The 2026 season may be over, but some in the Miami Marlins' organization will still play in October, as the club announced which prospects will participate in the Arizona Fall League.

Designed to work on development for lower-level minor league players, while also serving a tune-up for some of the Fish who are closer to debuting in The Show. The AFL was founded in 1992, when Major League Baseball decided they wanted a stateside alternative to the winter leagues in the Caribbean. It's an important extra step for many developing prospects who need to refine or retool some parts of their game. At the same time, coaches and scouts get an extended look at their on-field performance.

For Miami, drafting and player development are obviously high priorities, as they are for any organization in the middle of a youth movement. The Marlins players will be part of the AFL's Glendale Dogs.

Outfielder Dillon Lewis (the 11th-ranked prospect in the Miami organization, according to MLB.com) tops the list and could be buttoning up a big-league jersey by late 2027. He's joined by outfielder Max Williams (27th), Carter Johnson, Tristan Stevens, Emmett Olson, Samuel Carpio, Alex Williams, and Bryan Mendoza.

The AFL schedule will for 43 days, from October 3, 2026 through November 14, 2026.

For the Marlins, this year's Fall schedule may be more important than ever. President of baseball operations Peter Bendix has sprinkled the farm system with a big collection of talent, but several players are very similar, either by position or skill set. The AFL is an opportunity to see where some of the lower-level players should be slotted - either at what or level or where, in terms of organizational strategy.

Obviously, the most intriguing name on the list is Lewis, who shows a lot of promise to be a breakout player in 2027. And as small as it may seem? That extra bit of work, training, and practice over the next few weeks could be the difference on if he appears as a late-season call-up to the Marlins. The AFL is where he can work on making his contact match his power, as scouts have pointed out his penchant for swinging at some bad pitches.

"[Lewis} produces top-of-the-line exit velocities, up to 113.9 mph last year, and has plenty of raw strength," his offical scouting report reads. "That pop has come with swing-and-miss issues, which could be mitigated with better swing decisions.

Acting as MLB's autumn classroom for the next generation of major leaguers, the league has a rich history of development.

In its 34 years, the Arizona Fall League has produced its share of All-Stars, legends, and Hall of Famers. According to MLB.com, some of the AFL's most notable alumni include Derek Jeter, Mike Piazza, Roy Halladay, Todd Helton, Albert Pujols, Bryce Harper, Aaron Judge, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Mike Trout, Max Scherzer, Gerrit Cole, Ronald Acuña Jr., Kris Bryant, Christian Yelich, as well as many others. In fact, 35% of the players selected to the 2026 MLB All-Star Game were former participants in the AFL