In our July prospect review, we covered breakout names such as Konnor Griffin, Jonah Tong, and Eduardo Quintero who have been making noise across the minors. Moving forward, we’re shifting to team-prospect reviews, giving us space to dive deeper into intriguing prospects throughout each organization.
We’re kicking things off with the Arizona Diamondbacks. This system is currently top-heavy with hitters and MLB Pipeline’s top five D-backs prospects are all position players. In 2025, the front office made a concerted effort to bolster pitching depth, acquiring Kohl Drake, Mitch Bratt, and David Hagaman from Texas, and selecting Patrick Forbes 29th overall out of Louisville. While the pitching group still lacks true frontline upside, it’s a meaningful step for a franchise looking to retool after trading away MLB talent like Josh Naylor, Eugenio Suárez, and Merrill Kelly.
Let’s dive into Arizona’s top prospects below.
Ryan Waldschmidt
Ryan Waldschmidt is quickly emerging as one of the most exciting outfield prospects in the minors. Ranked 66th overall by MLB Pipeline, he has showcased an impressive all-around skill set, slashing .283/.417/.460 with 16 home runs and 28 stolen bases across High-A and Double-A in 129 games. As a college draftee, expect him to move swiftly through the system if he continues to perform at this level.
Waldschmidt is a right-handed hitter with a simple setup. He forgoes a leg kick in favor of a small toe tap that launches into an aggressive swing. His swing features noticeable tilt, which helps him tap into his plus raw power. To better understand his in-game power, we examined his modeled barrel rates:
Both marks are above average for their respective levels, even after adjusting for our average absolute difference.
What stands out most about Waldschmidt is his combination of plate discipline and batted ball profile. Walking as often as you strike out while hitting for power reflects his advanced approach. In 2025, he showed a patient approach with a swing rate below 40% while keeping his strikeout rate below 20%. He also consistently elevates the ball, with 63.2% of his batted balls hit in the air. For reference, the MLB average is 55.7%.
Looking ahead, Waldschmidt projects for a 2027 debut. While Corbin Carroll is the only long-term outfield lock on the roster, the Diamondbacks have several options with remaining service time. This includes Alek Thomas, Jake McCarthy, and even Blaze Alexander who has played some outfield this season. Triple A depth like AJ Vukovich, Kristian Robinson, and Cristian Pache could also get looks in 2026 but have more risk in their profiles. Waldschmidt has the best blend of approach and contact skills to fully capitalize on his power and speed.
Currently ranked as our 70th overall dynasty outfielder, Waldschmidt will be under closer evaluation in 2026 once Triple-A Statcast data becomes available. He profiles as a potential 20 home run and 20 stolen base contributor with a stable batting average and a strong on-base percentage. View him as a buy now in dynasty leagues and one of the top outfield prospects in the game.
Slade Caldwell
Slade Caldwell is closing out his first professional season after being selected in the first round of the 2024 draft out of high school. He was a fascinating pick, older than most prep draftees and undersized at just 5 feet 9 inches and 182 pounds, but the early returns have been encouraging.
Across 114 Single-A and High-A games, Caldwell is slashing .260/.408/.369 with 3 home runs and 25 stolen bases. Given that the average hitter in High-A is around 22 years old, these are solid numbers for a teenager adjusting to pro ball.
His most notable tools right now are speed and plate discipline. Caldwell owns a 17.6% walk rate and has swiped 25 bags, showing a sharp understanding of the strike zone and an ability to impact the game on the bases. He has also displayed impressive bat-to-ball skills, with a 6.9% swinging strike rate and a 79.5% contact rate. Typically, those metrics align with lower strikeout rates, but Caldwell’s passive approach, reflected in a 33.0% swing rate, has likely led to deeper counts and more strikeouts than expected.
There is room for growth. If Caldwell becomes more assertive in the zone, he could better capitalize on his contact ability and speed. Even if his walk rate dips slightly, his discipline would still be a strength. His short, compact swing is built for contact, and he often lets the ball travel deep, which supports his all-fields profile but limits his power ceiling. His modeled barrel rates this year show he struggled to hit for power at his first taste of High-A.
