Top Hitters From The Arizona Fall League, Week 4: DeCriscio (Padres) And Shelton (White Sox) Shine

MLB Video

The stars of tomorrow continue to shine out in the Arizona Fall League as the offseason continues. This week, Justin DeCriscio (Peoria/ San Diego Padres) earned the top honors. He was joined by two Glendale River Dogs: Colby Shelton (Chicago White Sox) and Isaiah Drake (Atlanta Braves), along with two Salt River Rafters: Kyle West (New York Yankees) and Jared Thomas (Colorado Rockies).

Justin DeCriscio, SS – Peoria Javelinas (San Diego Padres)

DeCriscio had a strong week out west, going 6-for-11 with a .545/.583/.182 line and a 1.765 OPS. He hit one double and two home runs, driving in six RBIs and scoring three runs. He added to his week with one walk and one stolen base for Peoria.
Drafted in 2025, DeCriscio has quickly worked his way up through the minor leagues, ending his 2026 campaign in Double-A. He’ll look to start the 2027 season in Double-A and progress from there. A strong Fall season in Arizona could help with those chances as he primes for spring training.

Colby Shelton, 2B – Glendale River Dogs (Chicago White Sox)

Shelton contributed significantly to Glendale’s week. He went 6-for-13, hitting .462/.562/1.077, with a 1.639 OPS. He hit two doubles and two home runs, driving in 12 RBIs and scoring 5 runs on the week. He walked three times and stole one base.
Shelton was another 2025 draftee out of the University of Florida. In just his second professional season, he found himself in Double-A as well. He’ll likely start the 2027 season in Double-A again, but should he continue to hit well, he could progress to Triple-A and maybe even make his MLB debut in just his third professional season.

Isaiah Drake, OF – Glendale River Dogs (Atlanta Braves)

Also representing Glendale and putting up a top-five hitting performance this week in the AFL was outfielder Isaiah Drake. Drake was 7-for-12, hitting .583/.667/.917, with a 1.583 OPS. He had one double, one home run, drove in two RBIs, and scored three runs. He was walked three times.

Drake has struggled to find his way through the minor leagues so far, playing his last four years between Low-A and High-A. He’ll hope a spark playing in Arizona can translate into a strong 2027 season, likely seeing him start back in High-A.

Kyle West, 1B – Salt River Rafters (New York Yankees)

Another 2025 draftee from West Virginia is first baseman Kyle West. This week, the 24-year-old was 5-for-17 out in Arizona, hitting .294/.400/1.059, with a 1.459 OPS. He hit one double and, in five games, hit four home runs, driving in six RBIs and scoring four runs. He was walked once this week. But the young prospect showed impressive power at the plate.

West just finished his second professional season in High-A with Hudson Valley. Should he continue to show he can hit with power, he could find himself advancing to Double-A this year, but he will need to decrease his strikeout rate. He struck out five times this week. If he can decrease that percentage, he’ll find himself even more successful.

Jared Thomas, OF – Salt River Rafters (Colorado Rockies)

Drafted in 2024 out of the University of Texas, the 23-year-old Thomas split the 2026 season between rookie-level and Double-A while rehabbing from an injury. The year prior, he had ended the season in Double-A, and had it not been for injury, last year could’ve been the year he found himself in Triple-A. He’s making those reps up this Fall in the AFL.

This week, representing Salt River as well, Thomas was 9-for-20, hitting .450/.593/.800, with a 1.393 OPS. He hit one double and three triples, showing off his power and speed, and drove in four RBIs and seven runs scored. Along with legging out three triples, Thomas was walked four times and stole two bases.

MLB Top-100 Prospects

While no Top-100 prospects cracked the top five hitters this week, here are the top five hitters from just the Top-100 prospects: Aidan Miller (No. 59, Philadelphia Phillies/ Surprise Saguaros); Arjun Nimmala (No. 34, Los Angeles Angles/ Mesa Solar Sox); Dax Kilby (No. 78, New York Yankees/ Salt River Rafters); Sebastian Walcott (No. 8, Texas Rangers/ Surprsie Saguaros); and Tate Southisene (No. 58, Atlanta Braves/ Glendale Desert Dogs).

Aidan Miller is a 22-year-old shortstop from the Philadelphia Phillies. He is MLB’s No. 59 prospect.

Miller represents the Surprise Saguaros in Arizona. This week he went 6-for-15, hitting .400/.571/.667, with a 1.238 OPS. He hit two doubles and one triple, driving in four RBIs and scoring six runs. Miller showed strong discipline at the plate, walking six times, and he stole three bases, flashing his speed.

In 2025, Miller stole 59 bases, double the amount he stole in 2024. After missing the majority of the 2025 season with injury, he’ll look to get back to those steal rates in 2027.

Arjun Nimmala is the next player representing one of the top-five hitters from the top-100 this week in Arizona. The 21-year-old is a shortstop from Tampa, FL. He began his career with the Blue Jays and played in Dunedin before being traded to the Los Angeles Angels in 2026.

This week in Arizona, Nimmala, MLB’s No. 34 prospect representing the Mesa Solar Sox, hit .389/.577/.611, with a 1.188 OPS. He hit one double and one home run, driving in three RBIs and scoring six runs. He was walked six times and stole three bases, also showing off speed.

Dax Kilby is MLB’s No. 78 prospect from the New York Yankees organization. He had a strong start to his career in 2025, but he missed the majority of 2026 to injury and was looking to get back into a groove in Arizona.

This week, the young 19-year-old representing the Salt River Rafters played in four games. He went 5-for-15, hitting .333/.444/.600, with a 1.044 OPS. He hit two doubles this week and had three runs scored. He was walked three times and had one stolen base.

Sebastian Walcott, 20 years old, is a player who continues to see himself having success in the Arizona Fall League. The designated hitter from the Texas Rangers organization is MLB’s No. 8 prospect, and his performance in Arizona this year proves why.

This week, the Saguaros DH Walcott hit .421/.450/.579, with a 1.029 OPS. He was 8-for19, hitting three doubles, driving in eight RBIs, and five runs scored. He was walked once and showed a great amount of speed on the base pads with four stolen bases.

Last but not least is MLB’s No. 58 prospect, Tate Southisene from the Atlanta Braves and representing the Glendale Desert Dogs in Arizona. This week was the Top-100 prospect at .353/.522/.412, with a .934 OPS. He went 6-for-17, hitting one double, driving in one RBI, and scoring six runs. He was walked five times and stole two bases.

Just two weeks remain in the Arizona Fall League, with the Fall Stars festivities taking place next weekend.