The 2026 Arizona Fall League has turned into a showcase of the sport’s next wave. Nationals righty Jarlin Susana has already thrown a 103.8 mph fastball, the hardest pitch in the league’s history, and 17-year-old Angeibel Gomez is the second-youngest player ever to appear in the AFL. The season runs through the championship game on Nov. 14, so we ranked the top 20 prospects in the desert, blending our scouting grades, 2026 production and early AFL results. Sebastian Walcott leads the way, but the list has plenty of surprises, from a rising 17-year-old to a draft pick who has barely played.
1. Sebastian Walcott, SS/3B, Rangers
Walcott (pictured above) lasted one game in the 2025 Fall League before arm fatigue ended it, and he then needed internal brace surgery for a torn elbow ligament. He didn’t return until mid-July. He played just 41 minor league games in 2026, 37 of them at Double-A Frisco, and hit .325/.401/.590 with 10 homers. He started only two games at shortstop to protect the elbow. The 6-foot-4 Bahamas native has huge bat speed and a plus-plus arm, and could be a 40-homer hitter if he stays on the left side of the infield. Our 70 power grade fits the numbers. The 50 hit tool and the shortstop question keep his floor from being safe.
2. Eduardo Quintero, OF, Dodgers
Quintero signed out of Venezuela for $297,500 in 2023 and won MVP and Prospect of the Year in the Single-A California League in 2025. This season he hit .309 with 45 extra-base hits and 44 steals in 111 games, and led the High-A Midwest League in batting average and on-base percentage at age 20. He ranked in the league’s top 10 in 12 categories before a promotion to Double-A Tulsa, and he played in the Futures Game. He’s the only hitter here with 60 hit and 55 power grades and a full-season track record, and that balance is why he’s second.
3. Caleb Bonemer, 3B/SS/OF, White Sox
Bonemer won the Carolina League MVP in his 2025 pro debut. In 2026 he led the minors with 69 extra-base hits and finished fifth with 37 homers, hitting .251/.380/.550 with 17 steals in 132 games between High-A and Double-A. The 2024 second-rounder from a Michigan high school is regarded as the best third base prospect in baseball and has turned out to be a better shortstop than expected. He’s getting outfield reps in Arizona to speed his bat to Chicago. He’s hitting .364/.417/.591 so far, with three doubles and a triple. His production runs well ahead of his 55 FV grade.
4. Aidan Miller, 3B, Phillies
The 2023 first-rounder has played exclusively shortstop in pro ball but is expected to focus on third base in Arizona, where his plus arm should play. A back injury limited him to eight games in 2026, half of them in the postseason. He’s hitting .500/.700/.833 with seven walks against four strikeouts, and he’s already played as many AFL games as MiLB games this year. His 65 FV matches Walcott’s, and the main variable is whether his back holds up.
5. Braylon Payne, OF, Brewers
Payne was the 17th overall pick in 2024 and already had plus-plus speed and strong left-handed exit velocities. Better lift took his homers from eight at Single-A in 2025 to 28 between High-A and Double-A this season, along with 25 steals, making him the youngest 25/25 player in the minors since Adrian Beltré in 1997. The catch is swing-and-miss, and a good AFL could solidify his case for a Top 100 spot. Your list is far higher on him than the public rankings, and the 70 speed and 45 hit grades make this the most polarizing ranking here.
6. Zyhir Hope, OF, Tigers
Hope was the centerpiece Detroit got from the Dodgers in the Tarik Skubal trade. He hit .287/.367/.513 with 29 homers and 26 steals in 124 games across two Double-A affiliates. He led Double-A with 111 RBI and 252 total bases. This is his second AFL stint, after he hit .228/.301/.446 in 103 plate appearances as a 19-year-old in 2024. The 40 hit grade is the concern. The power and speed are real.
7. Angeibel Gomez, OF, Royals
Gomez is 17, the second-youngest player in AFL history. He signed for $2.9 million as the No. 4 prospect in the international class, and he stands out for 70-grade speed with potential plus power. He hit .361/.467/.653 with nine homers and a 19/28 K/BB ratio in 47 Dominican Summer League games. The plate discipline is impressive for his age. He’s ranked on ceiling, since your list has him arriving in 2030.
