Between all of the Division Series and the Arizona Fall League beginning its 33rd season on Monday, it will be almost too much baseball to handle next week. Plus, we just did some end-of-season housecleaning with an update to MLB Pipeline's Top 100 Prospects list. There's plenty to discuss and you have questions, so let's get to them...
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In a new twist, all six Fall League teams will qualify for the playoffs this year, so it doesn't really matter in what order they finish the 30-game regular season (though the top two clubs will receive a bye in the single-elimination tournament). With the caveat that rosters always undergo significant changes during the season, here's how the clubs line up in terms of strength:
1. Surprise Saguaros
The Saguaros fell just short of a three-peat by losing in the championship game last year, but they are loaded again. They're one of two AFL teams with four Top 100 Prospects: shortstops Sebastian Walcott (Rangers) and Aidan Miller (Phillies), outfielder Chase DeLauter (Guardians) and catcher Blake Mitchell (Royals). Jose Corniell (Rangers) and Daniel Espino (Guardians) are two of the most talented pitchers in an always hitter-friendly league.
2. Glendale Desert Dogs
Outfielders Josue De Paula (Dodgers) and Braden Montgomery (White Sox) give the Desert Dogs a formidable pair of sluggers, while second baseman Sam Antonacci (White Sox) and shortstop Josh Kasevich (Blue Jays) are contact hitters who can set the table for them. Left-hander Hagen Smith (White Sox) is one of two Top 100 pitchers in the desert.
3. Scottsdale Scorpions
Shortstop Kevin McGonigle (Tigers) may be the Scorpions' lone Top 100 Prospect, but he's also the best pure hitter in the Minors. He'll headline a formidable lineup that also includes catcher Walker Janek (Astros) and shortstop Seaver King (Nationals) -- both 2024 first-rounders -- as well as outfielders Ethan Petry (Nationals) and Joseph Sullivan (Astros).
4. Peoria Javelinas
Catcher Alfredo Duno and first baseman Cam Collier (both Reds) could be the best power-hitting duo on the same team. Enrique Bradfield Jr. (Orioles) may be the fastest player and best defensive outfielder in the developmental circuit, and Jonny Farmelo (Mariners) could challenge him for the Fall League stolen-base lead. The late addition of rehabbing Reds right-hander Rhett Lowder gives the Javelinas a quality arm.
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5. Salt River Rafters
The defending champion Rafters' offense will run through outfielders Charlie Condon and Jared Thomas (both Rockies). Right-handers David Hagaman (Diamondbacks) and Luis Perales (Red Sox) are two of the more interesting arms in Arizona, though the latter has just returned to the mound following Tommy John surgery.
6. Mesa Solar Sox
Though the Solar Sox don't feature a single Top 100 prospect, they're not hurting for talent. Right-hander Bryce Cunningham (Yankees) is a leading contender for AFL Pitcher of the Year, and Starlyn Caba (Marlins) may be the best defensive shortstop in the Minors. Outfielders Brailer Guerrero and Aidan Smith (both Rays) and third baseman Tommy White (Athletics) all have promising bats.
Tough question because all four of these right-handers are talented, and the Yankees do such as good job of developing pitchers. Case in point: Wild Card Series hero Cam Schlittler, a seventh-round pick out of Northeastern in 2022.
I can't pass on Carlos Lagrange, because he has the highest ceiling. He can push his fastball to 102 mph with carry and armside run, and his 82-85 mph sweeper can be a wipeout pitch at its best. He also has some deception with a 6-foot-7 build, low three-quarters arm slot and flat approach angle. If he throws enough strikes, he can become an All-Star.
Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz, acquired from the Red Sox in a trade for Carlos Narváez at the Winter Meetings, has the highest floor of the quartet. He has enjoyed constant success in the Minors, posting a 2.59 ERA with a .201 opponent average and 371 strikeouts in 333 1/3 innings while reaching Triple-A shortly after turning 22. His stuff keeps getting better, highlighted by a mid-90s fastball and mid-80s slider.
Rodriguez-Cruz (176 in 150 innings) and Lagrange (168 in 120 frames) finished second and third in the Minors in strikeouts this year. Ben Hess (first round) and Cunningham (second) were New York's top two picks in the 2024 Draft, and they are talented enough to make me reconsider this answer a year from now.
I handle our White Sox Top 30, and I go back and forth between Carlson (No. 71 on the Top 100) and Bonemer (No. 73). Carlson has yet to make his pro debut after going 10th overall in the 2025 Draft, while 2024 second-rounder Bonemer won Carolina League MVP honors in his after slashing .281/.401/.473 and leading the Single-A circuit in on-base percentage, slugging and OPS (.874).
For me, the difference is that multiple evaluators have said that Carlson is the best defensive shortstop they've ever seen at the high school level. He has advanced instincts, smooth actions, quick feet and plus-plus arm strength, and he looks like a no-doubt Gold Glover. There's some risk with his bat and he's a power-over-hit guy, but his combination of 20-homer pop and sterling defense is tantalizing.
Bonemer signed for an over-slot $2,997,500, so he came with a lot of expectations, and he exceeded them in his first taste of pro ball. He has a quick right-handed swing and did a better job of controlling it and using the entire field than he did as an amateur. He also looked better than anticipated at shortstop after some amateur scouts had questions about whether he could stay there in the long term.
Baez showcased some of the best power potential in the 2021 high school class, leading the Cardinals to sign him for an over-slot $2.25 million as a second-rounder. A left wrist injury hampered him in his first full season, and he struck out at a 35 percent clip during his next two. He stood taller in his stance and tightened his right-handed stroke in 2025, leading to a .287/.384/.500 line with 20 homers, 54 steals and a 21 percent K rate in 117 games between High-A and Double-A at 22.
Baez's ceiling is huge as a 6-foot-3, 220-pounder with plus-plus raw power, increased aptitude for getting to it, plus arm strength and unusual athleticism for his size. He needs to do it again in 2026 before getting consideration for the Top 100, but he looks on the path to becoming a big league regular in right field.