The regular season has ended, and the leaves are turning, which means one thing: it’s time for the Arizona Fall League. If you’re unfamiliar, it’s a six-team league that plays in the greater Phoenix area, with rosters made up of MiLB prospects of all ages and levels, from first-year players to 26-year-old Rule 5 guys. Historically, AFL pitching has been incredibly overmatched by quality hitting, further aided by favorable hitting environments. It doesn’t help that the quality of pitching that’s gone out to Arizona has typically been well below average. While we’ve seen guys like Andrew Painter and Jackson Jobe in recent years, the 2026 crop of pitchers is top-heavy, with two studs followed by a bunch of mid-to-lower-tier prospects. Let’s look at the most dynasty-relevant pitchers on each staff.
Surprise Saguaros (CLE, NYM, KCR, PHI, TEX)
Justin Lamkin, LHP, KCR
Lamkin started hot, posting a 2.04 ERA over his first eight starts spanning just over 39 innings. He averaged over 12 Ks per nine in that span, with respectable walk numbers. Unfortunately, Lamkin suffered a left shoulder impingement that landed him on the IL in late May, and he never returned. Now healthy, the 6’4″ southpaw takes his game to the AFL to recoup some of his lost time. Lamkin has intriguing stuff headlined by a 60-grade slider, his best pitch. He also throws a four-seam fastball, a curve, and a changeup. He’s had success missing bats at a high clip, but he allows a lot of fly balls, which could be trouble out in the Desert.
Jacob Johnson, RHP, TEX
Pitching out in Arizona is nothing new for right-hander Jacob Johnson, a 6’3″ 20-year-old who spent most of 2026 in the Complex League. At that level, he posted a 2.84 ERA with a 31.1% strikeout rate. Johnson drew plenty of attention early on this spring after picking up another few mph on his sinking fastball, which now averages over 92 mph. He pairs it with an above-average slider and a changeup. Command has been a big problem for him in 2026, as he has averaged more than five walks per nine innings with a walk rate of nearly 14%. This trip to the AFL will be a chance for him to harness his control and test his stuff against advanced hitters.
Mason McConaughey, RHP, TEX
McConaughey flashed enough upside in his year-plus at Nebraska that the Rangers took a shot on him in the fourth round of the 2025 draft. His last season in Lincoln was cut short by an injury that required Tommy John surgery and kept him out for most of 2026 while he recovered. As a result, he logged just 20 2/3 innings this season and posted a 3.48 ERA. McConaughey has a sturdy 6’3″ frame and a three-pitch mix consisting of a mid-90s fastball, a slider, and a changeup. After missing most of his first pro season, the Rangers are looking to get him up to speed as he enters his age-23 season in 2027.
Mesa Solar Sox (CHC, BOS, LAA, ATH, TOR)
Brandon Barriera, LHP, TOR
Injuries have ravaged the once-promising career of Brandon Barriera, the Blue Jays’ first-round pick in 2022. As a result, he set a personal best in 2026 by logging 38 2/3 innings, bringing his career total to 66 over four years. This iteration of Barriera is far different from the one that made him a first-rounder. His fastball is down several ticks from his draft year, but he still has a very good slider, which generated whiff rates of nearly 40% at Low-A in 2026. He also throws a sinker, cutter, and changeup, all averaging over 90 mph. He’ll need to create a bigger velocity gap between his three fastball variations and his changeup to continue improving his results, but that’s what the AFL is for.
Jake Bloss, RHP, TOR
Bloss was one of the primary prospects that came to Toronto in the Yusei Kikuchi trade with the Astros, but has managed just over 60 innings with the Jays in two seasons. This year, Bloss missed a good portion of the season due to a teres major strain and returned in August. At his best, Bloss has a mid-90s four-seamer that averages nearly 17 inches of iVB, along with a curve, sinker, slider, and changeup. Now 25, this is a big chance for Bloss to prove he’s healthy and possibly earn a look for a rotation spot with the Jays, or elsewhere in 2027.
Kenya Huggins, RHP, ATH
Huggins is intriguing because he’s had success in the Minors as both a starter and reliever but is coming off a rough 2026 that saw him post an ERA over 6.00 at Double-A. Command has always been an underlying concern with Huggins, and those concerns came full circle with an 11.7% walk rate this season. Huggins is highly athletic and has a live arm, averaging over 95 mph with his fastball and routinely running it up to the upper 90s. He also throws a potentially plus slider and a changeup. If he can lock in the command, Huggins profiles as a high-leverage reliever. The AFL is extra important for him as he’s Rule 5 eligible this offseason.
