These Fall League prospects could earn 40-man roster spots

The Arizona Fall League presents an opportunity for players who missed significant time due to injury to get more reps. It also provides a chance for teams to look at their prospects for six more weeks and decide whether or not to add them to their 40-man roster.

Organizations have until Nov. 17 to make those 40-man decisions for players who signed at age 18 or younger within at least five seasons and those who signed at 19 or older within four seasons.

The Rule 5 Draft is currently scheduled for Dec. 9 if there is a Collective Bargaining Agreement in place, with the Minor League phase is expected to take place either way.

In the latest episode of the MLB Pipeline Podcast, Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo identified the most intriguing players of the 78 Rule 5-eligible prospects in the Fall League and broke down their cases for protection.

There are two Top 100 prospects in the Fall League who look like locks -- Nationals right-hander Jarlin Susana (WSH No. 4/MLB No. 66) and D-backs second baseman Demetrio Crisantes (AZ No. 1/MLB No. 84). There's never been a case of a Top 100 prospect not getting protection, so they are slam-dunk candidates.

Here's a look at a dozen more prospects who will need Rule 5 protection, starting with a pair of players who ranked on the Top 100 last year.

Jett Williams, 3B/SS/OF, Brewers (MIL No. 10)

The Brewers acquired the 2022 first-rounder in January as part of the Freddy Peralta trade, and the 5-foot-7 dynamo had an up-and-down first full season at Triple-A. Battling quad and wrist injuries, Williams slashed .233/.340/.384 with nine homers and 21 steals in 81 games while rotating between third, short and center.

Callis: He's athletic. He can play a bunch of positions. He's tiny. He didn't have a great year, but he kind of fits that Brewer profile. I feel like we're going to look up, and next year Jett Williams will be a playoff hero. I think he's more versatile than impactful. I think our expectations of him have changed. But I would suspect they would protect him.

Aroon Escobar, 2B, Phillies (PHI No. 6)

After a breakout season in which he earned two promotions, Escobar returned to Double-A in 2026 and slashed .230/.332/.347 with 12 homers and 27 steals in 132 games. The 5-foot-9 right-handed hitter has played the infield corners in addition to second, and his long-term defensive home is unclear.

Mayo: I would lean towards yes, but it was a rough year in Double-A, and he kind of regressed after what was a strong 2025 season. But I do see him being the kind of guy who comes back. Even if he repeats Double-A, he'll be 22 for all of next year, and he could figure things out and take off just because he's got such a feel for contact and there is raw power in there.

Patrick Reilly, RHP, Orioles

After three years at Vanderbilt in which the 6-foot-3 right-hander showed high-octane stuff but iffy control, the Pirates took him in the fifth round in 2023 and later dealt him to the O's for Billy Cook. Reilly, 25, underwent Tommy John surgery in May 2025 and returned this June for 13 outings across three levels, including 39 2/3 innings at Double-A.

Callis: In his first start in the Fall League, he struck out Eduardo Quintero and Caleb Bonemer, two of the highest-ranked prospects in the league. He was sitting 96 [mph] and touching 98 with very good carry on his fastball. He's got a low-80s slider with swing-and-miss. Reilly's got enough stuff to where you could get him enough innings in the bullpen to make that transition to the big leagues. ... I would suspect the Orioles would protect him.

Carlos Sanchez, 3B/SS/OF, Reds (CIN No. 14)

The 21-year-old slashed .270/.376/.449 across two levels during the regular season, although his OPS dipped to .693 in 58 Double-A games. Still, Sanchez has been on an upward trajectory and will be 22 for all of next season, coming off a campaign in which he doubled his career high in homers (16).

Mayo: Left-handed hitter, really good feel for contact. He had made some swing changes to really help him out. And he's gotten more physical, so he's impacting the ball more. ... So I think the combination of the positional flexibility and the growing impact at the bat probably means he's added, and he could be an intriguing Rule 5 guy because you can move him around the diamond.

Yasser Mercedes, OF, Twins (MIN No. 17)

The right-handed-hitting outfielder was a major international signing in 2022, inking for $1.7 million, and has slowly worked his way up the Twins' system. Alternating strong and weak campaigns, he set career highs in 2026 with 18 homers and 52 steals while slashing .249/.343/.453 in 109 games as he played at High-A for the first time in his age-21 season.

Callis: If you like this guy, I think you could probably go, on the 20-to-80 scale -- 60 raw power, 60 speed. So there are tools there to dream on. This is the type of guy where I think it's hard to take him in the Rule 5 Draft because he hasn't played above High-A and hasn't had a lot of success there. You do see teams protect guys like this sometimes if they don't want to lose them. And every once in a while when these guys are left unprotected, somebody decides they're going to gamble on the tools and take them.

