Here are the D-backs' 2025 Top 30 prospects
If the farm system has anything to say about it, the D-backs* offense won*t be going dry in the desert anytime soon. Twenty of Arizona*s Top 30 prospects heading into the 2025 season are position players.
Arizona fans will recognize more than a few of the names, too. Top prospect Jordan Lawlar was part of the club*s run to the World Series in 2023 but didn*t return to The Show last year after being sidelined by thumb and hamstring injuries. Adrian Del Castillo (No. 5) batted .313 with four homers over 25 games in the Majors late last summer and should factor in the club*s catching depth again quickly this season. Beyond those two, defensive wizard Jorge Barrosa (No. 21) and super utilityman Tim Tawa (No. 25) could be contributors as other members of the 40-man roster.
But there*s layered depth among the bats, too. Last year*s breakout star Demetrio Crisantes and 2024 top pick Slade Caldwell slide behind Lawlar at the top of the list. Former first-rounders Druw Jones (No. 7) and Tommy Troy (No. 8) will look to rejoin that elevated prospect status after dealing with injuries and down performance early in their young careers, and '24 31st overall pick Ryan Waldschmidt (No. 6) will look to show off his power-speed combo in his first full season.
There are still arms here, too, of course. Right-hander Yilber Diaz (No. 4) both has the highest ceiling and is the most MLB-ready, thanks to three plus pitches in his fastball, curveball and slider, and lefty Yu-Min Lin (No. 11) is coming off a championship performance for Chinese Taipei in the 2024 Premier12 tournament in Japan.
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Ranked No. 11 on MLB Pipeline's Top 100 Prospects list, Lawlar may be Arizona*s only Top 100 player at the start of the 2025 season, but a few more may join him (or even replace him if he graduates with MLB time) on that list before the fall arrives.
Here*s a look at the D-backs* top prospects:
- Jordan Lawlar, SS (MLB No. 11)
- Demetrio Crisantes, INF
- Slade Caldwell, OF
- Yilber Diaz, RHP
- Adrian Del Castillo, C
Complete Top 30 list ?
Biggest jump/fall
Here are the players whose ranks changed the most from the 2024 preseason list to the 2025 preseason list:
Jump: Demetrio Crisantes, INF (2024: NR | 2025: 2)
A seventh-round pick in 2022, the Arizona native repeated the Arizona Complex League to begin his second full season but didn*t last long after hitting .355 through 29 games. He kept the hits coming at Single-A Visalia and finished with a .341/.429/.492 line, as well as seven homers and 30 steals in 92 games between the two levels. Only Chandler Simpson (.355) had a higher batting average among Minor Leaguers with at least 400 plate appearances in 2024. Crisantes runs a simple operation in the box and makes good swing decisions, strengthening the belief he could hit everywhere he goes. He*s best suited for second base but should have enough bat to be productive from anywhere on the dirt.
Fall: Ivan Melendez, 3B/1B (2024: 8 | 2025: NR)
Melendez*s power was the stuff of legend at the University of Texas, where he won the 2022 Golden Spikes Award after leading Division I with 32 homers. Sent to Double-A Amarillo for his second full season, Melendez hit 22 homers but struggled immensely with non-fastballs. Considering many scouts believe he*s headed for first base long term, the right-handed slugger needs to improve his approach to get the most of that power and push himself back into Top 30 consideration.
Best tools
Players are graded on a 20-80 scouting scale for future tools 每 20-30 is well below average, 40 is below average, 50 is average, 60 is above average and 70-80 is well above average. Players in parentheses have the same grade.
Hit: 60 每 Demetrio Crisantes
Power: 55 每 Adrian Del Castillo (Gavin Conticello, Adriel Radney, Ryan Waldschmidt)
Run: 70 每 Druw Jones (Slade Caldwell, Jordan Lawlar)
Arm: 60 每 Jones (Alberto Barriga, Conticello)
Defense: 70 每 Jones
Fastball: 70 每 Yordin Chalas
Curveball: 60 每 Yilber Diaz (Daniel Eagen)
Slider: 65 每 Diaz
Changeup: 60 每 Yu-Min Lin (Roman Angelo)
Control: 50 每 Spencer Giesting (Eagen, Joe Elbis, Lin)
How they were built
Draft: 17 | International: 12 | Trade: 1
Breakdown by ETA
2025: 9 | 2026: 6 | 2027: 8 | 2028: 4 | 2029: 2 | 2030: 1
Breakdown by position
C: 3 | 1B: 0 | 2B: 4 | 3B: 2 | SS: 4 | OF: 7 | RHP: 7 | LHP: 3