Arizona Complex League Players to Watch

Chris Clegg discusses 23 prospects he is watching closely in the Arizona Complex League.

The Arizona Complex League kicks off on Saturday, May 4, a full month earlier than previous seasons. But what could be better? More minor league baseball. I am excited to have another level to follow and look for more breakout prospects.

Rosters have not fully been finalized, and if things change or rosters get updated, I will update the article! But for now, with what we know, let’s look at the top prospects to follow from the Arizona Complex League in 2024.

Be sure to check out the Florida Complex League article:

Prospects To Watch in the Arizona Complex League

Robert Calaz, OF, COL, 18, 6’2”/202

After making his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League in 2023, Calaz slashed .325/.423/.561 with seven home runs and 21 extra-base hits in 43 games. Calaz generates easy bat speed with a strong lower half, letting the power come to him.

The exit velocities were insanely high for someone who was 17 years old for most of the season. With the frame, you could easily see Calaz being a 25 home run bat for much of his career. Despite the powerful frame, Calaz also ran well, posts above-average clock times, and was successful on six out of six stolen base attempts in 2023.

The fantasy upside is highly appealing here, and Calaz is a player I want to bet on continuing to rocket up rankings in 2024 and beyond.

Derniche Valdez, SS, CHC, 18, 6’1”/180

Valdez was the crown jewel of the Cubs’ 2023 international signing class, collecting a $2.8 million signing bonus, which was the tenth highest among all players this year. In a matter of a year, Valdez added two inches and over 30 pounds to his highly athletic frame, and there is a chance he is still growing.

Valdez is an explosive athlete who generates quick bat speeds and has the potential to get to plenty of power. His DSL performance left a lot to be desired, but Valdez still hit six home runs and collected 12 extra-base hits in 35 games while slashing .234/.328/.477, still posting an .805 OPS. Valdez showed that he could handle high velocity and breaking pitches well, as a 17-year-old does, which checks a lot of boxes for future performance. With plenty of room left to fill out his frame, Valdez could be a big breakout in 2024.

Nazier Mule, TWP, CHC, 19, 6’1”/210

Mule was drafted in the fourth round of the 2022 draft but unfortunately has not played professionally due to having Tommy John Surgery. While being a legit two-way prospect, it is still unknown what the Cubs plan to do with him as he has been throwing on the mound and taking reps at shortstop.

The talent level is there, but if the Cubs do plan to develop him as a two-way, expect him to be babied back on the mound, especially after surgery.

Angel Cepeda, INF, CHC, 18, 6’1”/170

Cepeda had a very strong DSL last summer as a 17-year-old, in which he slashed .286/.427/.429 with a home run and five stolen bases. After living in the States and being recruited to play college ball, he moved to the Dominican Republic, where the Cubs gave him a $1 million bonus.

A strong athlete, Cepeda has a frame that could add strength and power to what is already strong plate discipline. Cepeda is a good athlete and the kind of profile I like to bet on taking a step forward.

Jaxon Wiggins, RHP, CHC, 22, 6’6”/225

Wiggins had Tommy John and missed the 2023 season at Arkanda but was still selected in the second round of the 2023 draft by the Cubs. Wiggins has big stuff from a big frame, and despite the surface numbers at Arkansas looking all that great, the strikeout stuff is certainly there.

The fastball sits mid-90s and touches 97 as a starter but in relief, he touches triple-digits often. The slider devastates hitters and Wiggins will mix a curve and a changeup. The command is the issue and will be the sticking point, so we will see what Wiggins looks like upon return from surgery in the complex.

Felix Morrobel, SS, LAA, 18, 6’0”/175

Morrobel was the Angels’ highest-paid signing bonus in the 2023 international class at $900k. The 6’0” switch hitter shows strong contact skills from both sides of the plate with a smooth swing geared for line drives. In the Dominican Summer League, he posted a .286/.322/.335 slash, which won’t wow anyone, but he put a ton of balls in play. Morrobel struck out at just a 7.6 percent rate, which is quite impressive for any hitter.

The future impact will determine what kind of impact Morrobel may make. He has decent speed but did not show great instincts on the base paths in 2023, stealing 11 bases in 19 attempts. If he grows and adds strength and turns some of the gap power into home runs, the profile becomes pretty intriguing, considering his hit tool.

Dario Laverde, C, LAA, 19, 5’10”/160

Laverde is an athletic catcher who signed with the Angels for $350k in 2022. The left-handed hitter has a simple operation at the plate, utilizing a simple toe tap and an explosive lower half to spray the ball to all fields. After a strong DSL performance in 2022, in which he posted impressive contact rates, Laverde came stateside and slashed .306/.419/.455 across 43 games at the complex with one home run, seven stolen bases, and 14 extra-base hits.

