The Phillies will send nine prospects to the Arizona Fall League this fall, though not all of them will be wearing the same jersey. Eight are headed to the Surprise Saguaros, the club the Phillies share with the Guardians, Mets, Rangers, and Royals. The ninth, catcher Luke Davis, will instead suit up for the Scottsdale Scorpions, alongside prospects from the Astros, Brewers, Giants, Rays, and Tigers.
The reason comes down to a simple roster need. Normally the Phillies would send seven or eight players to Surprise and be done with it. This year, Scottsdale came up short at catcher, and the Phillies had the organizational depth to help, loaning Davis to fill the gap. It is a common enough arrangement in the Fall League, where six clubs draw from thirty different organizations and roster needs do not always line up neatly.
It’s also notable that Aidan Miller is not on the list. He could still be added – or more correctly, substituted – for one of the players on the current list. It is not unusual for teams to adjust the players they are sending to the AFL prior to the start of the league on October third. The Phillies did that just last season when they pulled Miller off of the list due to a back issue and replaced him with Bryan Rincon.
Beyond the roster quirk, this year’s group has a notable thread running through it: six of the nine players missed considerable time to injury in 2026, so for several of them the AFL doubles as a chance to make up lost innings and at-bats as much as it is a showcase.
Aroon Escobar, 2B/3B (No. 6 prospect)
Escobar split 2025 between Single-A Clearwater and Double-A Reading and looked like a riser. Back with Reading for the full 2026 season, he had a bumpier ride, hitting a .679 OPS with 12 home runs and 27 stolen bases. He’s Rule 5 eligible this winter, so a strong Fall League showing carries real stakes. It is his best chance to show the organization he belongs on the 40-man roster.
Dante Nori, OF (No. 7 prospect)
Nori, the Phillies’ first-round pick – 27th overall – in 2024, is a speed-and-on-base type who reached Double-A in his first full season. His 2026 was derailed in June when what he thought was a hamstring tweak turned out to be a stress fracture in his pelvis, costing him more than two months. He’s back with Reading now and heads to Arizona for a second straight fall, looking to make up for the lost stretch.
Keegan Batka, RHP
Batka is a rare non-drafted free agent success story, signed out of Division Two Davenport University in 2025. Working between Clearwater and Jersey Shore in 2026, he posted a 2.72 ERA and 1.07 WHIP with 65 strikeouts and seven saves over 49 2/3 innings. He leans on a fastball that has ticked up into the 93 to 97 mph range, backed by a four-pitch mix, and projects as a possible starter down the road.
Luke Davis, C
Davis, another non-drafted free agent, signed out of Long Beach City College in 2024, is a switch-hitting catcher who spent 2026 with Jersey Shore. He showed real plate discipline, drawing 36 walks in just 174 plate appearances, and flashed some power, though he also lost time to injury during the season. His Fall League assignment with Scottsdale, rather than Surprise, came about because the Scorpions needed catching depth and the Phillies were able to supply it.
Ryan Dromboski, RHP
Dromboski, an undrafted free agent out of the University of Pennsylvania and a former Ivy League Pitcher of the Year, doesn’t light up radar guns, but his slider and changeup give him a depth-starter look. He spent the full year with High-A Jersey Shore and took his lumps against tougher competition, posting a 5.46 ERA on the season, a step back that makes the Fall League a good opportunity to work on the finer points.
Drafted in the 11th round in 2023 out of Sierra Canyon High School in California, Hettiger is a switch-hitting backstop who spent 2026 with Double-A Reading. He’s shown power gains and a decent arm behind the plate, though questions about his overall hit tool and catching consistency remain. He also dealt with a stint on the injured list this season.
Estibenzon Jimenez, RHP
Jimenez, signed out of Venezuela back in 2019, is the breakout arm of this group. After 60 career starts, the Phillies moved him to the bullpen exclusively in 2026, and the results were dramatic. He went 7-0 with a 1.87 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and seven saves over 43.1 innings with Reading, allowing just one home run all year. It is one of the best pitching performances in the system this season.
Jose Pena, RHP
A sixth round pick in 2021 out of Tampa Prep in Florida, Pena has bounced between the rotation and bullpen with Jersey Shore and also lost time to injury in 2026. He remains a projectable arm the Phillies want more looks at before winter decisions arrive.
Kevin Warunek, LHP
Drafted in the 18th round in 2024 out of Longwood University, Warunek is a lefty who dealt with an elbow issue and multiple rehab assignments this season with Jersey Shore. Like several others on this list, the Fall League doubles as a chance to build back innings he didn’t get during the summer.
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