The regular season may be over, but that does not mean dynasty managers should take their foot off the gas. Now is the perfect time to set your league apart with savvy prospect pick-ups while other managers take a break. Prospect value is constantly changing, and perhaps, no more than during the Arizona Fall League (AFL). In a time where baseball fanatics are starved for content, one highlight reel home run could drastically alter the perception of a player across dynasty leagues, not to mention the hundreds of industry experts who will be watching during FPAZ. Once one expert falls in love with a prospect, the whole community seems to. Keep reading to check out the 2025 preview of the Arizona Fall League with headline names, players who need to perform, and breakout picks.
Glendale Desert Dogs
Most Notable Prospect: Josue De Paula – LAD
The Dodgers always feel like they have one of the most notable prospects at the Arizona Fall League. The team has three big-name outfielders in their farm system, but Josue De Paula is the only one who is headed to Arizona. The 20-year-old outfielder signed with the Dodgers out of the Dominican Republic back in 2020. De Paula spent just one season in the DSL before coming stateside in 2023. Each season of professional baseball has gotten a little bit better. After spending most of the season in High-A, De Paula finished the season with four games at Double-A. In total, he hit .250 with 12 home runs and 32 stolen bases.
For dynasty managers, there is a lot to like here. For starters, the floor is incredibly high. Not only does De Paula have elite contact skills (78.5% in 2025), but he also has an excellent understanding of the strike zone. In 2025, De Paula walked 18.5% of the time. A high walk rate has become a staple throughout his brief professional career. With De Paula, it is not just all about his floor. He also has an extremely high ceiling. De Paula is a plus athlete with good speed. He has 20-25 stolen base potential. There is also plus raw power present in his 6’3″ frame. Game power can be unlocked by getting De Paula to tap into his pull side more. He is widely considered to be a top-10 prospect in baseball and is Glendale’s most notable dynasty prospect.
Prospect with the most to prove: Drue Hackenberg – ATL
Drue Hackenberg seemed on his way to becoming a significant pitching prospect for the Atlanta Braves. The team aggressively pushed Hackenberg through the minor leagues in 2024, allowing him to face competition at three different levels. He pitched 129 innings in total and finished with a 3.07 ERA. A whirly slider caught the eye of dynasty managers. This resulted in his dynasty value soaring despite some bigger concerns under the hood.
Those concerns surfaced in 2025. Hackenberg pitched the majority of the season in Double-A, where he struggled to find any sort of consistency. In 18 starts, Hackenberg posted a 6.99 ERA. The issue for Hackenberg was with his control. Hackenberg walked 15.1% of the batters he faced. Surrendering free passes at a rate like that with a strikeout rate below 20% is a sure-fire way to get lit up. That is exactly what happened. At this point, Hackenberg needs a strong showing in the AFL to restore confidence. There are plenty of openings in Atlanta’s 2026 rotation, but at this point, considering Hackenberg for one of those seems unrealistic. His 2024 season makes him a name to watch this fall.
Prospect Breakout Prediction: Cutter Coffey– TOR
A second-round pick by Boston back in 2022, Cutter Coffey had significant sleeper hype coming out of the draft. Unfortunately, the transition to professional baseball was not a smooth one, as Coffey struggled in 2023 and the early parts of 2024 before being traded to Toronto. Working with a new organization, Coffey seemed to piece things together in 2025. He hit a career-best .273 with 11 home runs and ten stolen bases. He is looking to carry that momentum into this year’s AFL.
On the surface, Coffey’s slash line is nothing special. He has some pop, some speed, and saw his batting average increase last season. Under the surface, this is still a player who was a second-round pick. He has really good power to his pull side. He drives the ball consistently into the gaps and profiles to be a doubles machine. His contact rate has remained steady as well. Coffey does a little bit of everything. After struggling early on in his career, he has fallen off dynasty radars. Expect that to change following the AFL season.
