Here are 10 AFL players vying for 40-man roster spots

For some players, the Arizona Fall League can act like a last-chance saloon.

The AFL is known widely as a showcase circuit, providing opportunity for some of the game’s best prospects to get in more work before the offseason begins. It’s also a shot for Minor Leaguers with upcoming Rule 5 Draft eligibility to prove to their current parent clubs that they deserve 40-man roster protection, or to the other 29 organizations that they’re worthy of a Major League look for the following year.

As a general rule, players with Rule 5 eligibility either signed when they were 18 or younger and have five or more professional seasons of experience or signed when they were 19 or older and have four or more pro seasons of experience (as of June 5 that year – an important detail for later).

Below are some of this year’s Fall Leaguers who are playing with interesting 40-man decisions looming ahead of the Nov. 18 protection deadline:

Jake Bennett, LHP, Nationals (No. 10): Taken in the second round of the 2022 Draft out of Oklahoma, Bennett has only 138 1/3 innings of professional experience due to Tommy John surgery that cut his 2023 short, kept him out for 2024 and held him out for the first month of 2025. He’s coming off a productive season, however, with a 2.27 ERA, 64 strikeouts and only 19 walks in 75 1/3 innings across three levels, topping out at Double-A. The 6-foot-6 southpaw certainly helped his case further with 17 whiffs against 29 swings Tuesday for Scottsdale, many of them coming on his 93-95 mph sinker and 84-86 mph changeup. The Nationals can ill-afford to lose a potential starter in the Rule 5 Draft, but Bennett’s track record of health and lack of experience makes his 40-man status at least a question.

Eiberson Castellano, RHP, Phillies (No. 24): Could the second time be the charm? Castellano was taken in last year’s Rule 5 by the Twins, but was returned at the end of March. He didn’t get to prove he belonged on the Phillies’ 40-man during the regular season, throwing just 36 1/3 total innings because of a shoulder issue. So his AFL stint could be the decider, and he got off on the right foot by giving up one run over three innings while striking out four in his first start of the fall.

Welinton Herrera, LHP, Rockies (No. 19): Herrera pitched his way to Double-A, finishing with a 2.64 ERA and a 13.8 K/9 rate to go along with 17 saves. So it might seem like a no-brainer for the Rockies to add the 2025 Futures Game participant to the roster, with his fastball that touches the upper-90s and 86-mph slider looking like it can get big league hitters out in a relief role. But keep in mind there’s a regime change happening in Colorado right now, and every player might need to prove himself to whoever the new general manager is.

Josh Kasevich, SS, Blue Jays (No. 12): Heading into the season, it seemed like Kasevich, who hit .325 in 41 games with Triple-A Buffalo in '24, would have made his MLB debut by now. Instead, back and wrist injuries kept him out of the upper Minors until mid-August, and when he did return to Triple-A, he hit just .173/.272/.184 in 114 plate appearances. Kasevich’s discipline and in-zone contact remained exceptional, but he lacked any thump. The Jays or Rule 5 clubs in need of infield help will have to weigh the good (including his defense at short) and the bad (slugging) in determining who Kasevich can be with more sustained health.

Nick Morabito, OF, Mets (No. 16): Morabito was a high school pick out of the DC area in 2022, but he turned 19 on May 7 that year, pushing his Rule 5 clock up a year ahead of other prep picks in his class. His best assets are his plus-plus speed (108 steals between 2024-25) and impressive defense in center field, and he has decent bat-to-ball skills, leading to a .273 average, a .348 OBP and a 119 wRC+ in 118 games with Double-A Binghamton this summer. But the right-handed hitter puts the ball on the ground a ton, dulling his slugging output and projection unless he can adjust to add lift with Scottsdale this fall.

Esmerlyn Valdez, OF/1B, Pirates (No. 15): It might be a shock if Valdez isn’t added to the Pirates’ roster after hitting 26 homers during the regular season and reaching Double-A in the process, showing an ability to make adjustments along the way. He’s certainly started his AFL campaign as if he wants to leave no doubt, hitting three homers in his first four games.

Unranked

Wuilfredo Antunez, OF, Guardians: Antunez signed for just $10,000 out of Venezuela in 2019 but has developed into one of the best offensive players in Cleveland’s system. He batted .275/.335/.521 with 18 homers and 16 steals in 101 games between High-A and Double-A, making plenty of hard contact despite his aggressive approach.

Johnathan Harmon, RHP, Reds: Following Tommy John surgery in '24, Harmon returned this year and threw well in five starts with High-A Dayton. The '22 13th-round pick might have an up arrow next to his name, but since he’s yet to pitch above A ball, he might be too under-the-radar to need to be protected. But a really strong AFL campaign could raise his profile and force the Reds to add him and his four-pitch mix to the roster.

Hueston Morrill, RHP, Yankees: New York may have a tough time protecting a reliever it signed as a non-drafted free agent out of Oklahoma State in '22, but among full-season Minor Leaguers who worked at least 45 innings this season, Morrill ranked fourth in ERA (0.76) and opponent average (.118). After spending much of his college career as a middle infielder, he creates a lot of weak ground ball contact with a low-90s sinker while missing bats with an upper-80s cutter and a mid-80s slider.

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Jarold Rosado, RHP, White Sox: A reliever with an interesting three-pitch mix, Rosado operates with a 93-95 mph fastball that touches 97, as well as a low-80s slider and a mid-80s changeup that miss plenty of bats when he locates them well. Acquired from the Royals in a July '24 trade for Paul DeJong, he posted a 4.45 ERA with 32 strikeouts in 32 1/3 innings between High-A and Double-A, while also missing six weeks with an illness.