Glendale Desert Dogs (CHW, LAD, MIA, ATL, PIT)
Briggs McKenzie, LHP, ATL
McKenzie is one of the best pitching prospects coming to Arizona this fall. The fourth-rounder from 2025 did not debut following the draft and then missed several months this season with nerve irritation in his left forearm. When he did pitch in 2026, he was effective, averaging over 10 Ks per nine in a 26-inning sample across three levels. McKenzie dominated both the Complex and Low-A before running into command issues in three starts at High-A Rome before the injury. McKenzie has a simple three-pitch mix that misses plenty of bats and generally fills the zone. The key this fall will be to increase his workload and see how his command holds up against advanced bats.
Marlon Nieves, RHP, LAD
Nieves is an intriguing arm in the Dodgers system. The Dominican-born right-hander had an outstanding season in 2025, posting a 2.79 ERA with a 26.9% K-rate, splitting his age-20 season between the Complex and Low-A. He was limited to just 50 innings, posted an ERA well over 5.00, and posted a career-worst walk rate this season, sending his prospect value into a tailspin. Nieves has outstanding pure stuff. His sinking fastball is electric, averaging over 95 mph and missing more bats than you’d expect. He pairs it with a really good slider and a plus changeup. Nieves has a real shot to stick as a starter, but if his command falters as it did in 2026, he also has a path to a high-leverage reliever role.
Pierce George, RHP, CHW
After two walk-plagued seasons to begin his pro career, Pierce George figured things out this spring, climbing four levels and reaching Triple-A to close out the season. The 6’6″ right-hander works exclusively out of the bullpen, using a high-octane arsenal to post elite strikeout numbers, including 82 in just over 65 innings this season. His arsenal includes a fastball that averaged over 99 mph this season, a hard cutter and slider, and an improving curve. George struck out 30% of the hitters he faced in 2026, and opposing batters hit just .185 against him. There are definite similarities to Grant Taylor, and George could push his way into the back end of the White Sox bullpen early in 2027.
Scottsdale Scorpions (HOU, SFG, DET, MIL, TBR)
Alexander Fuentes, RHP, SFG
Not many people will know who Fuentes is entering the AFL, but I’ve got a hunch you will by the time it’s over. The 21-year-old right-hander is a big man, standing 6’6″ and over 250 lbs with some premium stuff. Pitching at the Complex and Low-A this season, he averaged nearly 14 Ks per nine, albeit in a small sample due to injury. His four-pitch repertoire contains an upper-90s fastball, a hard gyro slider, a two-plane curveball, and a changeup. Together, they generated whiff rates near 40% at the Complex, with a swinging strike rate over 18%. Like many hard-throwing young arms, Fuentes has command issues and will need to improve them over time. Still, there aren’t many arms of his caliber or upside in their system, so he’s a name to watch.
Miguel Mendez, RHP, SFG
The Robbie Ray-to-SD trade sent two exciting prospects back to the Giants: infielder Joniel Hernandez and 24-year-old Miguel Mendez. Mendez had a strong 2025, posting an ERA just over 3.00 over 85 innings across three levels. He struck out just over 11 hitters per nine while holding his opposition to a .208 average. Injuries limited him in 2026, and he struggled on the mound when he was healthy. Like Fuentes, Mendez has a very live arm. His four-seam sits in the upper-90s, often reaching triple digits and exploding up in the zone. He also throws a gyro slider and a changeup, although the latter is more of a ’show-me’ pitch. I’m excited to get an extended look at Mendez to see if he can recapture some of the star power he showed in 2025.
Joshua Quezada, RHP, MIL
The Brewers’ system is so deep with talent that guys like Quezada are entirely overlooked. In his age-22 season, he climbed four levels and reached Triple-A in September. Quezada works exclusively out of the bullpen, using a four-pitch mix to miss bats at a high clip, as shown by a 15.6% swinging-strike rate this season. The bulk of his whiffs come from his fastball/slider/sinker combination. His sinker is his best pitch, averaging nearly 92 mph with significant horizontal movement that fades away from RHH. The slider has outstanding depth and is primarily used at the back foot of LHH. Quezada could serve in a major role in an MLB bullpen as early as 2027.
