There really is no off-season for dynasty managers. The “off-season” is the best time for dynasty managers to work to upgrade their team. Selling fading veterans, finding unknown prospects, deciding who the next breakout is. This all happens during the off-season. The Arizona Fall League is an extremely exciting start. The best advice that I can give is to look for tangible adjustments that prospects are making. Do not overreact to a few big home runs. Look for what is driving those home runs. The article below identifies some of the biggest names, prospects with the most to prove, and those who could break out at this year’s AFL.

 

Glendale Desert Dogs

 

Most Notable Prospect: Eduardo Quintero – LAD

The 2026 season got off to a bit of a slow start for Eduardo Quintero. Sometimes lost in the shuffle of great Dodgers’ prospects, Quintero finished the year on fire. From May 7 forward, Quintero slashed .338/.479/.562. He finished the 2026 season with 13 home runs and 44 stolen bases.

Dynasty managers should pay close attention to how Quintero’s game power plays in Arizona. Notorious for being a hitter-friendly environment, Quintero should find success out in the desert. Quintero is a great pure hitter with contact skills, plate discipline, and a knack for hitting line drives. Home runs are the one area of his game that has lagged behind, but there is plenty of bat speed and projectable pop in his profile. Quintero already ranks as a top 10 prospect, but getting to more game power would push him into the upper-tier of elite prospects.

 

Prospect with the most to prove: Dillon Lewis – MIA

Dillon Lewis’ tools have never been in question. The 6’3″ outfielder is extremely athletic with projectable power that he gets to consistently. In his first season with Miami’s organization, Lewis posted an excellent 22.2 HR/FB% with 20 steals. Watching Lewis play, it is easy to see the 20/20 upside that many get excited about.

The flip side to that coin is that Lewis finished with a 97 wRC+ as a 23-year-old in Double-A. Strikeouts and batting average have been an issue for Lewis throughout his professional career. Lewis struck out 30.2% of the time this past season. He struggles to lay off well-placed breaking balls and projects as a below-average hitter. Considering Lewis turns 24 next June, showing improvements to his hit tool in the AFL is essential to projecting his long-term value.

 

Prospect Breakout Prediction: Isaiah Drake- ATL

The first time I saw Isaiah Drake was during the 2024 Spring Breakout game. Drake’s athleticism was on full display as he hit a triple and stole a base. He quickly rose up my rankings. However, since that Spring Breakout game, Drake has struggled with consistency and durability. Drake was off to a fast start in High-A this season before a thumb sprain ended his season.

When healthy, Drake’s athleticism still shines. He stole 46 bases in 2025 and was up to 19 this year before landing on the IL. Drake has 25+ stolen base potential. Drake was also hitting for more power than ever before. His HR/FB rate jumped up to 13.8% while Drake also posted the highest fly ball rate of his career. Drake is never going to be a 30-home-run hitter, but look for his power uptick to continue in the AFL. 15/30 is not off the table for his long-term projection.

 

Mesa Solar Sox

 

Most Notable Prospect: Arjun Nimmala – LAA

One of the more surprising moves of the trade deadline was Toronto moving top prospect Arjun Nimmala to Los Angeles. While the Angels’ player development has been seen as a negative, Nimmala excelled following the trade. In particular, Nimmala saw a spike in his power output. While it could be the product of a small sample size, Nimmala was pulling the ball at a notably higher rate following the trade.

Pulling the ball more was step one. Now, dynasty managers will want to see Nimmala get the ball in the air wiht more consistency. his line drive approach is great for providing a floor for his batting average. However, his 32.8 FB% from last season is not conducive to elite home run production. Nimmala has the raw tools to be a 30-home-run bat. The hope is that Nimmala’s strong end to the 2026 season will roll over into the Arizona Fall League.

 

Prospect with the most to prove: Jake Cook – TOR

There were not a ton of options on the hitter side for “most to prove” prospects. Looking at the list, I decided to go with a 2025 draft pick that I was fairly high on following the draft. Jake Cook is a 6’3″ lefty with 80-grade speed. Coming out of Southern Mississippi University, Cook was viewed to have an extremely safe hit tool. That did not quite carry over to the pros as Cook struck out 27.6% of the time last season with a 70.1% contact rate.

The hope following the draft was that Cook’s elite speed and strong contact skills would help make up for the lack of game power in his profile. Following his struggles at the dish in 2026, Cook will either need to start making more consistent contact or start hitting for more game power. The 2026 AFL is a big opportunity for Cook to show some improvements. If not, it might be safe for dynasty managers to write him off after just one professional season.

