Kevin McGonigle left no doubt that he was the best prospect in the Arizona Fall League this season. Ranked second on MLB Pipeline's Top 100 Prospects list, the Tigers infielder burnished his reputation as the best pure hitter in the Minor Leagues en route to winning Most Valuable Player honors.
The developmental circuit featured fewer Top 100 prospects than usual, with just eight qualifying for our annual ranking of Fall League top talent. Three more didn't play enough to make it. Dodgers outfielder Josue De Paula (MLB No. 13) arrived with a hamstring injury and never took the field, Rangers shortstop Sebastian Walcott (MLB No. 6) was shut down after one game with shoulder fatigue and Reds right-hander Rhett Lowder (MLB No. 80) worked just nine innings after missing most of the regular season with forearm and oblique strains.
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The AFL still witnessed plenty of future big leaguers, however. The quality of the pitching prospects was better than it has been previously in the 2020s, though the league still was much more hospitable to hitters and teams averaged 6.13 runs per game.
As always, we base our rankings more on long-term value than Fall League performance, though both were considered. We solicited opinions from scouts on hand to evaluate the players.
McGonigle drew comparisons to Chase Utley, his favorite player while growing up in Philadelphia's suburbs, and a lefty-hitting Alex Bregman. He batted .362/.500/.710 while leading the league in extra-base hits (12) and total bases (49), ranking second in homers (five) and runs (22) and third in slugging and OPS (1.210). He repeatedly takes quality at-bats and barrels balls, projecting as a 25/25 guy who may fit best at second base and can do the little things to help win games as well.
2. Braden Montgomery, OF, Glendale (CWS No. 1/MLB No. 35)
Montgomery fits the classic right-field profile with plus power and double-plus arm strength, and the switch-hitter has had more success against left-handers in pro ball than he did in college. He displayed a patient approach while batting .366/.527/.634 with eight extra-base hits and 13 walks in 12 games.
3. Alfredo Duno, C, Peoria (CIN No. 2/MLB No. 48)
The third-youngest player in the league at 19 years and nine months, Duno hit just .213/.356/.298 with nary a homer in 15 regular-season games before going deep four times in three playoff contests -- including three times in the semifinals with shots of 453 and 456 feet. His right-handed power is immense, and he has the receiving skills and arm strength to be an asset behind the plate. He also got kudos for his work with the Javelinas pitching staff.
4. Charlie Condon, 1B, Salt River (COL No. 2/MLB No. 61)
Hand and wrist injuries hampered Condon after the Rockies selected him No. 3 overall in 2024, but he was healthy in the AFL and led the league with 28 hits while slashing .337/.439/.434 and winning the Dernell Stenson Sportsmanship Award. The hitting ability is real, though he's not driving the ball for power as well as he did when he topped NCAA Division I in homers (37) and slugging (1.009) in his Draft year.
5. Hagen Smith, LHP, Glendale (CWS No. 5/MLB No. 88)
The No. 5 overall pick in 2024 after setting an NCAA Division I record for strikeout rate (17.3 per nine innings), Smith's stuff ticked down slightly while he battled his mechanics and control during his first full pro season. He looked more like his best self in Arizona, pushing his mid-90s fastball to 98 mph and wiping out hitters with an 81-85 mph slider. He logged a 2.57 ERA while striking out 21 in 14 innings and placing second in groundout/airout ratio (2.5) and third in K rate (13.5 per nine) and average-against (.143).
6. Jonny Farmelo, OF, Peoria (SEA No. 7/MLB No. 75)
Farmelo featured the best combination of power and speed in the AFL, which translated into a league-best three triples while he batted .234/.406/.442 with 12 steals, 20 walks (second in the league) and 20 in 23 games. His 28 strikeouts (also second on the circuit) and 40 percent swing-and-miss rate are worrisome, but he's barely 21, does damage when he makes contact and plays a solid center field.
7. Blake Mitchell, C, Surprise (KC No. 2/MLB No. 62)
Mitchell hit just .230/.434/.311 but ranked second with 20 walks and came up big in the playoffs as the Saguaros won their third championship in four years. His numbers belie his plus power to all fields and he's an athletic defender with a strong arm.
8. Starlyn Caba, SS, Mesa (MIA No. 5)
The best infield defender in the Fall League and the first non-Top 100 prospect on this list, Caba is a future Gold Glove shortstop who held his own at the plate as the fourth-youngest player (19 years, 10 months). The switch-hitter slashed .297/.409/.419, flashed plus speed and surprisingly hit two homers after going deep just three times in 168 Minor League games.
