Two weeks into the Arizona Fall League, the desert has already produced a lively mix of power, breakout bats and unhittable pitching. Across 14 games last week, hitters combined for 18 home runs, while 70 pitchers worked scoreless appearances. For prospects using the league to regain lost development time or sharpen their case for the next level, the early returns have been loud.
Key takeaways
- Arjun Nimmala piled up six hits in 11 at-bats, highlighted by two triples and two doubles for Mesa.
- Surprise infielder Sebastian Walcott drove in six runs, stole four bases and connected for a grand slam.
- Peoria right-hander Kannon Kemp threw four no-hit innings and reached 99.3 mph with his fastball.
- Welbyn Francisca lifted his Fall League line to .615/.656/.962 after two more three-hit games.
- Irving Cota and Patrick Reilly each delivered dominant scoreless outings, combining for 12 strikeouts in seven innings.
Impact bats keep the Fall League moving
Nimmala, Mesa’s shortstop and the No. 34 prospect in baseball, is among three players with at least 20 total bases through the league’s first two weeks. The 2023 first-round selection put together a 6-for-11 week with two triples, two doubles, three RBIs, four walks and a stolen base. His biggest afternoon came Thursday, when he went 4-for-5, added a walk, and logged both triples plus a double.
The offensive production has come with hard contact. Nimmala owns a 59.1 percent hard-hit rate, and opposing pitchers have struggled to beat him with fastballs.
Walcott, the highest-ranked prospect on the Fall League roster at No. 8 overall, brought both strength and speed to Surprise. The 6-foot-4 shortstop went 3-for-13 with a homer, double, six RBIs, two walks and four steals. He swiped two bags over his first two games, then cleared the bases with a grand slam Friday, one day after teammate Zion Rose, the Royals’ No. 6 prospect and the sixth overall pick in the 2026 Draft, hit a grand slam for the Saguaros.
Through six games, Walcott is batting .292/.345/.500. His quality of contact has been especially notable: his hardest ball left the bat at 111.3 mph, 11th best in the league, and he has posted a 70 percent hard-hit rate.
Francisca’s start has been even hotter. The switch-hitting Surprise shortstop earned the opening-week Hitter of the Week award and followed it with two three-hit performances. He went 6-for-8 with a triple, six RBIs, two walks, no strikeouts and a stolen base. In 32 plate appearances, the 20-year-old Cleveland prospect is hitting .615/.656/.962.
Francisca has struck out only once after carrying a career-high 23.6 percent strikeout rate during the regular season. His repeated hard contact continues a strong finish to his regular-season work.
Salt River outfielder Teo Banks also kept building on an encouraging year. The Nationals’ 2024 18th-round pick went 7-for-17 with a home run, double, two RBIs and two steals while playing all three outfield spots. He recorded three hits in his Fall League debut and added two more three-hit games during the week.
Banks returned to High-A Wilmington for a second straight season and raised his OPS from .366 to .708 while stealing 21 bases. His Fall League contact has included a 40 percent hard-hit rate, and his top exit velocity of 109.5 mph ranks 23rd on the circuit.
Power was spread throughout the league. Caleb Bonemer hit two home runs for Chicago’s system, while Seattle’s Matthew Ellis and Colorado’s Jack O’Dowd also had two-homer weeks.
Peoria arms and Surprise energy on the mound
Kemp’s latest start was his best across this fall and his six Arizona Fall League outings dating to last year. The Padres’ No. 13 prospect worked four hitless innings, allowed no runs, walked two and struck out five. He induced nine misses on 22 swings and pushed his fastball to 99.3 mph.
The 6-foot-6 right-hander has dealt with limited mileage since San Diego selected him in the eighth round of the 2023 Draft. Injuries have restricted him to 110 1/3 innings, including a left oblique issue that delayed the beginning of his 2026 season until June. When available, however, his stuff has continued to show up.
Cota, known around the clubhouse as “Coffee” because he is regularly seen carrying the drink, has energized the Surprise pitching staff. The Mets right-hander retired every hitter he faced in his most recent appearance, striking out five in three perfect innings. He has surrendered only one hit through three Fall League outings and has not allowed a run after the first inning he pitched.
The 6-foot-5 Cota averaged 93 mph with his sinker in the latest outing. His changeup and curveball generated six whiffs on seven swings, and his 12 strikeouts are tied for second most in the league.
Reilly has given Peoria another strong case of power pitching. The Orioles right-hander held opponents to one hit over four scoreless innings in his latest start, walking one and striking out seven. He produced 10 whiffs on 23 swings.
Across two Fall League appearances, the Vanderbilt product has logged seven innings of one-run baseball with 13 strikeouts and only two walks. He is among the more compelling prospects pushing for a 40-man roster spot this offseason. His fastball averaged 95 mph, topped at 96.1, and carried 17 inches of induced vertical break, a movement shape comparable to the fastballs thrown by Logan Gilbert and Hunter Gaddis.
