Arizona Diamondbacks Top Prospects 2025

Arizona Diamondbacks top prospects for dynasty fantasy baseball, including Jordan Lawlar, Demetrio Crisantes, Slade Caldwell, Ryan Waldschmidt, and more!

Welcome to our team prospect rankings. Over the next two months, I will be pumping out team top 30 prospect rankings and evaluations for dynasty baseball. These reports are generated from live looks, film study, and advanced data analysis to bring you in-depth fantasy scouting reports on every player you need to know, with today’s being the Arizona Diamondbacks Top Prospects.

Not all 30 players in each writeup will be dynasty relevant, but many will, and if you play in a deep league, certainly most of the names will be worth knowing.

Each player has a detailed write-up. The top 10 rankings and writeups are free for all, but the rest of the top prospects are for paid subs. Get an edge in your dynasty leagues and get in on some of these players first! Let’s get to it, our Arizona Diamondbacks Top Prospect list.

Top Prospect Glossary

FFG = Future Fantasy Grade - essentially, what is the likely long-term outcome for the prospect? This is always going to be more conservative. Handing out ace tags is not something I like to do. So this is a realistic outcome.

90th Peak = If the player hits their best-case outcome, what does it look like?

Variance = How risky is this player’s profile, and how likely are they to hit their likely outcome? Low variance is good; high means more risky.

Arizona Diamondbacks Top Prospects for Dynasty

Format for report: Name/Position/Age on 2025 Opening Day/Height/Weight/Highest Level

1. Jordan Lawlar, SS, 22, 6’2”/190, MLB

Injuries have been the story of Lawlar’s career to this point. While a relatively healthy 2023 saw him reach 534 plate appearances, he even made it to the Majors as a young 21-year-old. A torn ligament in his thumb saw Lawlar miss the first two months of the season, and shortly after returning, Lawlar strained his hamstring, sidelining him until September 8th. 

He totaled just 104 plate appearances in 2024, slashing .318/.417/.482 with two home runs and nine extra-base hits. The underlying data suggests that injuries definitely affected him, as his average exit velocity of just 85 mph and the 90th percentile of 101 mph were both big steps down from 2023. 

Lawlar controls the barrel and the strike zone well. The contact rates were fine, sitting at 71 percent overall and 81 percent in the zone. He also has shown respectable chase rates, which lead to walks and higher OBPs.

Speed is Lawlar’s best asset, checking in with 70-grade run times and a strong ability to steal bases. In his MiLB career, Lawlar has stolen 82 bases and been caught just 13 times. 

Lawlar should have been the Diamondbacks' primary shortstop in 2024, instead, injuries derailed his season. Now the goal should be to have him fully healthy for 2025. We could see plenty of 20 home run/30 stolen base seasons with solid batting averages and on-base percentages. 

FFG: Top-15 SS

90th Percentile Peak Outcome: .275/.365 OBP/25 HR/30 SB

Variance: High Due to Injury

Buy/Sell: Buy Low

2. Demetrio Crisantes, 2B, 20, 6’0”/178, A

Crisantes saw his stock increase more than nearly any minor league hitter in 2024. After a strong start in the complex, he did not miss a beat in Single-A Visalia. Between both levels, Crisantes slashed .341/.429/.492 with seven home runs and 36 extra-base hits in just 439 plate appearances. He swiped 30 bags and was only caught three times while scoring 89 runs. 

Having a smaller frame did not limit his power output, though, as he posted strong exit velocity data for his age. His 90th percentile exit velocity was 102.5 mph, and Crisantes topped out at 112 mph. He gets plenty of loft in his swing, putting nearly 63 percent of his batted balls in play between the complex and Single-A.

Contact is also quite strong, and you can argue that he has plus contact and plate skills. He made contact on 89 percent of pitches in the zone and 82 percent overall. He has a high zone minus out-of-zone swing rate and is showing good aggression in the zone. The chase rate checks in around 23 percent, showing his strong pitch recognition. 

Crisantes ended the season on an impressive 57-game on-base streak and will begin 2025, chasing the MiLB record of 71. His season could not have gone much better, but Crisantes truly broke out in 2024. If Crisantes takes another step forward with power in 2025, he could ascend to be a top 25 prospect.

FFG: Well-Rounded MI

90th Percentile Peak Outcome: .290/.385 OBP/18 HR/25 SB

Variance: Medium

Buy/Sell: Buy

3. Slade Caldwell, OF, 18, 5’9”/182, N/A

The Diamondbacks took Caldwell in the 2024 draft at the end of the first round. Despite being on the smaller side, Caldwell plays well above his listed height and weight. A high-energy player who was on the younger side for the draft, Caldwell has stood out in all aspects of the game, both on and off the field.