 

Prospect Breakout Prediction: Jake Munroe – LAA

Jake Munroe is one of those prospects who already put up breakout numbers in 2026. The former fourth-round pick hit .289 with an impressive 19 home runs this season. The hype is only likely to amplify with Munroe heading to the AFL. Munroe makes the most of his 6’2″ frame by getting to his pull side consistently. His swing produces a lot of line drives, but he maximizes the fly balls he hits with a 24.7 pull-air percentage.

Munroe’s profile is not all about power, though. As previously mentioned, Munroe produces a ton of line drives. This helps to create a stable base to project his batting average off of. With his line-drive approach comes very strong contact skills. His contact rate sat up at 75.6% after his promotion to Double-A. Munroe takes walks and punishes mistakes that pitchers make. He is a strong candidate to break out in the favorable Arizona conditions. Now may be dynasty managers’ last chance to acquire him before his value skyrockets further.

 

Peoria Javelinas

 

Most Notable Prospect: Ike Irish – BAL

The team’s first-round pick from 2025 is coming off of an impressive first professional season. Irish slashed .286/.388/.528 with 16 home runs and 20 stolen bases. Irish showed the same polish he showed at Auburn at the professional level. Irish’s 2026 season is even more impressive if you dig a bit deeper. There was certainly an adjustment period, but from June forward, he slashed .316/.413/.606. His 600 plate appearance pace during that stretch was 33 home runs. While dynasty managers should not expect Irish to steal 20+ bases at the Major League level, the athleticism and baseball IQ he showed off bodes well for his ability to steal 10-15 in the future.

The most important thing for dynasty managers to monitor in the Arizona Fall League is Irish’s defensive utilization. Irish got starts at catcher, first base, right field, and left field in 2026. While the bat is going to play, the question is what position he ultimately lands at. This will go a long way towards determining his dynasty value.

 

Prospect with the most to prove: Vance Honeycutt – BAL

From the Orioles’ 2025 first-round pick to their 2024 first-round pick. The task is simple. Vance Honeycutt needs to prove he can hit enough. At 6’3″, 205 pounds, Honeycutt has the raw size and tools to be a dynamic dynasty asset. He stole 38 bases this past season and has enough raw power to reach 30 home runs. For dynasty managers chasing upside, players like Honeycutt are always worth taking a shot on.

The issue is that nothing has changed since Honeycutt was drafted. Everybody has known about his incredible tools. He struck out 42.9% of the time in a small 2024 sample. Honeycutt followed that up with a 40.8% strikeout rate in 2025, and now finished 2026 wiht a 38.4% strikeout rate. Subtle improvements, but not enough to project him as a Major League hitter. The silver lining is that in a 20-game sample to end the season at Double-A, Honeycutt struck out only 25% of the time with five homers and 10 stolen bases. Did he finally figure something out? That is what Honeycutt needs to prove at the Arizona Fall League.

 

Prospect Breakout Prediction: Tai Peete- STL

Talk about a prospect with tools. Tai Peete’s tools are LOUD. Peete is coming off an excellent first season with St. Louis, posting a career-high 126 wRC+. Peete packs a powerful punch from the left side. His hands work in sync with his lower half to create explosiveness to his pull side. It is a simple approach with great bat speed that has easy 25+ home run potential. His 13 home runs this season came in only 68 games. His 600 PA pace was 26 homers and 32 stolen bases. He would be viewed very differently as a prospect if an injury did not impact his end-of-season totals.

The more encouraging part of Peete’s season was the improvements he seemed to make to his hit tool upon returning from the IL. Over the first 29 games of the season, Peete was striking out 31.4% of the time. After returning to the High-A lineup on July 7, Peete struck out only 22.5% of the time. He slashed .336/.381/.604 and brought his contact rate up to 72.2% in Double-A. If Peete can keep his strikeout rate in check, he has the upside to be a dynamic dynasty asset. He is a player worth getting in on now before the AFL kicks off.

 

Salt River Rafters

 

Most Notable Prospect: Demetrio Crisantes – ARI

Really, both of the first two players in this section are equally notable, with an equal amount to prove. Due to his proximity to the Major Leagues, Demetrio Crisantes took the title of most notable here. Injuries impacted Crisantes again in 2026, but he still made his way all the way up to Triple-A. Finishing the season with a .292 is nothing to scoff at, but dynasty managers are still feeling disappointed.