Mesa Solar Sox
Most Notable Prospect: Brayden Taylor – TBR
After being drafted 19th overall in 2023, Brayden Taylor found quick success in the minor leagues. He hit 20 homers with 29 stolen bases and a 143 wRC+ in his first full professional season in 2024. His combination of power and speed pushed him up quickly dynasty ranks. Unfortunately for Taylor, the wheels completely fell off in 2025. Playing the entire season in Double-A, Taylor hit just .173. He still managed to steal 17 bases, but hit only eight home runs. While it is easy to point to his .229 BABIP as a starting point, Taylor’s extreme fly ball tendencies are the primary driving force behind that.
Taylor easily could have landed in the “prospects with the most to prove” section below. Coming off a disastrous second season, there is a lot of uncertainty as to what Taylor’s true dynasty value is. He has plus speed, with good plate discipline, and has flashed plus power. Also, high fly ball rates with high pull percentages have worked pretty well for other players. However, Taylor struggles against lefties, hitting only .173 while posting a HR/FB% well below the league average. A strong AFL performance would go a long way to restoring confidence in his dynasty value.
Prospect with the most to prove: Aidan Smith – TBR
The reason Taylor did not land in the most to prove section is because fellow Ray Aidan Smith has even more to prove. Although not as well-known, Smith was a popular breakout candidate amongst many in the dynasty community heading into 2025. The former Seattle draft pick, Smith, seemed to really come into his own in the back half of 2024. His power-speed combination enticed fantasy managers. There was a belief that Smith’s suspect hit tool would continue to progress in 2025. Unfortunately, that did not happen as Smith hit .237 with a strikeout rate above 30%.
The 2025 season was not all bad for Smith, but dynasty managers are left with too many questions and not enough answers. Smith’s power improved to a career high 14 homers, but his HR/FB% still hovered right around the league average. Smith hit .308 over his last 87 plate appearances, but that does not take away from the struggles Smith endured throughout the regular season. In the AFL, Smith needs to show significant improvements to his hit tool. Flashing some big-time game power would be nice as well. His dynasty ceiling remains as high as just about any prospect in baseball. 2026 is shaping up to be a make-or-break season for the now 21-year-old.
Prospect Breakout Prediction: Fenwick Trimble – MIA
Fenwick Trimble does not show up on any top prospect lists. The Marlins selected Trimble in the fourth round of the 2024 draft. After playing three seasons at James Madison University, Trimble did not come with the same draft pedigree as some other prospects taken by Miami. Perhaps this is why his early career success is flying completely under the radar. In his first full professional season, Trimble hit .253 with seven home runs and 31 stolen bases. His 132 wRC+ looks better than the surface numbers, but still, why should dynasty managers expect Trimble to break out in the AFL?
Digging into Trimble’s profile, there is a lot to like. For starters, there is obvious plus speed in his profile. Trimble is extremely athletic. This athleticism turns Trimble into a plus defender and a threat on the bases. In addition, Trimble has quick hands and more power than his seven home runs suggest. While he may never hit 25 homers, he has a good feel for getting to his pull side and should hit 15-20 in a season. What makes Trimble stand out is his hit tool. His batting average was not great, but Trimble posted a contact rate of 76.3% last season while walking 13.8% of the time. Trimbe controls the barrel well and hits a ton of line drives. Nobody is targeting Trimble in dynasty leagues, but that could change quickly if Trimble continues to find success in the AFL.
Peoria Javelinas
Most Notable Prospect: Cam Collier – CIN
A thumb injury delayed Cam Collier’s 2025 season until the middle of May. The rest of Collier’s 2025 season was not exactly what dynasty managers expected. Collier’s calling card early on in his professional career has been his power. He hit a massive home run in the Spring Breakout game back in 2024 and then hit 20 more that season. In 95 games after returning from injury, Collier hit just four this season. Collier still performed well batting .279 with a 124 wRC+, but the lack of power is something to monitor moving forward.
Although he was drafted back in 2022, Collier is still only 20 years old. His profile has plenty of offensive upside. Collier’s hit tool has continued to improve as he has progressed through the Minor Leagues. His contact rates are strong, his walk rates are excellent, he hits a ton of line drives, and he uses all fields. However, where Collier is going to generate his dynasty value is through power. Hopefully, the lack of home runs this season was a result of Collier recovering from his thumb injury and is not something that lingers. Seeing Collier hit a few homers in the AFL would help restore confidence in his future dynasty value.