Having a strong lower half, Caldwell is quite explosive through the zone. His point of contact is out in front, and the barrel stays in the zone for quite some time. Caldwell has really strong wrists and quick hands, which helps him get to more power than you might expect given his size.

Caldwell is a natural athlete who tests quite well and has plenty of speed to burn. Clocked in with a 3.79 30-yard dash and a 6.62 60-yard, Caldwell is one of the better runners in the class.

The contact skills are good, and Caldwell’s swing generates natural loft, hitting the ball often at ideal angles. It is a heavy line drive profile to all fields, but Caldwell can put it out of the park when he wants to. Don’t let the size scare you away; Caldwell is a dude.

FFG: Speedy OF w/Sneaky Pop

90th Percentile Peak Outcome: .270/.350 OBP/15 HR/40 SB

Variance: Medium

Buy/Sell: Buy in FYPD

4. Ryan Waldschmidt, OF, 22, 6’2”/205, A

Few college players improved their draft stock as much as Ryan Waldschmidt did in 2024. Transferring from Charleston Southern to Kentucky, Waldschmidt had a solid sophomore year before fully breaking out in 2024. The Diamondbacks were happy to land him with the 31st overall pick after buzz. He could go top ten.

In 59 collegiate games, Waldschmidt hit .333/.469/.610 with 14 home runs and 17 doubles. Throughout his career, he has shown strong plate discipline and contact skills, which showed again this year with a 16 percent strikeout rate and a 15 percent walk rate.

Hitting the ball rather hard, Waldschmidt finished the year with a near 93 mph average exit velocity and a 109 mph 90th percentile, both ranking in the top five percent of college baseball players. His xwOBAcon of .430 also showed the quality of contact he makes.

The contact skills are respectable, with his 80 percent overall mark being above average, but the in-zone mark of 88 percent shows a strong feel for contact on pitches in the zone. He rarely chases out of the zone, just 16 percent this season.

While pop-up names can sometimes present risk, I feel like some of it is mitigated by the fact that Waldschmidt performed extremely well against the highest level of competition in the SEC. It was just a small sample of pro ball, but Waldschmidt showed his strong on-base skills, posting a slash of .273/.485/.318. His 90th percentile with wood translated to 103 mph in a small sample, and Waldschmidt topped out at 109, both solid marks. His in-zone contact was an impressive 93 percent to pair with an elite chase rate of 15 percent.

FFG: Top-10 SS

90th Percentile Peak Outcome: .270/.370 OBP/20 HR/10 SB

Variance: Medium

Buy/Sell: Buy

5. Yilber Diaz, RHP, 24, 6’0”/190, MLB

Diaz enjoyed a major breakout in 2024, posting a 3.80 ERA across 104.1 minor league innings with 140 strikeouts and 47 walks. Making his MLB debut in July and then coming back up in September, Diaz had 28.1 strong innings with a 3.81 ERA. Diaz missed time with a finger injury in August, but he only missed one start.

Considering the pitcher-friendly environments he pitched in during his time in Double-A and Triple-A, Diaz’s results were quite good. He showed improved strike-throwing, having a league average 63 percent clip in the minors. His swinging strike rate was well above average at 16.5 percent, and he had an impressive 33.7 percent CSW. 

Diaz has a big fastball that sits in the mid-90s consistently and regularly touches the upper 90s, hitting 99 on Wednesday. He throws a sweepy slider with depth that sits in the mid-80s and also throws a high-spinning downward curveball in a 12-6/11-5 shape. There is massive upside here, but Diaz's ability to stick as a starting pitch will hinge on whether he can throw enough strikes.

FFG: SP5

90th Percentile Peak Outcome: 160 IP/3.70 ERA/165 K

Variance: High

Buy/Sell: Hold

6. Druw Jones, OF, 21, 6’4”/180, A

Jones got off to a rough start to his pro career after being selected second overall in 2022. He did miss time in 2023 due to a right quad strain and a right hamstring strain as well. Jones slashed just .238/.353/.327 with two home runs and nine stolen bases across 173 plate appearances.

He showed major signs of improvement in 2024 but still has a long way to go to get to where he needs to be. Still, Jones posted a 125 wRC+ in Single-A this season while slashing .275/.409/.405. He homered six times while adding eight triples and 15 doubles. 

While having good bat speed, the swing can get pretty flat at times. He also steps out toward the third base bag, which causes the ground ball rates to be much higher than you would like to see. While it trended in the right direction in 2024, a 57 percent ground ball rate is still a major issue. 

At present, the swing needs a lot of work—from the swing plane to stepping out to his back foot sliding nearly out of the box. The tools are undeniable if he can get the kinks worked out. There is power potential and speed, and Jones is definitely plus in centerfield.