9. Esmerlyn Valdez, OF, Salt River (PIT No. 15)
After homering 48 times in his first two years of full-season ball, Valdez led the AFL with eight dingers (all in his first nine games) as well as in slugging and RBIs (27) while batting .368/.513/.842 and earning Offensive Player of the Year accolades. He displayed legitimate plus power, controlled the strike zone better than he did in A ball and played passable right field.
10. Seaver King, SS, Scottsdale (WSH No. 7)
King can do a little bit of everything, making regular contact while showing 15-homer power and the athleticism and arm strength to play all over the diamond. He hit .359/.468/.563 with six steals in 18 games, though he could get more out of his advanced bat-to-ball skills if he toned down his aggressive approach. Scouts don't see him as more than an average shortstop and wonder how long the Nationals will keep him there.
11. Anderson Brito, RHP, Scottsdale (HOU No. 7)
Brito featured easily the best stuff among Fall League right-handers, averaging 98 mph and touching 100 with his riding fastball and backing it up with high spin rates on a mid-80s curveball and upper-80s sweeper. He finished third in the league with 22 strikeouts in just 11 innings while fashioning a 3.97 ERA and an overall 43 percent swing-and-miss rate.
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12. Luis De León, LHP, Peoria (BAL No. 21)
AFL hitters struggled to put De León's mid-80s slider in play or make quality contact against his mid-90s sinker, enabling him to post a 2.76 ERA with 22 strikeouts and a league-best 2.6 groundout/airout ratio in 16 innings. His control can get spotty at times, but an effective upper-80s changeup with fade adds to the hope he can succeed as a starter.
13. Walker Janek, C, Scottsdale (HOU No. 4)
Some scouts believe Janek is the best defensive catcher in the Minors and he was the best in the Fall League, projecting as a solid receiver (despite five passed balls in 13 games) with well-above-average arm strength. He also comes with 20-homer power, though he tried to do too much at the plate and slashed .241/.288/.481.
14. Cam Collier, 1B, Peoria (CIN No. 6/MLB No. 94)
Collier's bat took him to Double-A at age 20 and his AFL line (.221/.368/.325) isn't as impressive as his offensive upside, which includes 30-homer potential and a knack for drawing walks. He's a limited athlete and defender who likely will be relegated to first base despite a strong arm.
15. Max Anderson, 3B, Scottsdale (DET No. 9)
Anderson posted the best numbers of any hitter, topping the Fall League in batting (.447), on-base percentage (.609), OPS (1.418) and walk rate (26 percent) while finishing second in slugging (.809). He controls the strike zone and repeatedly barrels balls to all fields, though his position is in question because he doesn't have typical second-base quickness or third-base arm strength.
16. Josh Adamczewski, OF, Surprise (MIL No. 13)
The Brewers have a knack for nabbing promising high schoolers in the bottom half of the Draft, including Adamczewski, a 15th-rounder in 2023, and Luke Adams (see below), a 12th-rounder a year earlier. Adamczewski is young (20), was one of the AFL's most well-rounded hitters (.277/.415/.538 with a good approach at the plate) and looked comfortable in left field after spending most of his pro career at second base.
17. Luke Adams, 1B, Surprise (MIL No. 8)
Like Adamczewski, Adams showed the ability to hit for power and average while managing the strike zone, batting .333/.471/.569. He doesn't have quite as much athleticism or defensive value as his fellow Brewers farmhand, but he's an aggressive baserunner and plays a nifty first base.
18. Tommy White, 3B/1B, Mesa (ATH No. 7)
A legendary college slugger, White had a two-homer game at midseason but went deep only one other time. He did utilize a disciplined, contact-oriented approach while hitting .292/.395/.444 with the best strikeout rate (9 percent) in the Fall League. He's a better third baseman than he gets credit for but still may be destined for first base.
19. Dante Nori, OF, Surprise (PHI No. 6)
Despite dealing with a leg injury and being one of the younger players in the league, Nori displayed the tools that made him a first-round pick in 2024. He slashed .308/.386/.436, made regular line-drive contact and showed off well-above-average speed that enabled him to circle the bases in 14.76 seconds on an inside-the-park homer and chase down balls in center field.
