2025 Arizona Fall League Preview: Glendale Desert Dogs

As one will see across the sections, many of the players on Arizona Fall League teams are headed to the southwest specifically to make up for lost time.

Angel Bastardo was a 2024 Rule 5 Draft who missed all of last season recovering from Tommy John surgery. He missed all of 2025. Connor McCullough pitched very well (130 K over 113.1 IP) two years ago but has thrown 55.1 IP since then. Jakob Wright, a fourth-rounder in 2024 by the Dodgers, threw only 19.2 IP this season.

In terms of name and prospect recognition, arguably the most notable name on this roster on the pitching side is Hagen Smith. Smith missed roughly a month of the summer but was dynamite in his first pro season. The left-hander struck out 108 over 75.2 IP with Double-A Birmingham.

Smith was supposed to headline this group of pitchers alongside fellow White Sox pitching prospect Noah Schultz, who finished 2025 on the IL. With Smith, the former Arkansas ace, it’s a lot of four-seamers in the mid-90s, and a plus slider in the mid-80s.

Aside from Smith, there are some heavy hitters here. Chen-Wei Lin struck out 70 over 50.1 IP this past season and held opposing hitters to a .199 AVG. Lin was an undrafted free agent out of Taiwan who signed in 2023. A 6’7” right-hander, Lin topped out at 101 MPH in 2024, his first full pro season.

Luke Sinnard, one of Atlanta’s top picks from 2024, missed nearly two months of the year. Sinnard, a left-hander, pitched very well overall, with 86 strikeouts over 72.1 IP in his first full pro season.

There are some bullpen names to watch. Left-hander Kai Peterson, a 20th-round pick in 2023, pushed his low-to-mid-90s sinker and slider to the limits in 2024, striking out 91 over 49.2 IP in 2024. He struck out 61 more over 50 total innings in 2025.

Additionally, the Braves are sending two players with Major League experience to the AFL. One of those players is Jhancarlos Lara, who accumulated two days of MLB service time in late September but didn’t get into a game. Lara is a flamethrower, one who regularly hit 100-102 MPH out of the bullpen.

Lara will be joined by Herick Hernandez, a fourth-round pick from Miami (FL) in 2024. Hernandez is a high, over-the-top pick. The left-hander struck out 127 but walked 68 over 103 innings in 2025.

Catchers

Edward Duran, a 21-year-old, hit very well in his second rodeo down in Low-A Dunedin. However, he slashed .230/.329/.336 with High-A Vancouver. Duran threw out 39 base runners (22.8% CS% this season).

Jesus Galiz spent all of 2025 on the injured list.

Tarlow, a 19th-round pick two years ago out of Cal State Northridge, posted a .401 OBP in 54 games this season.

Infielders

It’s crunch time for Josh Kasevich, a second-round pick out of Oregon in 2022. Kasevich gets on base a lot but hasn’t shown a ton of pop. The 24-year-old slashed .228/.331/.243 with just two extra-base hits across 42 games this season.

Kasevich is Rule 5-eligible.

Aside from him, the Blue Jays are also sending Cutter Coffey, the 21-year-old who was a second-round pick by Boston in 2022. Coffey, acquired in the Danny Jansen trade last year, hit 26 combined home runs over the last two years.

The most recognizable name in this section is Nacho Alvarez Jr., who only played 78 games this season between the Minors and Atlanta. The 22-year-old, in his Minor League days, routinely put up high on-base figures. That hasn’t translated to MLB success just yet.

Outfielders

Several outfielders here improved their stocks considerably in 2025, even though Josue De Paula and Braden Montgomery already had high ceilings.

De Paula, arguably the top prospect in the Dodgers’ system, is an athlete, can hit for power, and work his way on base. This past season, he walked 82 times across 102 games, most of which was spent in High-A.

Braden Montgomery moved up to Double-A in his first pro season. A switch-hitter with power, Montgomery has the potential to be yet another building block for the White Sox’s rebuild.

And then there’s Patrick Clohisy, an 11th-round pick out of Saint Louis University in 2024. Clohisy did nothing but hit and run with the Billikens, including a .380 average and 24 stolen bases in his junior year. This season, Clohisy stole 79 bases, pushing his way to Double-A.

Travis Honeyman, a third-round pick out of Boston College in 2023, hit well in the ACC. That’s roughly translated to the pros. The problem? He’s only played 102 games as a professional, yet another indication as to why the AFL matters so much.