FFG: Toolsy OF w/poor quality of contact

90th Percentile Peak Outcome: .275/.365 OBP/22 HR/30 SB

Variance: High

Buy/Sell: Buy if cost is low enough

7. Gino Groover, 3B, 22, 6’2”/212, AA

After missing over three months with a wrist injury, the Diamondbacks 2023 second-round pick was quite good upon return, and the promotion to Double-A did not cause him to miss a beat. Groover returned to full-season ball after the All-Star break, posting a .281/.363/.502 slash with nearly as many walks as strikeouts.

The home run barrage started on August 27, and he finished his final 17 games with seven home runs and four doubles. You might be tempted to push Groover way up rankings based on his finish, but the underlying power metrics are still below average, having a 90th percentile exit velocity near 101 mph. The contact rates are plus or better, with Groover having an 84 percent overall mark.

Groover was one of the college analytic darlings in the 2023 MLB Draft that led Arizona to select him in the second round. After beginning his career at Charlotte, Groover spent two seasons at NC State, where he posted a slash of .349/.435/.555 with 24 home runs in 114 games. 

While the exit velocities have trended downward with wood, the contact skills have remained highly impressive. At a corner spot, there will be pressure on the bat. Can Groover tap into more power with his 6’2”/212 lb frame? I would not rule it out.

FFG: Hit Tool First CI

90th Percentile Peak Outcome: .290/.360 OBP/22 HR/3 SB

Variance: Medium

Buy/Sell: Buy

8. Tommy Troy, MI, 23, 5’10”/197, A+

After being selected 12th overall in the 2023 draft, Troy has struggled with the transition to pro ball. Troy had hit at every stop prior at both Stanford and in the Cape Cod League. In 2023, at Stanford, he slashed .394/.478/.699 with a 14 percent strikeout rate. After just seven home runs in 2022, Troy hit 17 in 2023. The concerns in college revolved around swing and miss against breaking balls, and that has been exploited in pro ball.

Troy did miss significant time this season due to offseason foot surgery and a hamstring injury. It is possible the hamstring could have bothered him all season, even upon return. In 288 plate appearances, Troy slashed .227/.319/.346 with five home runs and 16 stolen bases. 

The contact skills have hovered around average all year, checking in at 73.7 percent overall. Troy does not expand the zone too often, helping him post a walk rate north of ten percent. He utilizes a big leg kick but has minimal wasted movement with his hands. 

Given the reports about his work ethic, you would think Troy works through these issues. Injuries probably played a huge part in 2024. Though a move to second base seems likely in the long term, Troy could have a well-rounded skillset with average or better tools across the board.

FFG: Deep League MI

90th Percentile Peak Outcome: .270/.350 OBP/15 HR/20 SB

Variance: High

Buy/Sell: Sell

9. Yassel Soler, 3B, 19, 5’11”/185, A

Soler made a quick impression in his stateside debut in the Arizona Complex League, starting out the season hot. He finished the year with six home runs in 239 plate appearances and slashed .303/.351/.472 with a 17.2 percent strikeout rate to a 6.7 percent walk rate.  

With a strong frame, Soler certainly looks bigger than his listed 5’11”/185 lbs. The power is already present, as the 18-year-old has maxed out at 111 mph and had quite a few batted balls north of 105 mph. The issue was a 50 percent ground ball rate, which hindered his ability to reach home run power.

Starting with a slightly open stance, Soler utilizes a small leg kick but has a lot of pre-swing hand movement. Honestly, I see a lot of Junior Caminero in the swing, especially the way Soler loads his hands high before dropping them back down into the slot. Please don’t take that as a comp, but I see some resemblance in the swing. 

Soler did get promoted to Single-A for the final two games of the year, but we will need to see extended looks at him there to get a better feel. The power upside is there. The contact skills are there. It is just a matter of proving he can handle better pitching in full-season ball.

FFG: Deeper League CI

90th Percentile Peak Outcome: .275/.340 OBP/23 HR/7 SB

Variance: High

Buy/Sell: Buy

10. JD Dix, SS, 19, 6’2”/180, N/A

Wisconsin prep bats don’t always get a ton of love, but that changed this year with Dix, as the Diamondbacks selected him as the 35th overall pick. Dix is a physically gifted shortstop standing at 6’2”/180 that oozes projection. Having a high waist and an explosive lower half, Dix generates power with ease from both sides of the plate. He looks natural from both sides of the plate and generates a ton of bat speed from both.

A natural athlete, Dix has posted strong run times at events, with his best 60-yard dash at 6.48 seconds. Dix lifts the ball with ease, hitting a ton of line drives and fly balls to the outfield gaps. With the projection on the frame, there is plenty of power upside to dream in the long term with the quality athlete that he is.

Dix did miss time with a torn labrum during his senior year, but reports say that the shoulder is good to go, and he should be fully healthy.

FFG: Toolsy MI

90th Percentile Peak Outcome: .270/.340 OBP/18 HR/20 SB

Variance: High

Buy/Sell: Buy

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