Prospect with the most to prove: Ethan Salas – SDP
For a while, Ethan Salas would have easily fallen into the most notable prospect section of this article. While he is still probably more notable than Collier, he has so much more to prove. Expectations have been sky-high for Salas since he signed with San Diego in 2023. Salas showed flashes of brilliance in the lower levels of the Minor Leagues. However, as San Diego promoted him aggressively, Salas’s offensive numbers have steadily declined. In 2024, Salas hit just .206 with four home runs. Nothing from his offensive production screamed “generational talent.” Then, a back injury limited Salas to just 10 games in 2025, in which he hit .188.
Salas is now 19 years old and will turn 20 next June. While still young for his level, age is quickly catching up to him. Up to this point in his career, Salas has done very little to earn a top-100 prospect ranking. Right now, the only positives have been strong contact skills and good plate discipline. His glove is excellent, but dynasty managers need more than that to truly care. Salas performing well in the AFL would be a huge boost to his dynasty value. He needs to prove that the hype from a couple of seasons ago was warranted.
Prospect Breakout Prediction: Luis De León – BAL
When looking for breakout prospects in the AFL, the focus is less on consistency. The focus is primarily on who is going to make a highlight reel. Luis De León fits that build. De Leon signed with Baltimore out of the Dominican Republic back in 2022. Since joining the organization, De Leon has flashed high-strikeout potential, but has struggled with his consistency. High walk rates and inconsistent results have kept him off most top-prospect lists. However, De Leon certainly has the stuff to be an AFL breakout. His sinking fastball sits in the mid-90s and can touch 97. His slider is the best offering in his arsenal and is especially difficult for lefties to handle. Coming from a three-quarters armslot, De Leon gets good extension as the pitch dives down and away. His changeup has come a long way and gives him a reliable pitch to attack righties with.
Not only does De Leon have the stuff to break out, but he also was showing improvements as the 2025 season moved along. As previously mentioned, control has been the biggest issue for De Leon. In 2023, he walked 13% of batters. In 2024, he walked 12.2%. This past season, De Leon lowered his walk rate to 10.9%. In addition to lowering his walk rate, De Leon also maintained a 28.5% strikeout rate. He posted a 3.30 ERA and a 2.59 FIP in 18 starts split between High-A and Double-A. De Leon’s fastball/slider combination is enough to land him on several AFL highlight reels this fall. If the control continues to improve, he will turn into a significant dynasty asset.
Salt River Rafters
Most Notable Prospect: Charlie Condon – COL
Charlie Condon’s dynasty value has been a bit of a roller coaster. After being drafted third overall, dynasty managers fell in love with the idea of his bat playing in Coors Field. He struggled to hit in a small sample size and then suffered an injury in Spring Training that further pushed down excitement in the dynasty community. Condon came back to play in 99 games in 2025. He hit .268 with 14 home runs and a 131 wRC+. Nine of his home runs came in a one-month stretch from August 10 through September 9. The power upside is obviously there, but inconsistent production leaves dynasty managers confused on how to value Condon moving forward.
The biggest thing to watch for in the AFL is whether or not Condon shows improvements to his hit tool. Following his promotion to Double-A, Condon struck out over 28% of the time with a contact rate of 70.9%. The other thing to pay attention to his his defensive positioning. When drafted, Condon was primarily a third baseman and outfielder. He has since shifted almost exclusively to first base, where he made 48 of 55 Double-A starts. A full-time shift to first base raises the bar on the kind of fantasy production needed to be a difference maker in fantasy baseball. This is worth monitoring throughout the AFL.
Prospect with the most to prove: Tony Blanco Jr. – PIT
Tony Blanco Jr.’s size is the attention-grabber. Standing at 6’7″, Blanco stands out compared to other players. With size like that comes massive power projections. Signed out of the Dominican Republic back in 2022, Blanco has consistently received a level of intrigue from dynasty managers. This intrigue, however, has not been fully supported on the field. After struggling in two seasons in the DSL, Blanco found success at the Complex League in 2024. In terms of wRC+, this success continued as Blanco posted a 134 in Low-A this season. However, Blanco was limited to just 28 games and struck out over 33% of the time.
