Here's how Yankees prospects fared in the Arizona Fall League

Put mildly, the Arizona Fall League is an offensive-oriented circuit. Put dramatically, it is, historically, a launching pad, a hitter's paradise.

So when you go 21 batters before allowing your first hit, as right-hander Cade Smith did, that's nothing to sneeze at. The Yankees No. 19 prospect, the 23 year-old Smith was a bright spot on the mound all fall for a Mesa staff that combined for a 6.98 team ERA, and the standout in a shallow crop of New York prospects in Arizona this fall.

Smith logged three no-hit relief innings in his debut and was into his fourth inning in his second start before allowing his first hit to his final batter. He threw a nine-pitch scoreless inning in the Fall Stars Game and finished with a 2.13 ERA and a 14-2 K/BB rate across 12 2/3 innings in the hitter-friendly league.

It was a fine showing for the former Mississippi State standout, who didn't make his first start of 2025 until July and was limited to 39 2/3 innings during the regular season due to a right shoulder injury. But whenever Smith's been on the mound, he's found a flurry of success at the lower levels. The sixth-round pick from the 2023 Draft has pitched to a 3.31 ERA with 10.8 K/9 and a .182 opponent average across two pro seasons despite working with below-average fastball velocity.

What he does really well is spin the baseball, leaning on a plus slider, an above-average curveball and a developing changeup. That's the proverbial kitchen sink, and it plays up when he throws strikes like he did in Arizona.

Mesa stats: Hitting | Pitching

Here’s how the rest of New York's farmhands fared in the Fall League:

Bryce Cunningham, RHP (No. 5): The 2024 second-rounder might have the best changeup among Fall League hurlers this year, and the pitch looked like it usually does, ranging from 83-90 mph. But he didn't use it very much, only 13 percent of the time. He had trouble commanding his other stuff, leading to some crooked numbers. Out of the 127 fastballs Cunningham threw, he got misses on only four of them -- an absurdly low 6 percent. He allowed four runs in each of his first two starts and finished with an ugly 10.38 ERA despite finishing strong, tossing four scoreless innings in his playoff start against Salt River.

Hueston Morrill, RHP: Coming off a sensational year mostly at High-A, the former position player worked in eight games as Mesa's closer, converting two of three save opportunities and pitching to a 3.12 ERA across 8 2/3 innings. The 25-year-old's command eluded him at times, though, with Morrill issuing more walks (5) than he accumulated strikeouts (3).

Adam Stone, RHP: The 24-year-old struggled in his return to the mound after missing two years to injury, surrendering seven earned runs in 5 1/3 innings over seven outings. He worked primarily with an upper-80s cutter and a 93-95 mph fastball that topped out at 97.

Brady Kirtner, RHP: Drafted in the 12th round out of Virginia Tech in '23, Kirtner didn't make his pro debut until this season and logged a 2.70 ERA over his first 46 2/3 pro innings. Pitching against better competition, he struggled more in the Fall League, pitching to a 6.14 ERA in seven appearances and allowing almost two hits per inning. He threw his 83-85 mph slider, 91-93 mph fastball (topped out at 95) and 81-83 mph curveball all about equal amounts.

Coby Morales, INF: An 18th round pick out of Washington in 2023, Morales blasted a 402-foot homer in his AFL debut. He also hit two doubles and accumulated seven RBIs in 27 at-bats but only played in eight games.

Manuel Palencia, C: A defensive-minded backstop, Palencia batted .217 with one homer in 13 games. His best tool is his throwing arm and he did catch 21 percent of attempted basestealers, an above-average rate in the Fall League this year.

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Enmanuel Tejada, INF: Tejada missed more than a full year to a knee injury sustained in July 2024 and hit .242/.389/.342 with 12 steals in 35 Single-A games after returning this season. He slashed .254/.412/.358 with one homer, 15 RBIs, 13 steals and 16 walks in 20 games this fall in a utility role.