Early in his career, Crisantes flashed both plus speed and power potential. Both of those tools were absent in 2026. A hamstring injury may have impacted his stolen base totals this season. Proving he still has potential to contribute in this category will be important to watch for in the AFL. Crisantes also posted underwhelming batted-ball data while at Triple-A. Seeing those numbers tick up with home runs in the hitter-friendly Arizona will help calm some of those concerns.

 

Prospect with the most to prove: Dax Kilby – NYY

Who is Dax Kilby? That is the question that dynasty managers will aim to answer as Kilby heads to the Arizona Fall League. Before the 2026 season, Kilby was a FYPD darling. An elite performance in 18 games during his draft year had many calling for a 2026 breakout. A hamstring injury delayed the start of his 2026 season and he never fully seemed to find his footing once he returned. He finished 2026 with a .241 avearage, four homers, and 12 stolen bases in 36 games.

Under the hood, Kilby’s numbers were still very strong. He walked more than he struck out, posted an incredible 18.1% chase rate, and had a 76.2% contact rate. His 600 plate appearance stolen base pace was also 44 steals. Seeing Kilby stay healthy and hit for some power in the AFL will help restore his dynasty value and potential to be a 2027 breakout prospect.

 

Prospect Breakout Prediction: Nathan Hall – ARI

The Diamondbacks selected Nathan Hall in the fifth round of the 2025 draft out of the University of South Carolina. Hall hit .322 with seven home runs and 14 steals in his final collegiate season. Shortly after being drafted, Hall suffered an elbow injury which resulted in Tommy John Surgery. He did not appear in a professional game until August 18 of 2026. The sample size was incredibly small, but Hall was dominant after returning. He hit .357 with three home runs. Yes, he is 23 and was playing in Low-A, but his success still deserves attention.

Now, he is heading to the Arizona Fall League to get more professional at-bats under his belt. To be clear, this is a deep league breakout pick. Hall is not going to suddenly become a Top-100 prospect based on his AFL performance. However, he has the raw tools to start rising up lists, and it might be a good idea to get in on him early. Hall stands at 6’3″ with good athleticism. His hands are loud during his stance, but also fly through the zone to impact the ball. He seems to have tapped into more power early in his professional career than he did at college. He also looks like a ~15 stolen-base guy. Hall’s strikeout rate and plate approach were very strong in college. This continued in his professional debut as he posted a 79.7% contact rate. Hall is an exciting deep-league breakout pick from the 2026 Salt River team.

 

Scottsdale Scorpions

 

Most Notable Prospect: Zyhir Hope – DET

Formerly a prospect for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Hope is now taking his talents to the Arizona Fall League. The move to Detroit opened up a much clearer path to the Major Leagues. Now, Hope just needs to keep on hitting. After some initial struggles with his new organization, Hope caught fire down the stretch. From August 18 forward, Hope slashed .363/.436/.600.

Despite standing at just 5’10”, Hope’s bat speed generates substantial power. Hope set a career high with 29 home runs, even though his swing is not currently designed to hit homers. Hope relies on an all-fields approach that produces a ton of line drives into the gaps. His ability to drive the ball to all fields speaks to the upside he has if he ever starts pulling the ball more. Hope is also a plus runner with 20/20 upside. There are two primary things for dynasty managers to watch for from Hope in the AFL. First: Can he get to his pull side more? Second: Can he make consistent contact on breaking pitches? Hope is an exciting prospect with substantial dynasty upside.

 

Prospect with the most to prove: Bryce Rainer- DET

Speaking of upside, Bryce Rainer has as much as any prospect in baseball. The 11th overall pick from 2024 is as tooled up as they come. He stands at 6’3″ with great projectability and athleticism. He is a smooth and easy runner with 30+ stolen base potential. Rainer also hits some majestic home runs with his powerful left-handed swing. He has posted plus-plus EVs and HR/FB rates. Rainer has 1.01 type fantasy upside.

However, there is also plenty of risk. Despite the great power numbers, Rainer’s swing has been inconsistent since returning from injury. He pulls off the ball too frequently and produces a ton of ground balls. On top of that, Rainer struggles to make contact consistently. He posted a 64.6% contact rate last season with a 35.8% strikeout rate. Now heading to the AFL, Rainer needs to prove that he can make improvements to his hit tool. Rainer has all of the upside in the world, but needs to lower his strikeout rate to turn into a reliable dynasty asset.