Caldwell remains a young hitter with time to adjust. With a full offseason ahead, he will have the chance to refine his approach and unlock more of his skillset. He brings to mind other left-handed outfielders like Alek Thomas and Evan Carter, athletic players with strong instincts and feel for the game. Below is a comparison of some of their metrics from their age 19 seasons:
Caldwell has stronger contact and walks rates than Thomas at the same age and expect Caldwell to lower his strikeout rate as he develops. While I project below average power, Caldwell’s combination of contact skills, speed, and discipline gives him a real chance to become the Diamondbacks’ center fielder of the future, but lacks star upside.
Daniel Eagen
Daniel Eagen, currently ranked as the Diamondbacks’ 13th overall prospect by MLB Pipeline, is one of the most exciting arms in their system. Drafted out of Presbyterian College in 2024, Eagen dominated in his final collegiate season, striking out 121 hitters over just 77.2 innings with a 2.67 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP.
On video, Eagen attacks hitters primarily with a fastball and curveball from a high arm slot. His four-seam fastball sits in the mid-90s and shows strong horizontal movement. His best offering is a low 80s curveball with sharp downward break, a true plus pitch that should be effective against both righties and lefties. He also mixes in a mid-80s slider that adds horizontal shape to his arsenal.
Since entering pro ball, Eagen has kept the momentum going. In 2025, he posted a 33.0 percent strikeout rate and reached Double-A in his first full season. He has been impressive, logging a 2.65 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, and holding opponents to a .183 batting average. He will likely begin 2026 back in Double-A, where he will have a chance to build on the 11.3% K-BB he posted in his first three starts at the level.
Eagen has the potential to contribute in Arizona thanks to his plus fastball and curveball. To round out a starter’s arsenal, it would be beneficial for him to develop an average off speed pitch, such as a splitter or changeup variation, to complement his current mix. Eagen has some of the higher upside of the Arizona arms. With his current fastball and curveball mix he could be a late inning bullpen arm. But if he can develop an average off-speed pitch to compliment his current mix, he has mid-rotation upside.
Kohl Drake
Originally drafted by the Rangers in the 11th round of the 2022 draft out of Walters State Community College, Kohl Drake was traded to the Diamondbacks in the deal that sent Merrill Kelly to Texas. After a few starts at Triple-A Reno, he was shut down at the end of August with a shoulder strain.
Listed at 6 feet 5 inches and 220 pounds, Drake features a deceptive delivery with strong extension that makes him feel like he is jumping at hitters. He throws his fastball and sinker more than 50% of the time in Triple A this season, sitting around 93 mph and occasionally touching 95 to 96 mph. His primary breaking ball is a slider that averaged 82.4 mph, and he mixes in a changeup with good separation from his fastballs. His pitch movement chart from his Triple-A appearances highlights the diversity and shape of his arsenal.
While posting strong results with a 2.44 ERA and 0.98 WHIP in 55.1 innings in Double-A, nearly all his stats took a hit upon a promotion to Triple-A. I think some of the decline can be attributed to pitching in the hitter friendly Pacific Coast league.
Drake could likely step into the big-league bullpen in 2026 and find success using just his sinker and slider, which could play up in shorter stints. If the Diamondbacks choose to keep him in a starting role, he will likely begin the season in Triple-A, where his workload can be managed. His only season throwing more than 100 innings was in 2023, when he reached 106 innings.
At 25 years old, Drake profiles more as a future bullpen weapon, with the potential to serve as an emergency starter. If he continues to develop complementary pitches to support his fastball and slider, there is still a path to remaining in the rotation.
Demetrio Crisantes
Demetrio Crisantes is a lean-framed infielder listed at 6 feet tall and 178 pounds. He has spent most of his time at second and third base, with occasional reps at first. Drafted in the seventh round of the 2022 draft out of an Arizona high school, Crisantes has consistently performed at a high level since entering pro ball. However, 2025 marks the first season where he has not been on pace to hit over .300.
Unfortunately, he did not get the chance to rebound, as a shoulder injury in May required surgery and ended his season early.
Despite the career-low batting average, Crisantes continued to show advanced contact skills and plate discipline, walking more than he struck out. His strikeout rate improved alongside career-best marks in contact rate at 87.1% and swinging strike rate at 5.5%. His modeled barrel rate came in just below the High A average at 4.7%:
These modeled barrel rates are still encouraging given his age relative to the level and suggest he may be able to tap into league average power as he matures.
