Susana's high-octane velocity headlines Fall League's Week 1 top performers

The Minor League season may be over, but that doesn't mean the prospect action has stopped. The Arizona Fall League began its 34th iteration on Oct. 3, giving many of the game's future stars a platform to put their skills on display.

Each week, we'll recap the circuit's top performers. The first edition features an extra handful of games boomeranged around from Opening Weekend. But that didn't keep 12 hitters from producing at least a 1.000 OPS or 17 pitchers from not allowing an earned run in their early short stints -- so there were a lot of top-tier choices for these coveted spots.

Jarlin Susana, RHP, Salt River (WSH No. 4/MLB No. 66)
Stats: 5 2/3 IP, 3 H, 3 R (1 ER), 2 BB, 8 K

After cranking his fastball up to 104 mph during the Triple-A National Championship Game on Sept. 26, the first pitch Susana threw in the Fall League was clocked at 103.4. Later in the game, he set the league record (since 2015) with a 103.8 mph four-seamer. That velocity has overwhelmed batters through his first two outings, especially when paired with his 70-grade slider, which has routinely registered 2,900-3,000 RPMs. The 22-year-old's goal for the AFL was to pitch like an elevated version of himself -- "Don Susana." So far, mission accomplished.

Welbyn Francisca, SS, Surprise (CLE No. 19)
Stats: .538/.625/.923, HR, 4 RBI, 3 BB, 12 TB

It will take a massive performance over the next month to unseat Francisca from the top single-game outing in the circuit -- and he notched his on Opening Night, going 5-for-5 with a home run, three RBIs and a stolen base. (He narrowly missed another long ball in the ninth, settling for a ground-rule double.) His average, slugging percentage and OPS (1.548) all lead the AFL through the first week, a continuation of the breakout regular season (career-high 19 homers) that the 20-year-old switch-hitter enjoyed.

Antonio Anderson, 1B/3B, Mesa (BOS)
Stats: .368 AVG, 1.237 OPS, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 5 BB, 14 TB

Anderson delivered the loudest contact of the week … and it was arguably the clutchest to boot. The switch-hitting corner infielder rocketed a ninth-inning, go-ahead grand slam for Mesa on Friday at 115.2 mph off the bat -- the hardest-hit ball on the circuit thus far. He followed that up by homering again Saturday, becoming one of just three batters with multiple long balls through the first week of action, while his seven RBIs rank second.

Aidan Miller, 3B, Surprise (PHI No. 2/MLB No. 59)
Stats: .500/.700/.833, 3 XBH, 2 RBI, 7 BB, 10 TB

Well, that’s one way to squelch any lingering questions about the health of Miller's back, following an ailment that forced him to miss almost the entire regular season. The 22-year-old leads the circuit in on-base percentage behind seven walks and ranks second in OPS with three of his six hits going for extra bases. He's done it all while learning a new position -- third base -- that he has yet to appear in during a Minor League game.

Tekoah Roby, RHP, Peoria (STL No. 14)
Stats: 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K

Fall League starts don't get much more dominant than Roby’s first outing as he pumped first-pitch strikes to nine of the 10 batters he faced. The ball never left the infield across three no-hit frames and he whiffed five of his final six hitters. It would be impressive for any pitcher, but it's especially so for Roby, who missed all of the 2026 season as he recovered from Tommy John surgery. The velocity returned in force, as his heater sat at 96-97 mph and maxed out at 98.7 -- while three of his punchouts came on the 82-84 mph curveball.

Demetrio Crisantes, 2B, Salt River (AZ No. 1/MLB No. 84)
Stats: .400 AVG, 1.029 OPS, 5 RBI, 3 SB, 12 TB

Crisantes has been a line-drive machine out of the chute, putting seven balls in play higher than 98 mph off the bat, including four in one game Friday. His eight hits are tied for second in the league and his 12 total bases rank him tied for fourth. After not logging a stolen base across 92 regular-season games, he has already swiped three in his first five games for Salt River.

Paxton Kling, OF, Surprise (TEX No. 20)
Stats: .500/.533/.714, 8 RBI, 2 SB, 10 TB

A seventh-round pick by Texas in the 2025 Draft, Kling was the Fall League's top run producer through play Saturday with eight RBIs in his first three games. After ranking fourth among Rangers Minor Leaguers with 40 stolen bases during the regular season, he went 2-for-2 to open his tenure in the desert and ripped off an elite 30.4 ft/sec sprint speed on Thursday.