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With the Arizona Fall League underway, we'll be continuing our usual Hot Sheet installments by ranking the hottest prospects in the AFL each week. And even in a rain-shortened opening week, plenty of players stood out.

Below, you can see the five hottest prospects from the first week of action, plus a link to see the next five for Baseball America subscribers.

1. Luis De Leon, LHP, Orioles

• Team: Peoria Javelinas

• Age: 22

• Why He’s Here: 0-0, 2.25, 4 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 SO, 0 HR

The Scoop: Through the first few games of the AFL season, De Leon has easily been the circuit’s most impressive arm. The tall southpaw dominated in his first outing, using a high-octane arsenal fronted by a heavy, mid-90s sinker and backed by a breaking ball and changeup capable of getting plenty of swings and misses. His seven strikeouts were tied for the most in the league.

2. Max Anderson, 2B, Tigers

• Team: Scottsdale Scorpions

• Age: 23

• Why He’s Here: .571/.700/1.000 (4-for-7), 3 R, 3 2B, 0 HR, 2 RBIs, 3 BB, 2 SO, 0-for-0 SB

The Scoop: While much of the spotlight in Scottsdale shines on Kevin McGonigle, Anderson should draw plenty of excitement, too. Despite limited action over the week, Anderson delivered an eye-catching performance in just his second game, going 3-for-4 with three doubles and two RBIs. His ability to drive the ball with authority and produce runs adds another layer of excitement to an already-talented Scorpions lineup. The 23-year-old slashed .296/.350/.478 with 19 home runs between Double-A and Triple-A this season.

3. Corey Avant, RHP, Athletics

• Team: Mesa Solar Sox

• Age: 23

• Why He’s Here: 0-0, 3.00, 3 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 SO, 0 HR

The Scoop: Avant's AFL debut served as something of a breakout for the righthander, who punched out seven Salt River hitters over three innings. A ninth-round pick out of Wingate in 2023, he ran his fastball into the upper 90s and got eight whiffs over the course of his outing. Avant's breaking pitches were especially effective, drawing four misses on 11 swings.

4. Wuilfredo Antuñez, OF, Guardians

• Team: Surprise Saguaros

• Age: 23

• Why He’s Here: .500/.571/1.500 (3-for-6), 3 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 4 RBIs, 1 BB, 2 SO, 1-for-1 SB

The Scoop: Antuñez was a low-dollar signee for Cleveland who broke out in 2022 and has been a steady producer throughout the course of his minor league career. His AFL campaign has gotten off to a scorching start, including long balls for two of his three hits in the season’s opening week. His second home run left the bat at 103.6 mph, and his single from the same game produced an exit velocity of 107 mph. (JN)

5. Seaver King, 2B, Nationals

• Team: Scottsdale Scorpions

• Age: 22

• Why He’s Here: .385/.467/.692 (5-for-13) 5 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 6 RBIs, 1 BB, 2 SO, 1-for-1 SB

The Scoop: King put on a show on Wednesday, going 3-for-4 with a double and his first home run of the fall. His biggest swing came against Angels righthander Najer Victor, against whom he drove a sinking fastball the other way for a 364-foot laser over the right field wall for a three-run homer that showcased both his power and plate coverage. It’s an encouraging sign for Washington’s 2024 first-round pick, who started strong in High-A but faced growing pains after a midseason promotion to Double-A, where he slashed just .233/.287/.313.

Editor’s Picks

Prospects Chat: We’re answering your questions at 2 p.m. ET. You can submit them ahead of time here. 

Statcast Rankings: We crunched Statcast data from every level of the minors to rank all 30 farm systems in terms of hitters and pitchers.

Quick Hits

Prospect news and notes from around baseball…

• Roki Sasaki encountered his first postseason turbulence in his new role as the Dodgers’ closer. He entered the ninth inning of Los Angeles’ win over the Brewers staked to a two-run lead, but recorded just two outs and walked two batters over 22 pitches before Blake Treinen struck out Brice Turang with the bases loaded to hold onto the 2-1 win.

• The same can be said for Blue Jays rookie Trey Yesavage, who gave up five runs over four innings as the Mariners rolled to a 10-3 win.

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