Believe it or not, the 2026 Arizona Fall League is nearly done. It was another hot week for one Guardians infield prospect, while a Toronto Blue Jays pitcher had himself a nice week after some funky numbers during the early part of the season. Here’s our Week 4 recap for 2026.
Francisca continues to roll
After a strong 2026 regular season, Guardians infield prospect Welbyn Francisca has been one of the best hitters in the AFL this season.
It was a very good week for several hitters, including Isaiah Drake and Arjun Nimmala, both of whom paced the league in hits. But for Francisca, it was as well. He racked up seven RBI (tied with Sebastian Walcott for third in the league over the span), five total hits, and three extra-base hits.
Overall, Francisca has been a tour de force in Arizona. Through his first 12 games, Francisca slashed .436/.492/.745 with three home runs and 10 extra-base hits. That 1.237 OPS leads all AFL hitters.
Additionally, Francisca’s 24 hits are tied for first in the circuit with Teo Banks.
Bloss had nice rebound
Overall, this has not been the cleanest-looking run for Blue Jays pitcher Jake Bloss. Bloss, as of November 2, had an ERA of 8.44 and allowed 13 hits in 10 innings. However, the past week was much kinder to the right-hander.
Bloss struck out four batters and allowed no walks over three innings. He allowed just one earned run.
Despite the odd numbers, Bloss’ 2026 run in the AFL has not been all bad. In fact, Bloss has done a very good job of getting hitters to expand out of the strike zone. As of November 2, his Chase% of 33.6% was the 10th-highest among pitchers in the Arizona Fall League this season.
That list also includes some other notable names, including Orioles prospect Kiefer Lord, Rockies pitcher Sean Sullivan, and Tekoah Roby.
Lamkin, McConnaughey among top pitchers
Five pitchers had five strikeouts this past season: Jarlin Susana, Justin Lamkin, Mason McConnaughey, Bryan Mena, and Joey Dixon.
Both Lamkin and McConnaughey needed the extra time, and both have pitched well. Lamkin, a Royals pitcher, has done extremely well, as opposing batters hit just .148 off him in the circuit.
Another pitcher who had a very good week was Frank Elissalt, who struck out four over three innings. Elissalt may not have been the most notable Cardinals pitching prospect to go to the AFL but he’s pitched well. He struck out 12 over nine innings and is one of the few who hasn’t given up a batted ball considered a barrel in his fall.
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