5 Players Who Stood Out From The First Week Of The Arizona Fall League
Image credit: Zyhir Hope (Photo by Bill Mitchell)
While the first edition of the Arizona Fall League Hot Sheet covered the majority of top names from the opening week of AFL play, there are still some other standouts who caught my eye during my trip out to the desert.
With a wide range of player ages and levels of experience, production in a one-week sample isn’t everything. Still, with 11 AFL games over six full days during the first week, these are the players that stood out to me.
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Zyhir Hope, OF, Dodgers
With a few games into the second week of the AFL season, Hope has continued to provide some of the most impressive offensive performances in the league. Within 24 hours of his 470-foot moonshot at Goodyear last Thursday night, I received numerous pieces of feedback from industry sources around Hope.
Signed for $400K by the Cubs in the 11th round of the 2023 draft, Hope is a testament to the value of scouting, as both the Cubs and Dodgers identified Hope’s upside with very little data to go off of. Hope not only possesses outlier raw power, but is an outlier athlete who could do standing backflips as a senior in high school. He pairs these attributes with advanced bat-to-ball skills and low chase rates. After dominating Low-A competition, it’s good to see Hope impressing against more advanced and experienced pitching. Some of his outfield play has been inconsistent, but he has the athleticism and time to refine those outfield skills.
Sammy Siani, OF, Pirates
The younger brother of Cardinals outfielder Mike Siani is not among the most exciting names in the AFL, but he showed potential impact on both sides of the ball over the first week. Siani, known for his slick outfield defense, is a good center fielder with the ability to lock down the position. However, across multiple looks last week, Siani showed a balanced lefthanded swing with the ability to adjust the barrel and get on plane. Siani hit a home run and a double last week and took strong at-bats over each of my looks.
He is likely not equipped for future stardom in the major leagues, but he could provide value on both sides of the ball as a part-time player.
Colson Montgomery, SS, White Sox
2024 was not the season that Montgomery or White Sox fans had hoped for. After an unimpressive first pass through the Fall League in 2023, Montgomery returned to the AFL this year. So far, he’s showing the advanced plate skills, projectable power and projection that placed him among the top prospects in the game heading into 2024.
For me, it starts and ends with Montgomery’s swing. It’s a balanced, well-synced lefthanded stroke with adjustability in his barrel. Montgomery has size and above-average athleticism, giving me reason to believe he’ll overcome the struggles that plagued him this past season. He has the ability to find the barrel and consistently get behind the ball and drive it to all fields, and I’m bullish on Montgomery’s ability to hit for impact while not sacrificing his bat-to-ball skills or approach. Long term, he is likely to move to third base, where he is equipped to be an above-average defender.
Tre’ Morgan, 1B/OF, Rays
I entered the Arizona Fall League as one of the bigger Morgan skeptics on staff. The idea of an elite first base defender with a contact-over-power profile doesn’t get my juices flowing. The Rays are giving Morgan some run in the AFL as an outfielder, and the initial returns haven’t been great in the field. While Morgan has time to learn a corner outfield spot, it’s hard to overlook his ability to lock down one position on the diamond even if his offensive profile isn’t a traditional fit.
After a week of looks, I’m more bullish on his ability to eventually hit for more power. Morgan showed command of the barrel and bat speed across multiple looks and should eventually turn some of his doubles into home runs. Morgan is twitchy and well-built, giving off the aura of an above-average athlete. While it certainly makes sense why the Rays would give Morgan a chance in the outfield, it’s simply a matter of whether or not he has the ability to adjust to reading the ball off the bat in the air. Morgan possesses an advanced hit tool, bat speed and more thump than his statline would portend.
Jonathon Long, 1B, Cubs
Two years ago, the Cubs sent first baseman Matt Mervis to the Fall League, where he capped off a breakout 2022 season with a strong AFL performance. While Long isn’t coming off the same level of breakout that Mervis experienced, he is still a name Cubs fans will likely be excited about heading into 2025. Long has a clean, righthanded swing optimized for elevating hard contact, and across a pair of looks, he did just that.
Our statistical model RoboScout identified Long throughout the season as a potentially-underrated prospect. He balances bat-to-ball skills, approach and power well, and it might be enough to cut it despite being a limited defender best suited for first base. Long has few split issues, plus raw power and a picturesque swing built for hard contact.
