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For the first time in its 33 seasons, the Arizona Fall League features Statcast technology at all six of its ballparks, allowing for more complete data. The developmental circuit has reached the midpoint of its six-week schedule, making it a fine time to check in on the top performers in a variety of categories. Tigers third baseman Max Anderson leads the Fall League in both batting average (.520) and average exit velocity (97.9 mph). Pirates outfielder Esmerlyn Valdez, who paces the AFL with eight homers in 11 contests, is the only hitter to have cracked the top five in both highest and average exit velo. Orioles outfielder Enrique Bradfield Jr. has posted the fastest sprint speed (31.0 feet per second) and the highest stolen-base total (13 in 11 games). Blanco crushed the hardest-hit (119.8 mph) and longest (450 feet) home run in the Single-A Florida State League this season, and he hasn't stopped pummeling balls in the Fall League. Not only has he recorded the best exit velocity, but he also drilled the second-longest homer of the season at 464 feet. That one left his bat at a mere 112.2 mph. Blanco's 120.4 mph exit velo was exceeded in the big leagues just once this season, on a 122.9-mph homer by the Pirates' Oneil Cruz. Anderson has put 18 balls in play this fall, with 14 of them exceeding 95 mph, translating into a 77.8 percent hard-hit rate. That's a small sample size and the Arizona Fall League is very hitter friendly, but to put that figure in context, the Phillies' Kyle Schwarber led the Majors this year at 59.6 percent. Anderson has hit five balls at 98 mph or harder with optimal launch angles that meet MLB's definition of "barrels," giving him a barrel rate of 27.8 percent. The Yankees' Aaron Judge topped big leaguers with a 24.7 percent barrel rate this season. White has a long history of hitting for power that includes winning the home run derby at the 2020 Baseball Factory Classic, setting an NCAA Division I freshman record with 27 long balls in 2022 and finishing eighth all-time in D-I history with 75 in three seasons. He has struggled in the first half of the AFL season, but he did go deep twice on Oct. 25 with shots of 470 and 398 feet. Only eight big league homers traveled further than 470 feet this year, highlighted by a 493-foot monster by A's rookie Nick Kurtz. There have been 31 pitches clocked in triple digits, and Wheat has provided 16 of them, including 12 of the hottest 18. The problem has been that seven of those 16 100-mph+ heaters weren't strikes, symptomatic of how he has battled the zone throughout his pro career. He has issued nine walks and surrendered as many runs in three innings while notching just two strikeouts in the desert. The hardest pitch in the Majors this regular season belonged to the Padres' Mason Miller, who fired a 104.2 mph fastball. Following Tommy John surgery in June 2024 that kept him out of game action for 15 months, Perales quickly has proven that his velocity has returned. He hit 101.1 mph during his Fall League debut and has sat at 98.9 throughout his first three starts. His fastball command hasn't bounced all the way back, so his heater has been hit hard at times, which is why he has fanned 11 in eight innings but also sports a 6.75 ERA. For point of comparison, Miller topped all big leaguers (minimum: 50 innings) with a fastball average of 101.2 mph. Sellinger is the unquestioned spin master of the Fall League, as his curveball has produced the seven best individual spin rates (up to 3,521 rpm) and highest average (3,218 rpm). Hitters have gone 0-for-5 with four strikeouts against his bender, though they've teed off on his low-90s sinker and roughed him up for five runs in three innings. Dustin May (Red Sox) featured the highest average breaking ball spin rate in the Majors this year at 3,182 rpm with his sweeper, while Seth Lugo (Royals) reached the highest peak with a curveball at 3,557 rpm. Bradfield's top-of-the-line speed made him a first-round pick in 2023 and has helped him steal 135 bases in 154 attempts (88 percent) in 209 pro games while also establishing himself as one of the best defensive center fielders in the Minors. His quickness has been evident in the Fall League, where he owns four of the top six sprint speeds as well as the five best home-to-first times, highlighted by 3.73 seconds on a bunt single. At 32.8 feet per second, Jonny DeLuca (Rays) delivered the fastest MLB sprint score on a ball in play this season. Some scouts believe Janek is the best defensive catcher in the Minors, in part because of his plus-plus arm strength. He and Ayers have combined for the 18 best home-to-second pop times, though oddly enough they haven't done much to curtail Fall League basestealers. Janek has surrendered 26 steals in 31 attempts (84 percent) in 11 starts behind the plate, while Ayers has yielded 27 swipes in 37 tries (73 percent) in nine starts. Janek's 1.71-second pop time matches the 2025 MLB best (on balls that went all the way through to second base) recorded by J.T. Realmuto (Phillies). Though he has played in just two games in right field since arriving as an injury replacement for organization mate Wuilfredo Antunez, Rosario already has unleashed two of the five hardest throws by a fielder at 97.5 and 96.3 mph. Minor League teams almost never test his plus-plus arm strength, so his AFL outfield assist number nearly matches his regular-season total of two in 95 games. Lasko owns three of the top four and four of the six hardest throws and has cut down two runners in 12 outfield starts. They both have a long way to go to match the hardest throw in a big league game this year: 104.9 mph by both Oneil Cruz and Ronald Acuña Jr. (Braves).