Kenya Huggins, RHP, A's (ATH No. 23)

The 2022 fourth-rounder returned from Tommy John surgery and had an excellent 2025 season, leading to the Athletics acquiring him at that Trade Deadline for Miguel Andujar. The 6-foot-3 righty took his lumps during his first full season in the organization but showed growth when shifting to the bullpen (4.91 ERA) compared to when he started (8.85 ERA).

Mayo: I think it's the kind of arm that sometimes gets popped in the Rule 5. It may depend on how he throws this fall. He moved up to Double-A, and he struggled with his command both in and out of the zone. But the stuff is good. It's a fastball with some sink, and he can get some ground balls. The slider has a chance to be an out pitch. ... I could see a team giving him a shot in a relief role to shorten him up.

Jhonny Severino, OF, Pirates (PIT No. 28)

Severino signed for $1.23 million in 2022 before the Pirates acquired him at the 2023 Trade Deadline for Carlos Santana. The former switch-hitter, who now hits exclusively from the right side, had a major uptick in power in 2026, leading the High-A South Atlantic League with 31 homers (nearly double his previous career high).

Callis: Kind of the same boat as Mercedes, where he's not super close to the big leagues, although he has had more success. You'd be asking him to make an awful big jump to go from High-A to sticking in the big leagues. But the power is intriguing. ... Maybe you gamble and don't protect him, but teams are always looking for right-handed power, and he definitely has right-handed power.

Matthew Wood, C, Brewers

Wood is coming off a career season in his first full campaign at Double-A, having slashed .257/.398/.492 with 18 homers in 95 games. The 2022 fourth-rounder ranked fifth among Minor Leaguers with at least 300 plate appearances with a 1.37 BB/K rate.

Mayo: Really good swing decisions. He doesn't chase, makes a lot of contact, doesn't strike out a lot. ... He looks good behind the plate. He's drawn a ton of walks. He's pretty athletic. I could see a team that really needs a backup catcher, because that's probably what his profile is, giving him an opportunity. He was not protected a year ago. But he's really strengthened his case, and I think if he continues to play well out here, I think there's a chance the Brewers add him.

Luke Fox, LHP, Dodgers

Fox has battled injuries -- Tommy John surgery during his junior season at Duke enabled the Dodgers to take him in the 17th round of the 2023 Draft, and he missed time in 2026 with a hamstring issue -- but he's been effective when healthy. The 6-foot-2 southpaw has a 2.91 ERA with 190 strikeouts to 85 walks across 164 career innings.

Callis: It is a starter profile. It's not big stuff, but it's good command. He locates a 92-96 mph fastball where he wants. He's got an effective low-80 slider. He's left-handed. I could see the Dodgers having trouble with their loaded roster finding a spot for him and maybe trying to gamble that he hasn't pitched a whole lot, only 28 innings this year -- although he is pitching in the Fall League, so it's not exactly like they're hiding him.

Estibenzon Jimenez, RHP, Phillies

The Phillies initially developed the Venezuela native as a starter, but he's really taken off in his age-24 season now that he's fully converted to relief. The 6-foot-1 righty posted a 2.38 ERA with 51 strikeouts to just 20 walks in 45 1/3 innings this season, mostly at Double-A.

Mayo: He kind of screams Rule 5 pick if he doesn't get added to the roster because I think teams are often looking for arm-strength guys that could develop into, if not a back-end bullpen guy, someone who you can fill in some middle innings. The walks went up some, but he has a history of throwing strikes. It's a fastball up to 98, and he missed a ton of bats with an upper-80 slider. I could see the Phillies adding him if he continues to throw well out here because enough teams will have noticed it.

Garrett Wright, RHP, White Sox

Injuries limited Wright to 16 2/3 innings in the two seasons after the White Sox drafted him in the 20th round, but he returned in 2026 to become one of Chicago's most intriguing relief prospects. The 6-foot-2 righty struck out 77 batters across 55 2/3 innings, albeit with 36 walks, as he reached Double-A at age 24.

Callis: I do think he's intriguing because he has good stuff. It's an upper-90s fastball, it's an upper-80s slider and he throws out of a high release point. So it gives hitters a different look. Opponents only hit .181 against him. There's not a lot of pro experience before this year. Yes, the control can waver at times, but it's good stuff. ... I could see somebody, if he's not protected, popping Garrett Wright and putting him in their bullpen next year.

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Juan Bello, RHP, Astros

The 6-foot-1 Colombian native was off to a strong first season with the Astros after they acquired him in the January 2025 trade for Ryan Pressly, but an elbow injury that July kept him off the mound until the Fall League. Bello will turn 23 in April and has not yet pitched above High-A.

Mayo: This is a far leap, but sometimes those are the guys that sort of fall under the radar and get taken just because of his ability to miss bats. He does have a four-pitch mix, so he might have a chance to start if he can throw enough strikes. The curveball looked really good. The other stuff, he's shaking off some rust at the same time. I could see the Astros thinking no one's going to take this guy. But he has that feel of the kind of pitcher where someone might roll the dice and see if they tease a little more velocity and the fastball-curveball combination could play out of the 'pen.