Today’s BAPR features several familiar names to those dialed into AFL standouts so far this fall…

Leodalis De Vries, SS, Padres: The youngest player in the Arizona Fall League, De Vries, continued his hot hitting in the AFL on Thursday. The Padres prospect hit a pair of doubles, walked and reached on a hit-by-pitch as he went 2-for-2 with two RBIs. De Vries' two doubles were both above 90 mph off the bat, with his second double traveling 373 feet at 100.1 mph. De Vries is showing how advanced his hitting ability is for a teenager considering he's the same age as potential 2025 high school picks.

Jonathon Long, 1B, Cubs: Long was one of the more underrated hitting prospects heading into AFL this fall. While the Cubs prospect hasn’t broken out in the way Zyhir Hope or Josue Briceño have, Long has shown his power and advanced hitting ability. Long went 1-for-3 on Thursday with a home run and walk in a low-scoring 4-1 Mesa victory. Long has a strong balance of approach, contact and power and is one of the best bats in the Cubs system.

Connor Phillips, RHP, Reds: Phillips has now sandwiched two impressive performances around a rough seven-run outing last Wednesday against Surprise. He found his footing Thursday in a piggyback outing behind Andrew Painter, showing impressive strike-throwing. After major command problems sank Phillips 2024, he now has a 15-to-3 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 10.1 innings in the AFL. Phillips has plus stuff and the ability to dominate if he’s throwing strikes.

Otto Kemp, 2B, Phillies: It was a banner day for Phillies prospects in the Fall League on Thursday. Andrew Painter dominated over three innings while Kemp slugged a pair of home runs. A 2022 nondrafted free agent, Kemp has quietly developed into a legitimate prospect. He hit .285/.392/.489 across four levels in 2024 reaching Triple-A. Kemp hit a pair of homers Thursday, first connecting for a 440-foot shot in the third and a second in his next at-bat in the fifth. Kemp now has four home runs this fall following his two-homer game.

Andrew Painter, RHP, Phillies: Painter’s return took another step forward on Thursday when he tossed three scoreless innings. He struck out three batters in his third AFL start while walking none and allowing one hit. Painter only needed 32 pitches to get through the outing, as he pounded the zone and made quick work of the talented Rafters lineup. The Phillies' top prospect looks to be rounding back into form and should be a key piece of their pitching corps in 2025.

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