The jury is still out on what kind of prospect Blanco will become. On one hand, he hit seven home runs in 28 games. There is an obvious 30+ homer projection in his profile. On the other hand, Blanco’s hit tool is well below average. His contact rate this past season was just 58.4%. In the AFL, Blanco needs to prove that he will be able to hit enough to make his power count. If he can do that, he could be one of the biggest risers to emerge from this season’s Arizona Fall League.
Prospect Breakout Prediction: Jared Thomas – COL
There is a case to be made that Jared Thomas has already broken out. After being selected 42nd overall in the 2024 draft, Thomas had an excellent first professional season. In 118 games between High and Double-A, Thomas hit .300 with 14 home runs and 33 stolen bases. Still, many in the dynasty community are paying Thomas no mind. A projectable hitter set to play his future home game in Coors Field? This sounds like a dynasty manager’s dream prospect. Now that Thomas is heading to the AFL, he is a safe bet to see his dynasty stock soar.
Part of the issue here seems to be the organization. The team has had a few prospects show flashes in past years, but they do not have a strong track record of developing players like this. Zac Veen and Benny Montgomery are two examples of prospects who have failed to work out up to this point. However, Thomas is the exact kind of prospect who can break out in the AFL. Standing at 6’2″, Thomas has easy power and can hit some monstrous home runs. On top of that, he is an instant threat to run once on base. If dynasty managers catch a glimpse of his highlight reel home runs, they will take one look at his FanGraphs page and see the level of success he had in 2024. The only concern in his exciting profile is a suspect contact rate for him, which caused issues following his promotion to Double-A.
Scottsdale Scorpions
Most Notable Prospect: Kevin McGonigle – DET
The dynasty community’s favorite prospect is headed to the AFL. There are very few people in the industry and community who are not all in on Kevin McGonigle. After being selected 37th overall in 2023, McGonigle has done nothing but hit. He hit .315 in 2023, .309 in 2024, and .305 in 2025. Heading into this last season, scouts raved about McGonigle’s exit velocities, but he had yet to flash any significant game pop. Well, that changed. In 2025, McGonigle broke out with 19 homers in just 88 games. His batted ball data, combined with his excellent pull-side awareness, creates optimism that he could see his HR/FB% jump even higher as he continues to develop. There is 25-30 homer upside in his profile.
The best part about McGonigle’s 2025 season is that the uptick in power did not come at any sacrifice to his hit tool. Part of what makes McGonigle such an enticing dynasty prospect is the high floor. McGonigle has excellent contact skills and controls the zone well. He is patient, but has no trouble swinging and punishing pitches out over the plate. He hits a lot of line drives and should be a doubles machine in Detroit. The only tool McGonigle lacks is plus speed. He went 10 for 17 on the bases this past season and does not hold much upside in the stolen base department. Outside of that, he is one of the most well-rounded prospects in all of baseball.
Prospect with the most to prove: Seaver King – WAS
Dynasty managers need to give prospects a chance to acclimate to professional baseball. Not every prospect finds instant success. Still in a “what have you done for me lately” environment, where dynasty managers are always chasing the next big thing, performing well in the AFL would go a long way to resurrecting Seaver King’s dynasty value. King was a somewhat surprising pick at 10th overall back in 2024 by Washington. King played well in his only season at Wake Forest, but his aggressive approach and suspect power skills were a concern for many on draft day.
Those same concerns showed up in King’s first professional season. In 125 games between High-A and Double-A, King hit .244 with six homers and 30 stolen bases. The biggest flaw in King’s profile was clearly his approach. King swung at over 53% of the pitches he saw last season. While his contact skills were not bad, he was not making contact on pitches where he could do any damage. His ground ball rate was high and came with lots of weak contact. The 30 stolen bases were really the only bright spot in an otherwise disappointing season. Now headed to the AFL, seeing King adjust his approach would be a great sign for his future development. The transition from college to the pros is never an easy one. However, King needs to prove that he is capable of making that adjustment.
