Mets in the Desert: Previewing the Arizona Fall League

By, Steve Sica

The Arizona Fall League begins this week as 30 teams will send their prospects to the desert. The Fall League used to be a place where elite prospects would go to get a few more reps in after the season ended. Names like Aaron Judge, Bryce Harper, and Pete Alonso have all spent time in the AFL. More recently, however, while the league still attracts top prospects but is now also used for teams to send prospects who may have missed significant time on the IL during the MiLB regular season.

Last year, the Mets had a mix of both where they sent top, but injured prospects, Jett Williams and Drew Gilbert to Arizona. Jacob Reimer also made an appearance, and it may have boosted his confidence as he turned in a spectacular 2025. 

This season, the Mets will send six players to the desert. They’ll call Scottsdale home as the Mets will be joined by players from the Giants, Astros, Tigers, and Nats on the Scorpions. It’s also worth noting that the Scorpions will be managed by ex-Met, René Rivera. Let’s take a closer look at each of the six prospects representing the Mets at this year’s edition of the AFL.

Scottsdale Stadium is where the Mets will play as the Scorpions in the AFL

OF Nick Morabito:

One of two top-30 prospects representing the Mets in Scottsdale, Morabito (#16 prospect per Pipeline) is looking to continue his torrid hitting from his season with Double-A Binghamton. Morabito batted .273 with an OPS of .733 in 118 games with the Rumble Ponies, his first season in Double-A. The 22-year-old also drove in 59 runs and led the team in stolen bases at 49. The Mets’ second round draft back in 2022, Morabito could see his offensive numbers surge in the thin Arizona air this month. 

As October dawns in Arizona, gone are the triple digit temperatures, and night temperatures could drop into the 60s. Cool and thin desert air, expect Morabito to perhaps build on his power numbers from Double-A where he collected 27 doubles and had six home runs. 

INF/OF D’Andre Smith: 

This will be Smith’s second go around in the AFL. He played here two years ago in Glendale. Smith, after spending most of 2024 on the IL, impressed in Double-A where he batted .279 with an OPS of .745 in 87 games.

A super utility player, Smith can play infield and outfield. He’s listed on the Scottsdale roster as an infielder but spent most of his games this past MiLB season in the corner outfields for Binghamton. The Mets reasoning for sending him back to the AFL could be to get him more reps at different positions but also, to see if he can build on what was his most impressive MiLB season offensively. While not ranked in the top-30 prospect list, Smith might be one of the more interesting prospects in the Met system and a fun player to root for.

C Chris Suero: 

The highest ranked prospect in the Mets’ system heading to Arizona, Suero (#15 prospect per Pipeline) is looking to build off a breakout season in 2025 across High-A and Double-A. Suero found his power this season when he mashed 13 home runs with High-A Brooklyn. Not an easy feat to do with the winds off the Atlantic often cutting down fly balls at Maimonides Park. Now, Suero will look to do damage in the much more offensive friendly AFL.

Suero, who’s been in the Mets system since 2022, is a native New Yorker, born in The Bronx, and has been an intriguing prospect for the team. While his natural position is catcher, where he spent 74 games in High-A and Double-A, the Mets also had him play 20 games in left field and 16 games at first base. The Mets system is crowded when it comes to catchers, although each of those prospects haven’t quite panned out as well as the big-league club would’ve hoped. Suero offers a nice amount of power and could be a versatile option for the team going forward if he can adapt to new positions.

The AFL might be the perfect chance for Suero to continue to build his confidence offensively and also get a few more chances at different positions defensively over the next month.

RHP Brett Banks:

Drafted by the Mets in the 11th round in 2023, Banks had a breakout season with High-A Brooklyn in 2025. Used primarily as a reliever, Banks threw 25 innings with the Cyclones to an ERA of 2.49 along with 26 strikeouts. He was a key member of the Cyclones bullpen on a team that won the South Atlantic League Championship.

The AFL will be a good chance for Banks to see some higher level competition as he’ll likely spend most of 2026 with Double-A Binghamton.

RHP Bryce Jenkins: 

Also drafted in 2023 in the 17th round, Jenkins, a University of Tennessee product has been hit with injuries since making his professional debut two years ago. He missed all of 2024 and only pitched in 12 innings in 2025, never making it past Low-A St. Lucie.

The Mets will hope that the AFL will give Jenkins more exposure over the next month. It worked for Dylan Ross last season. Like Jenkins, Ross was often too injured to gain any momentum in the Minors. Ross put together a nice season in the AFL in 2024, and is now regarded as one of the Mets’ best bullpen arms in their system in 2025.

RHP Austin Troesser:

Another member of the Mets 2023 draft class will be making their way to Scottsdale this Fall. Troesser, is the highest draft pick from that year going to the AFL, selected in the fourth round by the Mets out of the University of Missouri. He’ll look to build up his resume as a reliever, as it seems as if the Mets are looking to convert him from a starter. Troesser missed a significant amount of time in 2025, landing on the IL from late April through mid-August. He appeared in just eight games upon his return.

In those eight games, Troesser was impressive, pitching a solid 10 innings to a perfect ERA along with nine strikeouts. There’s a lot of potential in this 23-year-old righty and the AFL will give him a chance to put that on display in front of some of the most elite talent in MiLB.