The Fall League has returned! Termarr Johnson raced out to a hot start, although a minor injury ended his evening prematurely. We encourage you to follow Baseball America’s Geoff Pontes, who is in Arizona covering games this week.

Josue Briceño, C, Tigers: Briceño was limited to just 40 games in his age-19 season with Low-A Lakeland, hitting .278/.381/.377. He returned in late August after missing more than three months with a knee injury. With plenty of at-bats to make up in the fall league, Briceño started on a high note, going 3-for-4 with an RBI, a run and a walk. Briceño will need to hit, as he’s unlikely to stick behind the plate long term due to his below-average defensive ability. He has plus raw power, but his identity as a hitter is more hit-over-power at this point.

Termarr Johnson, 2B, Pirates: Johnson entered the Arizona Fall League season looking to bounce back. He started things with a bang, homering off of Salt River starter Dylan Ray in his first at-bat of the game. Johnson went 2-for-4 on the day with a walk, but was removed from the game in the top of the eighth after his leg cramped up. The injury doesn’t appear to be concerning, as Johnson was seen dancing following the game. Johnson hit .237/.366/.386 over 124 games split between High-A and Double-A and is looking to prove his former lofty draft pedigree in the AFL.

Colson Montgomery, SS, White Sox: Montgomery just can’t catch a break in 2024. After a difficult season in which he hit just .214/.329/.381 over 130 games with Triple-A Charlotte, he headed to AFL looking to find his timing. Montgomery started off Tuesday’s game in grand fashion going 2-for-2 with a double. In Montgomery’s third plate appearance he was struck on the right elbow by Justin King. Montgomery initially stayed in the game but was removed following the inning.

Brock Wilken, 3B, Brewers: The 2024 season wasn’t what many anticipated from Wilken, as he underperformed hitting .200/.314/.365 with 17 home runs over 109 games. Things got off to a rocky start after he was hit in the face by a pitch and missed a majority of April. Wilken’s Arizona Fall League started off on a much happier note, as he went 2-for-5 with a home run in Peoria’s opening game. Wilken’s home run came in the top of the fifth inning off of Andrew Dalquist, leaving the park at an exit velocity of 105.2 mph. Wilken is a power-hitting third baseman with plus power and a plus throwing arm. Refining his hit tool and cutting down on the swing and miss will be the primary focus for Wilken this fall. The former Wake Forest star was selected with the 18th overall pick in 2023.

Tim Elko, 1B/DH, White Sox: After a legendary career at Ole Miss, the White Sox selected Elko in the 10th round of the 2022 draft, signing him for just $35,000. Elko hit .289/.346/.439 with 18 home runs over 139 games split between Double-A and Triple-A and finds himself on the cusp of the major leagues. In his first AFL game of the season, Elko went 2-for-4 with a homer run and three RBIs. At 25 years old, Elko is ready for a opportunity in Chicago next season, as he’s shown excellent contact quality. Despite fringy bat-to-ball skills and plate discipline, Elko gets around it by making the most of his contact.

Colt Emerson, SS, Mariners: The Mariners’ No. 1 prospect started off his Arizona Fall League with a bang on Tuesday. Emerson went 5-for-5 over his first five plate appearances with four doubles. Emerson finished 5-for-6 on the day, but was one of the standouts stars from Peoria’s opening day contest. Emerson is looking to make up time after being limited to just 70 games this season. At 19 years old, Emerson has an advanced hit tool, solid approach and projectable power. Adjustments to Emerson swings path could yield better power results in the future.

Bowman Sterling: Top Prospects, Cards We’re Hunting

Today’s a big day day for prospect autograph collectors. Bowman Sterling is set to drop at 12 p.m. ET, delivering a more selective offering of the game’s most desired rookies and prospects. The set features 26 prospects who rank in our Top 100. Below, Matt Pajak dives into some players that stand out, as well as three players more off the radar that he’s targeting.

Preorder Your 2025 Prospect Handbook!

Prospect Handbook season is upon us. Our staff is already in the process of building out this year’s book, beginning with Top 10s available to subscribers in a few weeks. Lock in your print copy today and we’ll send you a free digital version in January.

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