While the regular season has ended and most of the league is waiting for the postseason to end, collectors who enjoy speculating on prospect cards have received precious little new data to analyze ahead of their various Bowman 1st purchases. However, with the start of the Arizona Fall League, there is an entirely new set of games to overreact to, as well as prospects to put on the radar to collect.
The prospects that go to the AFL are particularly interesting due to the similarities between many of them. Prospects are often sent to Arizona because they missed substantial playing time (usually due to injury) and are trying to play catch-up. For collectors, that means the AFL is an opportunity to speculate on guys whose values may be lower now, but not for long.
Here are the AFL prospects that baseball collectors will want to target this offseason
Figuring out which AFL performances are real, and which ones are a mirage, is very difficult. The climate in Arizona, especially this time of year, makes accurately evaluating players (particularly pitchers) very difficult, and playing time being spread thin to different players further muddies the picture. However, a few prospects of note seem to be playing enough that collectors may want to take advantage of it before the rest of the collecting world notices.
Dax Kilby, Yankees
Dax Kilby was one of the hot names in 2025 Bowman Draft after a very loud pro debut. Playing in the Yankees organization certainly drove some of the hype, but Kilby's skill set is objectively exciting. However, a hamstring injury this season cost Kilby a large chunk of the year, and he didn't play particularly well upon his return.
However, the AFL is treating Kilby pretty well so far, as he has five hits through his first four games in Arizona. With Kilby's 1st autos going for "only" $80 at the moment and his non-1st prospect autos costing significantly less than that, collectors may want to pick his cards up before the hype train gets going again.
Sebastian Walcott, Rangers
Sebastian Walcott has long been considered one of the most talented prospects in baseball, even if the results didn’t always match the lofty scouting reports. However, prospect fatigue, as well as an elbow injury that required major surgery, led to Walcott not getting the respect he deserves, especially at the national level.
Now, Walcott is a little different from Kilby's case, because he did come back and play with a vengeance this season. After posting a .991 OPS in 41 games in the minors, Walcott has continued to hit in the AFL. You can still get Walcott's first Bowman autos (they do not have the 1st stamp, however) for under $200. However, given his current trajectory, they won't stay that low for long.
Zyhir Hope, Tigers
The ship has almost sailed on getting in on Zyhir Hope's cards, but not quite. The hype around Hope reached a fever pitch when he was in the Dodgers organization, and he was becoming a classic example of a guy that you would have to buy at his peak. However, Hope has since been traded to the Tigers in the Tarik Skubal deal, which has led to a surge of his cards entering the market and the hype around him dying down a bit. With Hope playing well in the AFL and potentially pushing for a call-up in 2027, collectors should keep a sharp eye out for buy-low opportunities if/when they come up.
Angeibel Gomez, Royals
As one of the more hyped prospects in 2026 Bowman Chrome, Angeibel Gomez is not a guy you probably want to buy at this very moment unless you want to pay a significant premium. However, once we get into the offseason, he is absolutely a guy collectors may want to buy during the usual price dip that comes in the dead of winter. Gomez is far enough away and in a small enough market that he doesn't have widespread name recognition yet, and he is holding his own in the AFL. Once the release hype from Chrome has completely subsided, keeping an eye out for deals on base autos and somewhat common parallels is wise.
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