 

Prospect Breakout Prediction: Nehomar Ochoa Jr – HOU

This is one of my favorite articles to write each season. During the craziness of the regular season, certain prospects just simply get missed. I spend hours each week digging through data, scouting the names we all know, looking for under-the-radar prospects, but there are just too many to keep up with every single one. While writing this article, I always find at least one prospect that I was not previously tracking. This year, that prospect is Nehomar Ochoa Jr. Ochoa was an 11th-round pick back in 2023 and struggled through his first three seasons of professional baseball. Ochoa was in the midst of a breakout season when a fractured finger ended his 2026 season prematurely on July 8. Now, Ochoa will look to continue that breakout in the AFL.

Prior to his injury, Ochoa had already set a career high with 11 home runs. At 6’4″, 230 pounds, power is clearly Ochoa’s calling card. His setup is simple, with quiet hands and a powerful swing. He gets the ball in the air to his pul side with consistency and produced a .271 ISO. The reported EVs have also been impressive, speaking to his power upside. On top of power, Ochoa is a plus athlete who stole 29 bases in just 64 games. Ochoa’s combination of power and speed make him an attractive breakout pick. He will need to make more contact. Strikeouts have been an issue for him throughout his professional career. This breakout pick is based on athletic projection. Ochoa has plenty of that.

 

Surprise Saguaros

 

Most Notable Prospect: Sebastian Walcott – TEX

The Surprise Saguaros had several late additions to their roster. Both Aidan Miller and Angeibel Gomez were added, but ultimately Sebastian Walcott was the most notable prospect to be added. If not for an injury during Spring Training, it is very likely we would have seen Walcott at the Major League level this season. The good news is that the injury has not seemed to have any long-lasting impact on Walcott’s offensive ability. In 41 games after returning, Walcott hit .325 with 10 homers and 13 stolen bases. He showed the same propensity for getting to his pull side with a ton of line drives. Walcott also posted the highest contact rate of his career.

After returning from the IL, Walcott appeared in just two games in the field. He was primarily restricted to DH duties. Sending Walcott to the AFL is certainly a way for him to get both more at-bats and some comfort back in the field. Where Walcott plays in the field is an important thing to monitor. Walcott shifted to third base to end the 2025 season but appeared at shortstop in his two games this year. Josh Jung and Corey Seager are both already dealing with injury recovery this off-season. Getting Walcott comfortable at both positions in the AFL could put Walcott in the driver’s seat for an Opening Day Roster spot in 2027.

 

Prospect with the most to prove: Aroon Escobar – PHI

Aroon Escobar was one of the more disappointing prospects to follow in 2026. Great bat speed and strong exit velocities during Spring Training 2025 put Escobar on the dynasty map. He posted strong numbers across three levels in 2025 helping fuel the hype heading into 2026. The wheels fell off this past season as Escobar hit just .230 with 12 homers. Watching Escobar play, the raw skills are still present. However, his approach lacks polish. He can get over-aggressive, swing out of his shoes, and too often rolls over well-placed breaking balls.

For those looking for a silver lining, Escobar slashed .302/.389/.587 from August 25 forward. Can Escobar carry over his success to the AFL? Escobar needs to prove he is capable of developing a more refined approach heading into 2027. That starts at the AFL.

 

Prospect Breakout Prediction: Welbyn Francisca – CLE 

Despite being only 20 years old, Welbyn Francisca worked his way up to Double-A this past season. Prior to this season, Francisca was known for elite contact skills, plus speed, and a ground-ball-heavy approach. 2026 was nothing of that sort. The positives: Francisca lowered his ground ball rate from 47.5% to 40.9%. His HR/FB% skyrocketed up to 24.4%, leading to a career-high 19 home runs. From this, you might be thinking that the breakout already occurred. However, here are the negatives: His stolen base total decreased down to 16, and his contact rates plummeted down to 72.9%.

Francisca’s profile completely altered in the span of one year. Now dynasty managers are left trying to figure out who the real Francisca is. Is he a contact-speed guy? Is the power breakout real? Seeing his sample size expand at the AFL is a great opportunity. Now is the time for dynasty managers to get in. Francisca is still incredibly young, and it is possible for him to ultimately combine all of his skills into a complete profile. Imagine elite contact skills, plus speed, and 20-25 power. That is the upside that Francisca offers.  He is a prospect to watch closely during the Arizona Fall League.