bumpy road. For Roby, though, that has not been the case. He has yet to allow a run over three AFL starts spanning 9.2 innings. In his latest start on Wednesday, Roby tossed four scoreless innings, striking out four while allowing four hits and no walks. He leaned into his curveball, using it 38% of the time. Roby’s stuff is all the way back post-injury, as he’s sitting 95-97 mph with higher spin on his curveball and more depth on his changeup. Roby has a chance to break camp with the big league team and make a large number of starts with the Cardinals. (GP) 

9. Kyle DeBarge, 2B, Twins

• Team: Salt River Rafters
• Age: 23
• Why He’s Here: .385/.579/.846 (5-for-13), 8 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 5 BB, 4 SO, 3-for-3 SB

The Scoop: DeBarge is back on the Hot Sheet after another impressive week. The 5-foot-9 infielder has parlayed his strong play into a prominent role for Salt River, and he made the most of it this past week, posting a .579 on-base percentage and scoring a league-high eight runs. DeBarge totaled five hits and walked five times while also hitting his first two home runs of the fall after hitting a career-high 12 during the regular season. Home runs aren’t a major part of his game, but he will show sneaky power for his size. His first home run was an inside-the-parker, though it had an exit velocity of 101.4 mph and traveled 405 feet. The second was more traditional, going over the left field fence with an exit velocity of 101 mph. DeBarge has made good swing decisions all fall and is tied for fourth in walks and third in on-base percentage among all qualified hitters. He’s also played all over the diamond, starting games at second base, third base, shortstop and center field. DeBarge likely projects in a utility role, so getting as many reps as possible at different positions will serve him well heading into 2027. (IC)

10. Luke Holman, RHP, Reds

• Team: Scottsdale Scorpions
• Age: 23
• Why He’s Here:1-0, 0.00, 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 HBP, 0 BB, 5 SO

The Scoop: In 2023 and 2024, the Reds drafted three SEC college starting pitchers with top 100 picks. All three have spent most of the past three seasons on the injured list. Hunter Hollan has been released. Ty Floyd couldn’t throw strikes and returned to the 60-day injured list late in the 2026 season. But Holman is showing that he may have made a full recovery following his 2025 Tommy John surgery. He doesn’t light up the radar gun, but he is effectively working with 92-94 mph fastballs, a big 79-80 mph curveball, a harder slider and a changeup that can generate ground balls. Holman has allowed only one run in nine AFL innings, matching his highest inning total at any level since he signed as a pro. (JJ)