As the minor league season comes to a close at all levels, prospects are heading into the offseason looking to build on their seasons. However, for some, their seasons will continue in the Arizona Fall League, set to begin Oct. 3. On Tuesday morning, Major League Baseball announced the rosters for the 2026 AFL season, including eight members of the Boston Red Sox organization. 

Here’s what you need to know about the Red Sox participants: 

Major League Baseball created the AFL to give teams a chance to keep developing prospects beyond the regular season. The AFL consists of six teams, which are each made up of seven or eight prospects from a group of major league teams. For example, the Red Sox prospect group will join the Mesa Solar Sox along with prospects from the Angels, Athletics, Blue Jays and Cubs. The team’s coaching staff also includes minor league coaches from those same teams. 

Each team plays a 30-game regular-season schedule at various spring-training facilities before a short playoff tournament among all six teams determines a champion. 

Teams often use the AFL to give prospects who missed significant time due to injuries more in-game reps, while others use it to jump-start their development. 

The Red Sox will be sending eight prospects to Mesa for the 2026 Solar Sox season. Among the eight players being sent, only one ranks within SoxProspects.com’s organizational top 60, making it an unusually light group for Boston, which has sent players like Mookie Betts, Jarren Duran, and Dustin Pedroia in past seasons. 

Mason White

A 2025 fourth-round pick out of the University of Arizona, White spent the first 68 games of the 2026 season with High-A Greenville, hitting .270/.362/.525/.887 with 14 home runs, 14 doubles, and 42 RBI. The 22-year-old shortstop was promoted to Double-A Portland on July 18, where he struggled at the dish in his final 33 games, hitting .208/.333/.377/.710 with only four home runs, four doubles, and 13 RBI. While White did struggle with strikeouts, posting a 30.2 percent K-rate, he also flashed a strong eye, walking 15.5 percent of the time. 

He is currently ranked as the No. 27 prospects in the organization, per SoxProspects. 

Nazzan Zanetello 

As a 2023 second-round pick, Zanetello signed for a well-over-slot signing bonus of $3 million to forego his commitment to Arkansas. Things haven’t gone exactly to plan thus far for the 21-year-old shortstop, as he’s missed significant time due to injury and has yet to show the potential at the plate that made him an intriguing selection for Boston three years ago. 

After a lengthy injury absence, Zanetello made his 2026 debut on July 26 with Greenville, where he played in 31 games to wrap up the season, hitting .234/.331/.468/.799 with six home runs, six doubles and 13 RBI. In those 31 games, Zanetello struggled with strikeouts, punching out in 38.6 percent of plate appearances, which ranked in the fourth percentile among High-A hitters. 

A strong performance in the usually hitter-friendly AFL environment may be Zanetello’s last chance to salvage any stock he has left. 

Antonio Anderson 

A 2023 third-round pick, Anderson, like Zanatello, received a well-over-slot signing bonus of $1.5 million to forgo his commitment to Georgia Tech. The switch-hitting third baseman struggled in his first taste of High-A in 2025, hitting just .212/.279/.290/.569 in 67 games, causing the team to have him repeat the level in 2026. 

In 85 games with Greenville in 2026, the 21-year-old posted much better results, hitting .273/.373/.453/.826 with nine home runs, 17 doubles and 46 RBI. 

Harry Blum

The 6-foot-7 right-handed pitcher signed with the Red Sox after going undrafted in the 2025 MLB draft out of Augustana. In 40 relief appearances with Single-A Salem and High-A Greenville, the 24-year-old posted a 6.41 ERA. During his time with Salem, Blum did well to generate swing-and-miss, posting a 33.3 percent whiff rate, but struggled to get hitters to chase out of the zone, leading to a 19.9 percent walk rate. 

Madinson Frias 

A member of the 2024 international free agent class, the right-handed pitcher signed with the Red Sox for just $10,000 out of the Dominican Republic. Frias made his stateside debut in 2025, posting a 6.30 ERA in 11 appearances with the Florida Complex League Red Sox. The 21-year-old was assigned to Salem for the 2026 season, where he made only eight appearances, allowing 23 earned runs on 30 hits across 31 innings before landing on the 60-day injured list, effectively ending his season. 

According to SoxProspects, he is a “Medium-framed right-hander with some remaining projection. Throws from a three-quarters arm slot starting on the first base side of the rubber. Long arm swing behind and quick coming forward. Fastball averages 94 mph and tops out at 96 mph. Also throws an 84-88 mph cutter, an 88-91 mph changeup, and an 81-85 mph sweeper.” 

Nicholas Judice 

A 2023 eighth-round selection of the Yankees, the 25-year-old right-handed pitcher was acquired by Boston as part of the December 2023 trade sending Alex Verdugo to New York. Since joining the organization, the 6-foot-8 righty has been limited to just nine appearances due to injuries. In those nine appearances, he’s struggled mightily, posting a 9.99 ERA in 24.1 innings pitched with Salem and the FCL Red Sox. 

After being activated from the 60-day injured list on Aug. 11, Judice made just eight appearances for the RidgeYaks, allowing 13 earned runs on eight hits. The Louisiana-Monroe product held batters in check with a .178 opponent batting average, but walked 23.4 percent of batters faced.

According to SoxProspects, he is an “intriguing developmental arm.” However, at 25 and having reached only High-A, Judice’s chances of sticking in the organization may hinge on a strong AFL performance. 

Caden Vire

The 23-year-old left-handed pitcher was originally selected by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 12th round of the 2021 MLB Draft. The Red Sox acquired Vire in the minor league phase of the 2025 Rule 5 draft. Vire spent much of the 2026 campaign recovering from 2025 Tommy John surgery before making 12 relief appearances for Salem, allowing 18 earned runs on 13 hits and struggling mightily with command, walking 25 batters in 13.2 innings pitched. 

As noted by SoxProspects, Vire is an “Interesting flier arm with good size, extension, and fastball shape.” 

Trennor O’Donnell

A 2023 eighth-round pick out of Ball State, the 6’7” right-hander missed the first four months of the season due to injury. In 15 appearances with the FCL Red Sox, Salem and Greenville in 2026, the 25-year-old was hit hard, posting a 6.69 ERA over 37.2 innings, while opponents hit .280 off him, thanks in part to an 87.1 percent zone contact rate. 

The Mesa Solar Sox will begin their AFL campaign on Oct. 3 at 9:30 p.m. ET.