Phillies top prospect thankfully doing what we expected in AFL after injury scare

While the World Series will wrap up this week, the Arizona Fall League (AFL) is still in full swing. Top prospects from across Major League Baseball are getting their final games of the season out in the desert, including Philadelphia Phillies top prospect Dante Nori.

Nori had a tough start to his first AFL experience after tweaking something in his first game on Oct. 7, per Jack Vita. The undisclosed injury forced him to miss two weeks of action. The good news is that the Phillies' No. 6 MLB Pipeline prospect returned to the Surprise Saguaros' lineup with a bang.

Phillies No. 6 prospect Dante Nori shows off his hit tool after AFL injury

Nori played his first game back on Oct. 23, playing center field and leading off for the Saguaros. While he went 0-for-4 in that game, the just-turned 21-year-old made a big impact in his next contest. Batting third, Nori found his timing and showed off his plus hit tool, going 3-for-5 and driving in a pair in the Saguaros' 11-10 loss to the Mesa Solar Sox.

Nori is now batting .333 (4-for-12) with a .762 OPS in his limited four-game sample size. The Phillies will be watching closely to see how their 2024 first-round draft pick continues to fare against some of the other top minor league competition.

After being drafted out of high school with the 27th overall pick last year, Nori saw action at three minor league levels this season in his first full year of professional ball. He spent the majority of the season in Single-A Clearwater where he hit .262 with a .743 OPS in 109 games, amassing 111 hits, including 16 doubles and 11 triples, while driving in 43 runs and scoring 63 times.

He hasn't developed home run power yet, hitting just four home runs in Clearwater, but he projects to find some power eventually. He showed off his speed, however, stealing 37 bases for the Threshers.

Nori got an aggressive push late in the season. The Phillies moved him up to High-A Jersey Shore where he hit .279 with a .722 OPS, four RBIs, eight runs and 13 steals in just 11 games.

The Phillies tested Nori again with one week at Double-A Reading, where he hit just .190 with a .513 OPS in five games. Regardless, it should be considered a successful first full season for the speedy outfielder and he still has some time in the AFL to tack on some more stats.

Based on Nori's 2025, the Phillies will likely continue their aggressive movement in 2026. He'll most likely begin his year in High-A, with a promotion to Double-A and maybe a small taste of Triple-A not out of the question.

For now, fans can continue to watch his progress and continued development in Arizona.