8. Arjun Nimmala, SS, Angels
Nimmala was the key player the Angels got from Toronto for José Soriano. After the trade he slugged .577 with a .966 OPS at Double-A Rocket City, including seven homers and an .826 slugging percentage in 11 September games. A hamstring injury and a hand laceration cost him time, so the AFL is a chance to make up at-bats. The 60 FV rests on shortstop value and power, with a 45 hit tool as the risk.
9. Tate Southisene, SS/2B, Braves
Southisene was a first-round pick in 2025 and moved from Single-A to Double-A at age 19, posting an .875 OPS with 12 homers and 45 steals in 90 games. A hit-by-pitch fractured his wrist in his first Double-A game. The 50/50/55 grades make him a safe pick, and the age-to-level performance is excellent.
10. Nathan Flewelling, C, Rays
The 2024 third-rounder out of Alberta went from six homers in 2025 to 21 in 106 games at High-A Bowling Green, with a 14.6 percent walk rate. His 112 wRC+ is the second-highest among catchers 19 or younger at High-A since 2006, behind only Francisco Alvarez’s 137 in 2021. He’s a 6-foot-2 lefty with a big frame behind the plate, and he’ll work with pitchers from other organizations on the Scottsdale roster. The 30 speed grade is normal for a catcher, and the real question is defense.
11. Jarlin Susana, RHP, Nationals
The 6-foot-6 righty had lat surgery last year, returned in August, and made eight starts across High-A, Double-A and Triple-A. He sits in triple digits with both his four-seamer and sinker, and has touched 103 mph. His 103.8 mph fastball in his first AFL start is the hardest pitch in the league’s history. Through two outings he’s 1-1 with a 1.59 ERA, eight strikeouts and two walks in 5.2 innings. Baseball America describes the surgery as Tommy John rather than a lat procedure, so the sources disagree. Your 98th ranking is far below the public consensus, but the 70 fastball and 60 slider put him here.
12. Dax Kilby, SS, Yankees
Kilby was a 2025 supplemental first-rounder from a Georgia high school. He hit .261/.448/.435 with four homers and 12 steals in 32 Single-A games before injuries cut his season short. He has plus raw power and speed and a strong sense of the zone. He’s 19 and hit .313/.316/.688 in his first AFL week, with four of his five hits going for extra bases. That’s 40 percent of his regular-season homer total in one week. The 60 hit grade and the discipline make this a high-floor, high-ceiling profile once he’s healthy.
13. Bryce Rainer, SS, Tigers
Detroit took Rainer 11th overall in 2024 out of Harvard-Westlake High School, signing him for $5.795 million to skip a Texas commitment. He pairs 60-grade power with a 70-grade arm. At High-A West Michigan he homered in five straight games to reach 16 on Aug. 20, finishing strong after an uneven July. His best month of 2026 was a .352/.478/.662 line. FanGraphs calls him one of the highest-variance prospects in the minors because the swing is so long he rarely turns on the ball. He’s the boom-or-bust name on this list.
14. Zion Rose, OF, Royals
The Royals took the Louisville outfielder sixth overall in the 2026 draft. In an injury-shortened 36 games he hit .417 with a 1.137 OPS, and he was an All-American. He also struck out only 8.7 percent of the time. He was a catching prospect in high school who went undrafted in 2023 because he wouldn’t give up his Louisville commitment, and he’s been a full-time outfielder since. In 2025 he had 32 extra-base hits and 31 steals. He signed for $5.81 million, well under the $7.74 million slot, and he’s seen as having plus power and likely a left field future. At High-A Quad Cities he walked 15.4 percent of the time and hit his first pro homer, a blast off the foul pole. Pipeline grades his power 55 while your list has it at 45, so that’s the number to watch.
15. Demetrio Crisantes, 2B, Diamondbacks
Crisantes has hit .312 over four minor league seasons on the strength of an easy swing and lots of contact on pitches in the zone. A preseason hamstring injury held him to 92 games this year, and he slugged only .412 in 50 games at Triple-A Reno. The 60 hit tool matches his track record. The question is whether the power plays outside the Pacific Coast League.
