Inbox: Players to watch in the Arizona Fall League

Pardon us if we're a little giddy in MLB Pipeline land!
After all, the preliminary Arizona Fall League rosters came out on Thursday, headlined by the No. 1 prospect in baseball, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. And Saturday is Sept. 1, the first day teams can expand their big league rosters, which means an influx of prospects to the highest level.
And did we mention Vlad Jr.'s going to the AFL? It's easy to see why we can't contain ourselves.
This week's Inbox takes a first look at those AFL rosters, talks about an up-and-coming Padres arm and discusses an intriguing pitcher who might be available to be drafted (again) in 2019.

I can't say I'm ever surprised when a prospect does get sent, as I see the AFL as a tremendous opportunity for a young player to get better and prepare for the next step. There are times when someone is coming off of a less-than-great year at a lower level and the organization wants to challenge him, raising an eyebrow, but honestly, I'm usually more surprised when a prospect we were hoping to see doesn't get sent (Come on Twins, no Royce Lewis or Alex Kirilloff???).
If I was going to pick one player, simply based on where he is within his organization, it might be Rangers outfielder Julio Pablo Martinez. I can see why they would send him, given that he's 22 years old and they are hoping he will move quickly in 2019. But the No. 58 overall prospect just signed in March and the entirety of his pro career is 245 at-bats, mostly in the short-season Northwest League, as of Friday. He's extremely talented and should more than hold his own, which should help him springboard to a more advanced level next season.
I'm a little surprised the White Sox sent Luis Robert, given that he now has 46 games in the United States under his belt. Yes, he missed a lot of the season due to a thumb injury, so the AFL will allow him to make up for some lost at-bats, but the No. 25 prospect is short on pro experience, for sure.
In terms of an "under the radar" type, I'm excited to see D-backs shortstop Jazz Chisholm, currently No. 2 on the D-backs Top 30. He was ho-hum during his full-season debut in the Midwest League but has really enjoyed hitting in the California League after getting bumped up a level. A strong AFL will ready him for the move to Double-A next year and allow the Bahamian infielder to put himself even more firmly on the prospect map.

I'm working under the assumption you mean Luis Patino, the Padres' No. 12 prospect, based on your self-description as a "Padres fanatic." You picked a really interesting guy to ask about. Full disclosure, I don't do the Padres' Top 30, but I did talk about Patino with the guy who does, Mike Rosenbaum. He even came up when Mike joined the Pipeline Podcast this week to talk about Padres prospects.
Suffice it to say, Patino might be a touch under-ranked at No. 12 and seeing him climb in 2019 should surprise no one. Despite his size -- his 6-foot frame is the only thing that gives evaluators pause -- the right-hander has electric stuff, starting with a fastball that he'll crank up to 98 mph at times. He misses bats with his above-average curve and also mixes in a solid changeup and slider. Ceiling-wise, he could be as good as a No. 2 starter if it continues to come together like it has for his taste of full-season ball. Most see him as a starter for sure, but if you want to talk absolutely lowest floor, it would be as a setup man or closer, where his power stuff would surely play up.

Stewart, for those of you who don't know or don't remember, was one of the top high school arms in the 2018 Draft class. Committed to Mississippi State, he was taken by the Braves with the eighth overall selection in the first round this past June. A reported wrist ailment kept Stewart and the Braves from making an agreement and the right-hander didn't sign. The Braves get a compensation pick (No. 9) in next year's Draft and Stewart, it seemed, would head on to MSU.
There was talk, however, that Stewart would instead head to junior college so he could be eligible for the Draft in 2019 (Had he gone on to Mississippi State, he'd have to wait until 2021). Stewart doesn't currently have any set plans, but it sounds like he is likely to end up at Eastern Florida State College (formerly known as Brevard Community College), not far from his hometown of Melbourne, Fla.
If that comes to fruition -- he would need to enroll for the spring semester to be eligible to pitch -- Stewart will indeed be a part of the 2019 Draft class. Based on talent alone, he certainly would once again be one of the better arms in the class. Obviously, given what happened with the Braves, teams will want some reassurances about his health, some of which will come with a full JUCO season. If those questions are answered, there's no reason to think he won't be a first-round-caliber arm for teams to consider.