Peoria Javelinas (STL, CIN, BAL, SEA, SDP)
Brandon Clarke, LHP, STL
Through the first four teams, we haven’t seen a top pitching prospect, but Clarke can easily fit that mold. From the left side, Clarke averages over 97 mph with his four-seam fastball and touched 103 mph during the 2026 season. In addition to the heater, the 23-year-old has a devastating slider that misses a ton of bats, along with a curve and changeup. In reality, it’s a two-pitch mix with two others that aren’t more than average, leaving Clarke with plenty of reliever risk. Add in a history of arm injuries and the risk increases exponentially. If Clarke can find health and a serviceable third offering, he has SP3 upside in an MLB rotation.
Patrick Reilly, RHP, BAL
Reilly had plenty of intrigue and upside coming out of a three-year career at Vanderbilt. Then the injury bug struck, and he underwent Tommy John surgery early in 2025 but managed to post 53 innings in his return this season. In that sample, Reilly averaged nearly 12 Ks per nine, but that came with a double-digit walk rate and an ERA of over 5.00. When he’s on, the stuff can be elite and a big source of whiffs. He throws a four-seamer that can routinely hit triple digits along with a gyro slider and cutter. In 39 2/3 innings at Double-A in 2026, Reilly had a 32.9% whiff rate and 16.9% SwStr rate, while also flashing above-average command, something he’s really struggled with at times. This is the 24-year-old’s chance to get stretched out and possibly earn a 40-man spot as he’s Rule 5 eligible this offseason.
Braxton Bragg, RHP, BAL
Bragg’s journey isn’t much different from Reilly’s. The 24-year-old was a three-year collegiate starter and was in the middle of a breakout 2025 season when he underwent Tommy John surgery. Bragg did not resurface in the 2026 regular season, however, so his workload and health are truly unknown. His arsenal can go five pitches deep, and each one can get whiffs, but how sharp will he be? Bragg is also Rule 5 eligible this offseason, so his limited AFL sample will need to be enough to keep him on the 40-man roster.
Salt River Rapids (COL, WSH, ARI, NYY, MIN)
Jarlin Susana, RHP, WSH
The best pitcher in the 2026 AFL is Nationals righty Jarlin Susana, an absolutely electric right-hander with some of the best pure stuff in the Minors. Susana missed most of 2026 while recovering from lat surgery but didn’t look rusty in his eight appearances. Susana struck out 37 hitters in 21 innings of work (39% K), but also had a 10% walk rate. At the heart of Susana’s profile are two unique, triple-digit fastballs. His four-seamer averaged 100.2 mph with good movement, but is carried by the velocity. His sinker has that elite velocity and debilitating movement. It averaged over 16 inches of arm-side run in a limited sample at Triple-A and produces a ton of groundballs. The final piece is a mid-80s slider which generates a lot of chase, mostly in the form of really ugly swings. Susana easily has the most upside of any SP in the AFL and one of the highest ceilings of any pitching prospect in the game.
Patrick Forbes, RHP, ARI
We didn’t get enough of Patrick Forbes in year one as a pro. The former Louisville ace made just 11 appearances because of elbow inflammation. The 21-year-old earned a 2.92 ERA, a 29.3% K-BB rate, and limited opposing hitters to a .192 batting average against him. Forbes leans heavily on his fastball/slider combination, which is enough to keep him in the rotation, even without a clear third offering. Based on floor alone, Forbes is the second-best pitching prospect in the AFL, and a strong showing could push him inside the Top 100 overall in many outlets.
JT Etheridge, RHP, NYY
The Yankees don’t have much high-end arm talent in their farm system, but undrafted free agent JT Etheridge has flashed the potential to become just that. Etheridge made 20 appearances across 71 1/3 innings this season, posting a 5.17 ERA, but he also struck out 32.1% of the hitters he faced. Using seven different pitches at Low-A, the 24-year-old generated a 33.8% whiff rate, including 30% or higher on his fastball, slider, sweeper, and changeup. All four of those offerings grade out above 100 on the Stuff+ models, leaving many to wonder what Etheridge could be in the future. His trip to the AFL should clarify his long-term potential.