16. Charles Davalan, OF, Dodgers
Davalan won the Midwest League MVP at Great Lakes. He has solid-to-plus speed and plays with nonstop energy. The Dodgers took him 41st overall in 2025 and signed him for just under $2 million. He’s seen as a bat-first player, though he’s being developed in center field, and the Dodgers’ crowded outfield could slow his path. He fits the “grinder with a track record” profile, and the 55 hit and 55 speed back it up.
17. Ike Irish, C/OF, Orioles
The No. 19 pick in the 2025 draft out of Auburn posted a .915 OPS and 135 wRC+ with 16 homers and 20 steals in 76 games at High-A Frederick. A torn meniscus after the Futures Game ended his season. In July he hit six homers with a 1.142 OPS in 13 games before the injury. He’s hitting .333/.364/.619 in the AFL with two homers and two steals, and he looks healthy. His 55/55 bat is the main selling point.
18. Wyatt Sanford, SS, Pirates
A hand injury cost the 2024 second-rounder nearly two months. He still had 37 extra-base hits (19 homers) in 77 games, a .963 OPS and 33 steals, but he struck out 30.6 percent of the time. The impact is obvious, and your 40 power grade looks conservative. The contact issues keep him here.
19. Tai Peete, SS, Cardinals
Peete missed time in 2026 but showed a better plate approach when he played. He’s hitting .400/.478/.600 in the AFL with four steals in six tries, and he’s seen as having the potential for five above-average tools. He still has swing-and-miss issues, though his contact has improved year over year. Your 40 hit grade is the issue. The 60 speed and 55 power make him a good late-round bet.
20. Jett Williams, SS/OF, Brewers
Williams is a 2022 first-rounder who missed time this year with quad and wrist injuries. He kept his 65-grade speed but took a step back at the plate in his first season with Milwaukee after the Freddy Peralta trade. He was a Top 100 prospect entering the year and no longer is. This is a bounce-back test, and the speed gives him a floor.
A look at the Top 20 AFL prospects to watch
| No. | Name | Pos | Team | B/T | Scouting Grades | Level | Age |
| 1 | Sebastian Walcott | SS | TEX | R/R | 50h-70p-55s-65fv | AAA | 20 |
| 2 | Eduardo Quintero | OF | LAD | R/R | 60h-55p-55s-60fv | AA | 20 |
| 3 | Caleb Bonemer | SS | CHW | R/R | 50h-55p-50s-55fv | AA | 20 |
| 4 | Aidan Miller | 3B | PHI | R/R | 55h-55p-50s-65fv | AA | 22 |
| 5 | Braylon Payne | OF | MIL | L/L | 45h-50p-70s-50fv | AAA | 19 |
| 6 | Zyhir Hope | OF | DET | L/L | 40h-60p-55s-55fv | AA | 21 |
| 7 | Angeibel Gomez | OF | KC | R/R | 60h-55p-60s-60fv | R (DSL) | 17 |
| 8 | Arjun Nimmala | SS | LAA | R/R | 45h-55p-55s-60fv | AA | 20 |
| 9 | Tate Southisene | SS | ATL | R/R | 50h-50p-55s-55fv | AA | 19 |
| 10 | Nathan Flewelling | C | TB | L/R | 45h-55p-30s-55fv | High-A | 19 |
| 11 | Jarlin Susana | SPRP | WAS | R/R | 70fb-60sl-55ch-60fv | AAA | 22 |
| 12 | Dax Kilby | SS | NYY | L/R | 60h-55p-55s-60fv | Single-A | 19 |
| 13 | Bryce Rainer | SS | DET | L/R | 50h-55p-50s-55fv | High-A | 20 |
| 14 | Zion Rose | OF | KC | R/R | 55h-45p-60s-50fv | High-A | 21 |
| 15 | Demetrio Crisantes | 2B | ARI | R/R | 60h-50p-45s-55fv | AAA | 21 |
| 16 | Charles Davalan | OF | LAD | L/R | 55h-45p-55s-50fv | AA | 22 |
| 17 | Ike Irish | C/OF | BAL | L/R | 55h-55p-45s-55fv | High-A | 22 |
| 18 | Wyatt Sanford | SS | PIT | L/R | 50h-40p-55s-50fv | High-A | 20 |
| 19 | Tai Peete | SS | STL | L/R | 40h-55p-60s-55fv | AA | 20 |
| 20 | Jett Williams | SS | MIL | R/R | 55h-45p-65s-55fv | AAA | 22 |