20. Luis Perales, RHP, Salt River (BOS No. 9)
Perales' control and command still aren't sharp as he continues his comeback from Tommy John surgery in 2024, which is why he had a 10.32 ERA and 11 walks in 11 1/3 innings. There was nothing wrong with his pure stuff -- a fastball that averaged 99 mph and reached 101, a low-90s cutter, a mid-80s changeup -- and he struck out 32 percent of the batters he faced. His upper-80s slider lagged behind his other offerings.
21. Sam Antonacci, 2B, Glendale (CWS No. 11)
Antonacci's bat is his only better-than-average tool and he doesn't have much pop, but he stacks up quality at-bats and hits good pitching while exhibiting a high baseball IQ. He topped the league in runs (24) and hits (28) while batting .378/.505/.541 with 11 steals in 19 games.
22. Raudi Rodriguez, OF, Salt River (LAA unranked)
The MVP of the Fall Stars Game and the only player not on an organization Top 30 to make this list, Rodriguez hit .433/.514/.650 to finish second in the AFL in batting and third in on-base percentage. He has a solid all-around package of tools, standing out most with his plus raw power.
23. Daniel Vazquez, SS/3B, Surprise (KC No. 16)
Vazquez is a quality defender at shortstop who continues to make slow but steady progress at the plate. He's not a power guy but knows his limitations, focusing on getting on base to use his solid speed. He slashed .329/.459/.468 with 11 steals in 22 games.
24. Chris Suero, C, Scottsdale (NYM No. 15)
The unheralded Suero signed for $10,000 out of the Dominican Republic in 2022 and is a rare catcher who can flash plus speed and play the outfield corners as well as first base. He has an interesting array of offensive talents for a backstop and batted .283/.353/.567 with five homers (second in the AFL) and eight steals in 15 games.
25. Karson Milbrandt, RHP, Mesa (MIA No. 18)
Milbrandt paced the AFL in strikeout rate (15.5 per nine innings) and placed second in strikeouts (23 in 13 1/3 innings) while compiling a 4.73 ERA and high-end rates of chases (39 percent) and swings-and-misses (48 percent). He operated primarily with a mid-90s fastball that peaked at 99 mph with big carry and armside run, and an upper-80s cutter.
26. Nick Morabito, OF, Scottsdale (NYM No. 16)
Morabito uses his plus-plus speed to make things happen on the bases (third in the AFL with 16 steals and 17 games) and provide quality defense in center field. He did a better job of tightening his strike zone than he did at Double-A, hitting .362/.450/.464 and providing optimism that he can be a catalyst atop a batting order.
27. Enrique Bradfield Jr., OF, Peoria (BAL No. 4)
Bradfield Jr. was both the league's fastest runner, repeatedly posting elite time sprint speeds and swiping 17 bases (second in the AFL) in 18 tries, and its best center fielder, earning Defensive Player of the Year honors. But evaluators didn't like his open stance with a flat bat path and wondered about how much offensive impact he'll make after he slashed .221/.341/.312.
28. Jake Bennett, LHP, Scottsdale (WSH No. 10)
Bennett pounded the zone with a 92-95 mph sinker to set up his best offering, a plus mid-80s changeup with significant fade. That formula allowed him to lead the Fall League in strikeouts (25) while ranking second in innings (20) and third in walk rate (2.3 per nine innings) and K/BB ratio (5.0). He posted a 4.50 ERA and could become a No. 4 starter.
29. Jared Thomas, OF, Salt River (COL No. 8)
Thomas profiles as a quality hitter with sneaky power, solid speed and the ability to play all three outfield positions. He batted .303/.343/.524 with eight steals in as many tries, though his 28/3 K/BB ratio was surprisingly poor.
30. Juan Flores, C, Salt River (LAA No. 17)
Flores was both the AFL's second-youngest player (19 years, eight months) and one of its better defenders behind the plate, showing advanced receiving ability and a strong arm. Whether he provides enough offense to become a big league regular remains to be seen, and he hit .273/.341/.424.
Honorable mention: Joshua Kuroda-Grauer, SS/OF, Mesa (ATH No. 10); Parks Harber, 1B, Scottsdale (SF No. 21); Brayden Taylor, 3B/2B, Mesa (TB No. 25); David Hagaman, RHP, Salt River (AZ No. 15); Aidan Smith, OF, Mesa (TB No. 6).