The Arizona Fall League is rapidly reaching its midway point of its five-week season. Several MLB prospects have been standing out against the highly competitive competition. For some, the production in Arizona will play a role in their team’s decisions whether to add them to the 40-man roster in the coming weeks to protect them from the Rule 5 Draft. Hagen Smith | Left-handed pitcher, Chicago White Sox Hagen Smith was among the top college pitchers available in the 2024 MLB Draft before the White Sox used the fifth overall pick to select him. Scouts viewed him so highly that MLB Pipeline ranked him No. 35 on its Top 100 prospects list entering the 2025 season. Arm trouble has limited him to just 83.1 IP since turning pro, in which he’s pitched to a 3.56 ERA with 115 strikeouts. Smith has turned in two scoreless starts in Arizona so far with the Glendale Desert Dogs, striking out nine and walking four over six innings of work with just four hits allowed. Walker Janek | Catcher, Houston Astros Walker Janek
