### Peoria Javelinas Top Arizona Fall League Prospect Rankings

The process of assembling an Arizona Fall League (AFL) roster involves accommodating the needs of five distinct organizations, each with unique goals and priorities. While some clubs aim to provide their top prospects with additional playtime, others focus on players recovering from injuries or evaluating individuals who may soon face Rule 5 draft eligibility. This year, the Peoria Javelinas have emerged as the team with the most talent-rich roster in the AFL.

The combined effort of the Braves, Brewers, Mariners, Marlins, and Padres has resulted in an impressive lineup featuring 20 top 30 prospects. Notably, the roster includes multiple highly-ranked talents from the Mariners and Padres, who typically feed into Peoria's talent pool. The shortstop position, populated by top 100 prospects, stands out as particularly strong. One such player, Salas, aims to recover from a challenging season at the High-A level but showed improvement from August onward. Additionally, Braves' Drake Baldwin and Brewers' Brock Wilken bring significant power to the team's offensive lineup.

The Javelinas also boast a deep pitching staff, with seven pitchers ranked within the top 30 prospects of their respective organizations. Impressively, each of Peoria's parent clubs contributed no fewer than three top 30 prospects, underscoring the team's robust talent depth.

Just behind Peoria in terms of exciting prospects are the Glendale Desert Dogs, representing the Cardinals, Dodgers, Phillies, Reds, and White Sox. Glendale's roster features 15 top 30 prospects, with the recent addition of Phillies' number two prospect Painter catching considerable attention. Despite not having pitched in a game for two years due to elbow issues and subsequent Tommy John surgery, the 21-year-old right-hander's fastball has reached speeds of up to 99 mph. With other promising players like Montgomery, Arroyo, and Dodgers 19-year-old injury recovery project Zyhir Hope, Glendale promises to be a formidable competitor.

The third most notable roster belongs to Surprise Saguaros from the Blue Jays, Giants, Mets, Pirates, and Tigers. Their lineup includes 12 top 30 prospects. Giants' Eldridge, who hit 23 home runs across four levels since being picked 16th overall in 2023, is one of the AFL's most anticipated players. Mets' Williams and Gilbert, as well as 2022 fourth overall pick Johnson from the Tigers, round out the group's notable offensive talents. On the pitching side, Blue Jays' southpaw Kendry Rojas and Pirates' right-hander Khristian Curtis promise to add intrigue.

This year's AFL is shaping up to be a showcase of promising baseball talent, with Peoria Javelinas leading the pack based on prospect depth and quality.