Chase Harlan is not waiting until Saturday’s Arizona Fall League Home Run Derby to put on a power display.
The 20-year-old Dodgers prospect launched his fifth homer of the fall Tuesday night for the Glendale Desert Dogs, turning around a 95.6 mph fastball and sending it an estimated 422 feet to center field.
The three-run shot left Harlan’s bat at 110.2 mph with a 35-degree launch angle. It was his second home run in as many games and his third in his last six appearances. MiLB.com
For a player whose raw power has always been his most exciting tool, Harlan is beginning to show that it can translate against some of the better young pitching in professional baseball.
Harlan’s Power Is Becoming Difficult To Ignore
Tuesday’s home run was not an isolated display.
On October 22, Harlan produced a four-hit game that included a 451-foot home run with a 112.1 mph exit velocity. Nine days later, he hit a 112.3 mph walk-off three-run homer to complete Glendale’s five-run ninth-inning comeback against Peoria. baseballamerica.com
Then came Tuesday’s 110.2 mph drive.
That gives Harlan three recent homers with exit velocities of at least 110 mph:
112.1 mph and 451 feet
112.3 mph and 398 feet
110.2 mph and approximately 422 feet
MLB Pipeline ranked his 451-foot drive as the third-longest home run recorded in the Fall League through late October. mlb.com
There is a significant difference between possessing impressive batting-practice power and consistently accessing it during games. Harlan is beginning to provide evidence that his strength can play against live pitching.
Breakout Season Continued In Arizona
Harlan entered Tuesday batting .278 with a .403 on-base percentage, .556 slugging percentage and .959 OPS through his first 15 Fall League games.
His fifth home run came after those numbers were recorded.
The performance continues what was already a breakout second professional season.
Harlan opened 2026 with Single-A Ontario and hit .329/.438/.571 with 10 home runs in 57 games. That earned him a promotion to High-A Great Lakes, where he experienced more resistance and finished with a .720 OPS across 29 games.
Combined, Harlan batted .298/.403/.509 with 14 home runs, 22 doubles and 66 RBIs in 86 games between the two levels. baseballsavant.com
The decline following his promotion cannot be ignored, but neither should his overall production. Harlan was only 20 years old while facing older and more experienced pitching for much of the season.
His response in Arizona has been encouraging.
Rather than allowing his difficult High-A finish to carry into the fall, Harlan has reestablished himself as one of the most dangerous power hitters representing the Dodgers in Glendale.
Who Is Chase Harlan?
The Dodgers selected Harlan out of Central Bucks East High School in Pennsylvania with the 98th overall pick in the third round of the 2024 MLB Draft.
Los Angeles signed him for $1,747,500, more than double the assigned value of the selection, to convince him to forgo his commitment to Clemson.
His professional debut was delayed after he underwent surgery to repair a labrum injury in his right hip. He eventually debuted in 2025 and hit nine home runs across 68 games between the Arizona Complex League and Single-A.
Harlan is now ranked as the No. 9 prospect in the Dodgers’ system by MLB Pipeline.
At 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds, the right-handed hitter already possesses the strength expected from a corner infielder. MLB Pipeline grades his power and arm as his best tools, with his long-term defensive home likely to be third base, first base or potentially right field. baseballamerica.com
The offensive question has never centered on whether Harlan can hit a baseball hard.
It is whether he can make enough consistent contact—particularly against breaking and offspeed pitches—to access that power at the higher levels.
That remains the most important part of his development. Harlan struck out 82 times in 396 plate appearances during the regular season, and his strikeout rate has remained elevated in Arizona.
The results are still moving in the right direction.
He is drawing walks, producing against quality competition and punishing mistakes with the type of exit velocity that cannot be taught.
Home Run Derby Provides Another Showcase
Harlan will represent the Dodgers in Saturday’s Arizona Fall League Home Run Derby at Salt River Fields.
The eight-player competition begins at 5:30 p.m. Pacific and will feature a new single-elimination format. Participants will be seeded according to their Fall League home-run totals through Friday, with the farthest homer serving as the first tiebreaker. mlb.com
Harlan’s fifth home run could improve his seed.
His 451-foot blast also gives him an advantage if a distance tiebreaker becomes necessary.
Winning the Derby would be entertaining, but the more important development has already occurred. Harlan is showing that his raw power is not limited to controlled settings or batting practice.
He is producing game-changing swings against live pitching—and doing it repeatedly.
The Dodgers’ system already includes prominent young hitters such as Josue De Paula, Mike Sirota, Charles Davalan and James Tibbs III. Harlan’s recent performance is making a strong case that his name belongs in more conversations about the organization’s next wave.
Saturday will give him a larger stage.
But after five Fall League home runs—including three measured at 110 mph or harder—Harlan is no longer entering the Derby as an unknown.
How closely should Dodgers fans be watching Chase Harlan heading into 2027?