Salt River’s 2026 roster is very deep in terms of pitching talent. The Rafters have a former first-round pick, a Major League pitcher, and one of the best prospects in the Nationals’ system. As for the collection of hitters, that portion of the roster is headlined by infielders Demetrio Crisantes & Dax Kilby.
Pitchers
| Player | Team |
|---|---|
| Joe Ariola | Diamondbacks |
| Luke Craig | Diamondbacks |
| Noah Dean | Nationals |
| Ross Dunn | Twins |
| Konner Eaton | Rockies |
| Mack Estrada | Yankees |
| J.T. Etheridge | Yankees |
| Stu Flesland III | Rockies |
| Connor Foley | Diamondbacks |
| Patrick Forbes | Diamondbacks |
| Antonio Gomez | Yankees |
| Nolan Hughes | Nationals |
| Cesar Lares | Twins |
| Cleiber Maldonado | Twins |
| Hunter Mann | Rockies |
| Anthony Mena | Yankees |
| Jake Murray | Twins |
| Owen Puk | Nationals |
| R.J. Sales | Nationals |
| Sean Sullivan | Rockies |
| Jarlin Susana | Nationals |
| Fidel Ulloa | Fidel Ulloa |
| Chris Veach | Yankees |
| John West | Diamondbacks |
| Brian Zeldin | Twins |
Sean Sullivan will get some additional work in the AFL, as the Rockies starter is the lone player with MLB experience on the Salt River roster. It comes after Sullivan allowed 22 earned runs and struck out 16 over 22.1 IP with Colorado in five Major League starts.
The former second-round pick was going to be Rule 5-eligible had the Rockies not added him to the 40-man roster this season. He pitched very well in the Minors over the years, most recently with a sub-3.00 ERA over 100 IP in 2025. But as life can be for Rockies pitchers, adjusting to Coors Field isn’t easy on the fly. The left-hander tried to do that, mixing a sinker in more over time.
Salt River’s roster also includes several pitchers who pitched very well down the stretch in 2026. Joe Ariola, once a teammate of Sullivan at Wake Forest and a college starter who worked more as a reliever, posted the second-highest Whiff% in the Northwest League from August 20 through the end of 2026.
J.T. Etheridge, like Ariola, missed a lot of bats in his own right down the stretch.
But from a prospect standpoint, the two big names here are Patrick Forbes & Jarlin Susana. Forbes was a former first-round pick who pitched well but missed time in 2026. Susana missed most of 2026 and had an ERA north of 6.00 in eight starts. But that was not indicative at all of how he pitched, as Susana punched out 37 over 20 innings.
His 46.8% Whiff% was the highest in the Eastern League between August 20 and September 13.
Catchers
| Player | Team |
|---|---|
| Kevin Bazzell | Nationals |
| Jack O’Dowd | Rockies |
| Miguel Rodriguez | Orioles |
| Miguel Useche | Cubs |
Kevin Bazzell made a ton of contact in the Carolina League last year but didn’t produce a lot at all in 2025 with Low-A Fredericksburg. The former Texas Tech catcher and 2024 third-round pick did much better in 2026, as he slashed .287/.379/.470 with nine home runs and 24 extra-base hits between High-A and Double-A.
Jack O’Dowd is one of the more interesting names in all of the Colorado system. The son of former GM Dan O’Dowd, Jack signed with the club in 2026 on a Minor League deal after he tore through independent ball with Billings last year. He proceeded to hit 23 home runs at three levels, finishing in Double-A.
Infielders
| Player | Team |
|---|---|
| Demetrio Crisantes | Diamondbacks |
| Kyle DeBarge | Twins |
| Core Jackson | Yankees |
| Dax Kilby | Yankees |
| Andy Perez | Rockies |
| Yassel Soler | Diamondbacks |
| Kyle West | Yankees |
The Yankees are sending two of their best infield prospects, Dax Kilby and Core Jackson, to the AFL.
Kilby missed much of 2026 but there is a lot of talent and projection here. New York’s 2025 first-round pick, Kilby can run and work deep into counts. We’ll see whether the power shows up over time.
As for Jackson, he started 2026 back in High-A before moving to Double-A Somerset. The 22-year-old had 41 extra-base hits and 42 stolen bases between the two levels.
Kyle DeBarge has some pop and can run but his offensive production hasn’t been great since going pro. A first-round pick from 2024, DeBarge slashed .221/.325/.352 this season.
Demetrio Crisantes could be in the Majors next year. Advanced approach at the plate, showed some pull-side tendencies, and racked up 39 extra-base hits in 92 contests down in the Minors.
Outfielders
| Player | Team |
|---|---|
| Teo Banks | Nationals |
| Nathan Hall | Diamondbacks |
| Jacob McCombs | Twins |
| Yasser Mercedes | Twins |
| Jorgelys Mota | Nationals |
| Jared Thomas | Rockies |
Yasser Mercedes has been in the Twins’ system for a while. Mercedes, now 21 years of age, signed back in 2022 and finally pushed out of Low-A after a good start to 2026 with Fort Myers. He wound up slashed .232/.320/.409 with 12 home runs and 36 extra-base hits, plus 41 stolen bases for the Kernels.
Teo Banks played only 157 games between 2025 and 2026. The former Tulane outfielder performed better in 2026 after a forgettable 2025 season in A-ball.
Jared Thomas was a second-round pick who had a great 2025 in the Rockies’ system, making it to Double-A. However, Thomas played just 32 games in 2026.
Check out more of our Minors coverage, including a look at the 2026 Peoria roster.