All eyes are on the desert.

With the regular season in the books, Friday night’s Arizona Fall League championship game marks the final chapter of the year in affiliated baseball—one last showcase before the long winter ahead.

To casual fans, the AFL might seem like an afterthought, overshadowed by the drama of October baseball. But for many of the prospects on the field, these games can be pivotal. It’s a chance to shape how organizations evaluate them heading into the next season. Some will have the Rule 5 draft looming in just a few weeks, while others are fighting to prove they’re the same player after time lost to injuries. Still more have been trying to show they can live up to the lofty expectations once placed on them.

With that in mind, we’ve compiled a list of seven AFL players whose 2025 performances could mean an awful lot to their careers moving forward.

Daniel Espino, RHP, Guardians

In any other scenario, mentioning a player who only tossed 4.2 innings this fall would certainly raise eyebrows. However, that small sample size is a result of Espino’s resilience in the wake of missing the past three years with injuries that kept him off the mound.

During an appearance on Baseball America’s Hot Sheet Show, the 24-year-old righthander even joked about how the Guardians’ complex in Goodyear, Arizona, should be named after him given how much time he’s spent rehabbing there.

In total, Espino threw 84 pitches (50 for strikes) with seven strikeouts to three walks. His longest outing lasted 1.2 innings (39 pitches)—the most he’s thrown in a single outing since April 2022. The Guardians’ 2019 first-rounder sat 94-98 mph with his fastball, and he showed a plus slider that impressed scouts.

With all the time he’s missed, there is a strong belief that Espino’s destiny is trending toward a role in the bullpen rather than as a starter, like he was once projected.

Nick Morabito, OF, Mets

Potential Rule 5 eligibility has loomed over Morabito all fall, and with his strong AFL showing, he’s forcing the Mets into a tough decision.

The 22-year-old is best known for his 70-grade speed—he swiped 59 bases this past season—but he’s also proven he can handle the bat. The Mets’ 2022 second-round pick slashed .362/.450/.464 with a homer in the desert and went 16-for-19 in stolen-base attempts, showcasing a well-rounded offensive profile. Morabito’s approach at the plate is disciplined, highlighted by an 18% in-zone whiff rate and a 90th percentile exit velocity of 103.3 mph in Double-A this past season. He did, however, record a career-high 115 strikeouts, a reminder that there’s still some refinement ahead.

Still, his performance this fall positions him as one of the more intriguing players who could be Rule 5 eligible if the Mets don’t add him to the 40-man roster. His production likely warrants a spot on the 40-man roster, but if the Mets roll the dice and leave him unprotected, there should be no shortage of teams willing to take a chance on his upside.

Esmerlyn Valdez, OF, Pirates

It was hard to ignore Valdez’s dominance through the first two weeks of AFL play. The 21-year-old smashed eight home runs—five of them in one week—and it seemed like he was destined to be the new AFL home run king. Valdez didn’t quite get there, but he did have an impressive showing as the runner-up to teammate Tony Blanco Jr. in the AFL Home Run Derby.

Still, Valdez has proved he can still hit while showing some improved plate discipline. The Pirates slugger finished the season as the league leader in home runs (eight), RBIs (27) and slugging (.842), while finishing second in OPS (1.355). He also walked (19) more than he struck out (12). The most notable accomplishment for Valdez was having an 8.5% chase rate, which, despite the small sample size, is encouraging when you consider his regular season chase rate was 21.3%.

After Valdez’s strong showing, it would be wise for the Pirates to add Dominican Republic native to their 40-man roster.

James Hicks, RHP, Astros

Hicks’ 2025 campaign began brutally when a scorching line drive struck his right forearm while in Double-A Corpus Christi, sidelining him for three long months. He spent the summer rehabbing at the Astros’ complex in West Palm Beach, gradually rebuilding his strength and command. When he finally returned on Aug. 10, few could have predicted the turnaround that awaited him.

By season’s end, the righthander had emerged as a frontrunner for the Arizona Fall League’s Pitcher of the Year award, capping his comeback with a dominant stretch: 14 scoreless innings, 19 strikeouts, just two walks and a 66% strike rate.

Armed with a deep repertoire that already includes a fastball, curveball, slider, changeup and cutter, Hicks used the fall to experiment even further, introducing both a sweeper and a sinker and throwing them 54 and 40 times, respectively. His growing arsenal, paired with improved command, has strengthened his case to project as a reliable back-end starter at the next level.

Welinton Herrera, LHP, Rockies

The Paul DePodesta era is officially underway in Colorado, and with a new front office in place, every player in the organization is under the microscope.

Even after a strong regular season, Herrera needed to reinforce his standing in the desert and show that he’s one of the premier arms in the Rockies’ system. Nicknamed “Beef” by teammates and fans, the hard-throwing lefty posted a 2.64 ERA with 99 strikeouts against just 25 walks across High-A and Double-A, a performance that earned him a spot in the 2025 Futures Game in Atlanta during All-Star weekend. Herrera has positioned himself as one of Colorado’s more intriguing bullpen prospects and someone worthy of being added to the 40-man roster.

Exclusively a reliever, Herrera attacks hitters with a three-pitch mix: a lively fastball that sits 96–97 mph and can reach 98, a sharp, sweeping slider and an occasional changeup. Scouts see legitimate setup—and possibly closer—potential in his profile, which is a welcome sign for a Rockies system that’s been hungry for late-inning talent.

Raudi Rodriguez, OF, Angels

Rodriguez’s path to professional baseball has been anything but ordinary. Born and raised in the Dominican Republic, he moved to Boston in 2020 before relocating to Georgia two years later, where he attended Georgia Premier Academy—the same program that produced 2019 draft pick Daniel Espino.

After a challenging 2024 season, the 22-year-old rebounded spectacularly in 2025, earning Baseball America’s Angels Minor League Player of the Year honors. Rodriguez tore up the Arizona Fall League, batting .433—second-best in the league—and posting a 1.164 OPS, which ranked fifth overall. He whiffed at only a 15.4% rate in the zone, which was something he struggled with during the regular season.

While not currently in the Angels Top 30 Prospects rankings, Rodriguez has certainly forced his way into consideration. This fall, the outfielder consistently registered high exit velocities, including two hits with exit velocities of 111 and 111.6 mph in the Fall Stars game, for which he was named the MVP.

Seaver King, SS, Nationals

When you look at the nine players selected ahead of King in the 2024 draft—headlined by talents like Nick Kurtz, Chase Burns and Baseball America’s No. 1 prospect Konnor Griffin—it’s easy to understand why there was such a high demand for a strong showing from the Nationals’ 10th-overall pick.

After a solid performance in High-A, King hit .233 with a .600 OPS with 74 strikeouts in his promotion to Double-A midway through the season. But a new version of King may have been unlocked down in the desert—one who has relied on Baseball America’s No. 2 prospect, Kevin McGonigle, to help refine his swing.

The results are evident, as the 22-year-old slashed .359/.468/.563 with a 1.031 OPS. His 24 RBIs finished second in the circuit. The Wake Forest product played all around the diamond during his college career but is now a full-time shortstop. He exhibits fluid motion and looks natural in the position.