Prospect Breakout Prediction: Chris Suero – NYM
Chris Suero is an interesting prospect. Suero did not garner much attention as an older free agent coming from the Dominican Republic. He signed for just $10,000 but has performed well at every level he has played. The right-handed hitting catcher stands at 5’11” but has an extremely athletic profile, especially for a catcher. Suero’s athleticism is what should make him such an intriguing dynasty prospect. After stealing 20 bases in 2024, Suero stole 35 in 2025. Any catcher who can steal 25+ bases in a season will hold instant value for fantasy managers. The hope is that he can stick behind the plate long-term, but his athleticism and positional versatility should only accelerate his path to the Major Leagues.
Suero’s profile is not all about speed. In 115 games this season, Suero hit 16 home runs. His home run total does not jump off the page, but his HR/FB% sat above average at 17.4%. Suero’s pull-side pop is significant. He has a natural feel for pulling the ball, and his quick swing helps launch it out of the park. This kind of power should grab the attention of those following the AFL. Once they realize Suero has a chance to be a 25+ steal catcher as well, many are going to buy in.
Surprise Saguaros
Most Notable Prospect: Sebastian Walcott – TEX
Sebastian Walcott profiles as the most notable prospect in all of the AFL. Walcott is universally ranked as one of the game’s top prospects. His elite tools, athleticism, and projectability give him elite dynasty upside. Standing at 6’4″, Walcott profiles as a future five-category star. He has excellent speed and significant raw pop. There is 1.01 potential here in his profile.
At just 19 years old, Walcott spent the entire season at Double-A. In 124 games, Walcott hit 13 home runs and stole 32 bases. While the power was slightly disappointing, there is no long-term concern over his power projection. His hit tool, which has been the biggest concern throughout his professional career, has made significant improvements. He posted a contact rate of 73.9% with a 22.9% line drive rate and a 12.7% walk rate. The sky is the limit for Walcott. With Corey Seager occupying shortstop, the team started giving Walcott playing time at third base in anticipation of a potential 2026 debut. All eyes will be on Walcott at the Arizona Fall League.
Prospect with the most to prove: Daniel Espino – CLE
Daniel Espino needs to prove that he is healthy. At this point, it feels like an eternity ago that Espino was ranked as the best pitching prospect in baseball. Back in 2021, Espino struck out an incredible 40.5% of batters he faced. He has a huge fastball and slider with the kind of arsenal that projects to turn him into a future ace. Unfortunately, injuries have completely derailed his career. Espino pitched only 18.1 innings in 2022 and did not pitch in 2023 or 2024. He made his long-awaited return to the mound for one appearance in Triple-A to end the 2025 season. Now, Espino heads to the AFL, where he will attempt to build up some innings.
At this point, there is no telling what his future role will be. Whether he attempts to return as a starter or moves into a high-leverage bullpen role, proving he can stay healthy starts at the AFL. In his one appearance at Triple-A, Espino’s fastball velocity looked strong, and he generated three whiffs on six sliders. The stuff still seems to be there, but is it sustainable? Hopefully, Espino emerges healthy from this season’s AFL and reclaims some of the dynasty value he once possessed.
Prospect Breakout Prediction: Marco Dinges – MIL
If Marco Dinges performs as well in the AFL as he did in 2025, then everybody in the dynasty community will have his name circled. Dinges was excellent in his first full professional season. In 77 games split between Low and High-A, Dinges hit .300 with 13 home runs. He kept his strikeout rate down below 20% while managing to walk 15.5% of the time. Coming out of Florida State, Dinges really is as polished as they come. He has a natural feel for driving the ball with a smooth swing and excellent barrel control. His plate discipline is fantastic. There is a real chance for Dinges to turn into an OBP machine with plus power behind the dish.
Really, the Dinges breakout already happened. He found instant success offensively in his first season with the organization. The only thing missing is the dynasty hype. Coming out of college, Dinges has a chance to move quickly through the Minor Leagues. Plus power, good plate discipline, and a strong feel for hitting make Dinges an intriguing dynasty prospect. Grab him now, before the rest of your league catches on.