With most of 2025 lost to injury, it will be important to monitor how he rebounds in 2026. His contact ability and approach give him a high floor, but his upside as an everyday starter will depend on how much power he can unlock. If everything clicks, Jonathan India represents a realistic comp for Crisantes.
Yu-Min Lin
Yu-Min Lin signed with the Diamondbacks out of Taiwan in December 2021 for $525,000 and has steadily climbed the ranks since. Now 22 years old, Lin spent 2025 in Triple-A Reno, where he posted a 6.68 ERA and a 1.79 WHIP. Reno, like much of the Pacific Coast League, is known for its hitter friendly environments, with higher elevations that allow the ball to carry more. His home run per fly ball rate spiked in his first full season at the level:
Lin is a 5-foot 11-inch, 160-pound lefty with a deep arsenal and advanced feel for spin. His fastball is not overpowering, averaging 90.8 mph and topping out at 94.8 mph, but it is his secondaries that define his profile. He throws a low 80s changeup that has served as his primary pitch in past seasons and generated a 41.4% whiff rate in Triple-A this year. Lin also shows excellent feel for spin with a mid-70s curveball that exceeds 3,000 revolutions per minute and a sweeper around 2,900 revolutions per minute. Both pitches rank as above average to elite in terms of spin rate.
While his arsenal is not overpowering, Lin’s command of his off-speed and breaking pitches gives him the profile of a crafty left-handed starter.
Lin would likely benefit by getting out of Reno where he could see his HR/FB normalize and Lin would likely benefit from leaving Reno, where his home run rates could normalize and his breaking pitches might play more effectively. For him to succeed, he will need to limit walks, as he does not project to post high strikeout rates. His strikeout numbers have declined each year as he has advanced through the organization.
Still, Lin’s deep pitch mix and feel for spin give him a strong chance to stick in the rotation as a back-end starter.
Mitch Bratt
Mitch Bratt, 21, was acquired by the Diamondbacks in July 2025 as part of the trade that sent Merrill Kelly to Texas. Originally drafted in the fifth round of the 2021 draft out of high school, Bratt has thrown a career high 122.1 innings this year in Double-A. Across his time with the Rangers and Diamondbacks, he has posted a 3.38 ERA and 1.17 WHIP, with an 29.3% strikeout rate against an impressive 4.2% walk rate.
Bratt is a 6-foot 1 inch, 190-pound left hander who has steadily climbed the minor league ladder. His arsenal includes a low 90s fastball, low 80s slider, curveball, changeup, and a newly added cutter that serves as a bridge pitch. While none of his offerings are overpowering, it is his command and pitchability that allow him to maximize his repertoire. His pitches appear to tunnel well off each other, and he repeats his mechanics and release point consistently.
Expect Bratt to begin 2026 in Triple-A, where he will be pitching in the Pacific Coast League and facing some of the same hitter friendly environments that challenged Kohl Drake and Yu Min Lin this year. Keep that context in mind when evaluating his stats and home run rates next season.
Overall, Bratt fits the mold of a back end starting pitcher but does not carry the same immediate bullpen risk that Drake does, thanks to better command and mechanical consistency.
JD Dix
JD Dix was drafted 35th overall in 2024 and made his professional debut in 2025. He began in complex ball and has since been promoted to Single-A, where he has posted a 113 wRC plus to date. Listed as a switch hitter, Dix has primarily played second base in pro ball. In pre-draft video, he appears more comfortable swinging from the left side and could eventually transition to hitting left-handed full time.
He has shown a strong hit tool with impressive contact rates and low swinging strike rates in the minors. However, his modeled barrel rate has been below league average, sitting at 1.6 percent in CPX and 1.1 percent in Single-A:
While he has not displayed much in-game power yet, there is room for growth as he continues to mature.
Although his ceiling may be limited due to modest power and a likely long-term fit at second base, Dix could turn himself into a infield utility type. He does not have much swing and miss in his game, and a refined approach in 2026 could unlock another level of production. If he takes a step forward in the power department, he could develop into a valuable contributor in the mold of Jake Cronenworth.
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