The exit velocities won’t wow you, and Laverde has not tapped into power yet, but considering he just turned 19, there is plenty of time for him to grow and fill out his frame. The feel to hit is strong, though, and Laverde is a patient hitter who draws walks, having as many as he does strikeouts for his pro career. 

Laverde also has a strong arm behind the plate, and with his athleticism, he can certainly play catcher long-term. Laverde could become an intriguing catching prospect if the power ticks up while the hit tool remains.

Eric Bitonti, 3B, MIL, 18, 6’4”/220

Bitonti is a 6’4”, physically gifted, highly athletic masher. The lefty bat posts big-time exit velocities but can also move well for his size. He was one of the youngest players in the 2023 draft, not turning 18 until mid-November, and the Brewers liked the talent enough to take him in the third round and give him an over-slot deal. 

Some projection is left on the already big frame, but Bitonti could end up being a 30-home run bat if all clicks right. Bitonti did struggle making contact in his small pro debut, in which he struck out over 30 percent of the time, so that will be something to watch closely. But there is plenty to dream about when it comes to Bitonti’s upside.

Filippo Di Turi, INF, MILB, 18, 6’0”/180

Di Turi was one of the Brewers’ top signings in the 2023 international signing period, landing a $1.3 million bonus. The switch hitter has a good feel for the strike zone from both sides of the plate, walking more than he struck out in the Dominican Summer League. His 17 percent walk rate and 14 percent strikeout rate are both positive signs and led to a .282/.414/.354 slash line.

The power is still gap-to-gap, as Di Turi registered 11 extra-base hits with zero home runs last summer. But given the frame and the body/hand control, Di Turi could get to more power as he just turned 18 years old. He shows sneaky speed, but if the body continues to fill out, he may not be much of an asset on the base paths.

Walker Martin, SS, SF, 19, 6’2”/188

Walker Martin is the definition of an athlete and is one of the best in the 2023 draft. He is a bit older than most of the prep players in this year’s class, which was one of the reasons why he was not hyped. He broke Loden Sports scale for athletic testing and starred across three sports.

Martin starred as his high-school starting QB, but not any ordinary QB. He helped lead his team to three straight state championships and accounted for 41 touchdowns his senior season. He also led his high school basketball team in scoring and rebounding his junior season.

Now, to the baseball side of things. Martin mashed 20 home runs this season and posted a .636 batting average, a .722 OBP, and a 1.632 slugging percentage. He shows a solid feel to hit and has excellent bat speed through the zone. There is certainly potential for Martin to be a plus hitter with plus power and speed.

Martin fell to pick 52, where the Giants scooped him up and gave him an over-slot deal. It was a great landing spot as the Giants need a future shortstop, and Walker fits that mold well.

Rayner Arias, OF, SF, 18, 6’2”/185

Arias was the Giants’ prized possession in the 2023 international signing period, landing a $2.6 million bonus and immediately taking off in the Dominican Summer League. Unfortunately, a shoulder injury limited him to just 16 games, but Arias made his presence known, slashing .414/.540/.793 with four home runs and 12 extra-base hits. 

Having a quiet pre-swing approach, Arias uses an explosive lower half to generate plenty of bat speed. His approach was very good in a small sample, walking 20 percent of the time while striking out just north of 14 percent while posting low chase rates. 

With an athletic frame like Arias has, you can dream of him adding more good weight and getting more power, even though it is already advanced for his age. Even though it was only a small DSL sample, Arias impressed and might be a huge riser in 2024 if healthy.

Braylin Morel, OF, TEX, 18, 6’2”/180

Morel mashed in the Dominican Summer League last year after receiving just a $97k signing bonus. He hit eight home runs, but more impressively had 17 doubles and eight triples in 47 games while slashing .344/.417/.644. Morel did strikeout a decent amount, posting a 24.5 percent rate, so that will be something to monitor coming stateside.

The frame is projectable on what is already above-average power, the question is where will the contact rates fall. Don’t expect Morel to be a huge threat on the base paths either, so for fantasy production you want to bank on the power and the hit tool development.

Eduardo Quintero, OF, LAD, 18, 6’0”/175

Quintero originally signed with the Dodgers as a catcher for $300k but played strictly outfield in the Dominican Summer League, where he showed elite athleticism in the field and at the plate. Posting a solid slash line of .359/.472/.618 with five home runs and 27 extra-base hits in 49 games was one of the top performances in the DSL. Additionally, he stole 22 bases in 26 attempts. 

Quintero showed strong contact skills and struck out just 16 percent of the time while posting a walk rate of 15 percent. While you want to project out hit tools based on DSL data carefully, you can argue that Quintero is an above-average to plus hitter with big-time speed. The power projection is still a question mark. Still, due to the large amounts of extra-base hits and the fact he hit five home runs, you can see Quintero growing into at least average game power and hitting 15-20 home runs a season while stealing 30 or more bases with his elite athleticism and instincts on the base paths.

Given the abilities we saw in centerfield, it seems like a real possibility that he sticks there and has the potential to be a true five-tool player, which I don’t throw out often. His 2024 season at the complex level will give us a good idea of the kind of player he can become long term.

Jeter Martinez, RHP, SEA, 18, 6’4”/180

Young pitchers on the international market are a dime-a-dozen, and it appears the Mariners found one in Jeter Martinez, who signed in 2023 before dominating the Dominican Summer League with a 1.72 ERA across 47 innings with 55 strikeouts as a young 17-year-old.

Currently, Martinez sits in the low-90s with his fastball, touching 94-95 mph on occasion, but it is important to remember he is still the age of most high school seniors and is oozing with projection. As he fills out his 6’4” frame, Martinez is likely to add more velocity and could end up sitting in the mid-90s consistently. With a high arm-slot, Martinez fastball plays best as a two-seamer down in the zone, letting it run.

The changeup is solid for his age but still a developing pitch. Martinez also throws a slider near 80 mph, which plays up when he snaps it off. While Martinez is largely a work in progress, it is hard to find a 17 year-old pitcher that isn’t. With added strength and refined command, Martinez could really take off.

Felnin Celesten, SS, SEA, 18, 6’1”/175

The prized possession of the Mariners 2023 international signing class, Celesten, unfortunately, did not see any game action on the field due to a hamstring strain. The switch hitter might have more upside than anyone in the system, if all pans out for him.

Already having grown from his listed 6’1” height, Celesten has a ton of projection in his frame but already flashes big power with high exit velocities. The power looks currently better from the right side of the plate, but Celesten has shown the ability to get to it from the left side as well. The contact skills are better from the right, leaving it easier for him to get into game power there.

Celesten has an aggressive swing and approach, sometimes taking big hacks, leaving questions about how the approach will fare against more advanced pitching. If the hit tool and contact numbers can sit around league average, it will allow the rest of the skillset to flourish. 

Having potential plus power with plus run times, there is a lot of dream on with Celesten from a fantasy standpoint. If he does fill out, the run times could tick down, but Celesten is likely to be a threat on the base paths for the early part of his career. A strong performance in 2024 will see his stock soar, so invest in Celesten now before its too late.

Grant Taylor, RHP, CHW, 21, 6’3”/230

Despite not pitching in 2023 due to Tommy John, the White Sox liked Taylor enough to take him in the second round out of LSU. After a strong stint in the Cape Cod League in 2022, Taylor had an elbow issue that required Tommy John and kept him out in 2023.

Taylor has a mid-90s fastball with nice tail, reaching 99 with late ride at the top of the zone. The velocity played up more out of the bullpen, but in the summer on the Cape, Taylor showed the ability to hold velocity in starts and showed improved command of the pitch.

Taylor added a cutter in the low-90s with a short, hard break that gives him another serviceable pitch in the arsenal. The curveball shows a ton of vertical drop sitting in the upper 70s, generating some ugly swings. The slider and changeup both flash average at times, but the arsenal is strong.

Taylor is healthy this spring and is slated to start the year in extended spring training before heading off to an affiliate.

Sammy Stafura, SS, CIN, 19, 6’0”/190

Stafura is a strong athlete with blossoming skills at shortstop that many did not expect to fall to the Reds at 43 overall. He landed a bonus half a million higher as the Reds loved the opportunity to develop a player with a ton of upside.

Stafura’s strongest skill is his run grades, which are firmly plus and are better. He shows great speed and instincts to steal bases while also using his speed and athleticism in the field at shortstop. 

He creates natural loft in his swing, which helps him get more power, and with added weight and strength in 2023, the home runs came more naturally. There are still questions about his ability to make consistent contact, especially with his aggressive nature in the swing. Stafura likes to jump on pitchers early in counts but also has a swing-happy profile.

While Stafura possesses the tools, the Reds will bank on developing the contact skills and work on his approach. Depending on where the hit tool lands, Stafura could be a 20 home run/20 stolen-base type player long-term. 

Welbyn Francisca, SS, CLE, 17, 5’10”/175

While Cleveland typically spreads their international bonus pool money across a multitude of players, they did give a sizeable bonus of $1.375 million to Welbyn Francisca in January 2023. Francisca has an advanced body for his age, considering he is shorter and won’t turn 18 until next May. 

He hit the ground running in the DSL, showing why he was one of the best hitters there, slashing .316/.419/.500 with three home runs, seven doubles, and six triples in 40 games. Francisca showed strong plate discipline and the ability to steal bases, swiping 11 bags.

The switch hitter showed strong abilities from both sides of the plate, posting a .915 OPS from the left side and a .947 from the right, with low strikeout rates on both.

Francisca has a smooth swing and controls the barrel quite well through the zone. With the bat speed he generates plus his maturing body, Francisca might be able to get to average game power, especially considering the number of extra-base hits he already had as a young 17-year-old in 2023. 

When Francisca comes stateside in 2024, we should get a better look at data and live looks to be able to better project the kind of players he might be long term.

Joendry Vargas, SS, LAD, 18, 6’4”/175

Joendry Vargas is highly athletic and has a frame to dream on, standing at 6’4”/175. The Dodgers inked Vargas to a $2.08 million deal in January of 2023, and he hit the ground running in the Dominican Summer League, posting one of the strongest performances there, hitting seven home runs and collecting 20 extra-base hits in 208 plate appearances while slashing .328/.423/.529. Vargas showed good athleticism and speed, stealing 19 bases.

Vargas shows strong plate skills and makes plenty of contact. He posted one of the lower chase rates in the DSL and walked 30 times while striking out just 31 times, an impressive K/BB rate. While he does take a walk, Vargas also puts a ton of balls in play, and it shows in the fact that he was able to collect 57 hits in just 48 games.

The power already showed up, with Vargas posting some high exit velocities and towering home runs as a 17-year-old. The current power, plus future projection give confidence that Vargas could be a consistent 22-25 bat with room for more in the profile. 

A hitter of Vargas’s caliber will thrive in the DSL environment, but his performance was impressive, posting a 149 wRC+ on the season. The upside here is tremendous and one that I want to bet on moving forward. Whether Vargas will take the De Paula route and skip complex ball remains to be seen, but I would assume he begins next season in the Arizona Complex League and moves up rather quickly.

Alexander Albertus, INF, LAD, 19, 6’1”/176

Albertus is a young, versatile infielder from Aruba who signed in 2022 as a small, undersized shortstop. He has grown and filled out the frame but has remained an incredible athlete. In 2023, Albertus spent time in the DSL and at the Complex as an 18-year-old, slashing .310/.471/.468 with five home runs across 170 plate appearances. He also swiped nine bags but was caught six times.

The swing from Albertus is reminiscent of Mookie Betts, with a big leg kick that generates a ton of coil, leading to big bat speed. With the little bit of film and data on Albertus, he shows excellent strike zone awareness and high-end contact skills.

Albertus walked 38 times in 2023 while striking out just 19. That means the strikeout rate was just north of 11 percent, while he walked 22.4 percent of the time. Full-season ball is the next step for Albertus, who could see his stock soar in 2024.

Walter Ford, RHP, SEA, 19, 6’3”/198

Ford reclassified and was drafted in the second round after his junior year in 2022 as a 17-year-old. In fact, he spent the entire 2023 season as an 18-year-old and didn’t turn 19 until December 28, 2023.

Ford dealt with injuries in 2023 that limited him to just 22 innings, and his fastball velocity took a big hit, sitting around 90 mph in a small sample. Back in January at a facility, Ford threw a bullpen where the fastball sat 91-93 mph with 20 inches of IVB on average, which is huge.

The curveball showed good shape in 2023, and his slider has taken a huge leap forward this offseason, averaging between 15 and 17 inches of sweeping action. Ford has also been working to add a new splitter that has been sitting in the upper 80s, with 10 inches of IVB and 14 inches of horizontal movement, giving it the potential to be a nasty pitch.

Ford is athletic, with a big leg kick on the mound, and has a fast arm. Command was an issue last year, but we can chalk some of that up to injury. He is an exciting arm who could take a big leap forward in 2024.

Ramon Ramirez, C, KC, 18, 6’0”/180

Signing for just $57 thousand in the 2023 international signing class, Ramirez appears to have been a fantastic find by the Royals after his tremendous Dominican Summer Leageu stint in which he mashed eight home runs and added nine doubles in 150 plate appearances while slashing .344/.440/.615. Ramirez walked more than he struck out, which is not all that uncommon for disciplined hitters in the DSL, but in Ramirez's case, the underlying data backs it.

Making contact on 90 percent of pitches in the zone, exhibits great swing decisions, leading to low chase rates. While it is a good idea not to put too much stock into DSL data, it is hard to ignore the kind of data that Ramirez posted, given that he was 17 years old and already has an impressive frame.

The power comes easily from a strong frame, quick hands, and a barrel that stays in the zone for a long time. Ramirez has even shown power with a flick of his wrist on a pitch down and away, sending it to the opposite field. He hits where pitches are thrown and doesn’t try to do too much when he doesn’t get a chance to get to his pull-side power.

The maturity at the plate is impressive for someone 17, but we need to see more than the DSL sample. But if the success continues at the Complex and Single-A in 2024 and the data carries over, his stock is going to soar.