Whether it¡¯s Daulton Varsho or Alek Thomas or Corbin Carroll, the D-backs have had success in the MLB Draft in selecting players that some consider undersized.

So they had no qualms about taking high school outfielder Slade Caldwell with their first pick (No. 29 overall) in the 2024 Draft, which began Sunday night.

The D-backs had four picks on the first day of the Draft, which went through Round 2. They had their own first-round pick along with a Prospect Promotion Incentive Pick (No. 31 overall) for Carroll winning the NL Rookie of the Year last year, a Competitive Balance Round A pick (No. 35 overall) and their own second-round pick (No. 64 overall).

In addition to Caldwell, the D-backs selected University of Kentucky outfielder Ryan Waldschmidt, high school shortstop JD Dix and high school catcher Ivan Luciano.

Caldwell is a dynamic ball of energy coming from a 5-foot-9 frame. While he may never produce above-average power at the professional level, Caldwell brings an advanced approach given his age (18) and should prove to be a valuable player in several categories. On the 20-80 scouting scale, MLB Pipeline gives Caldwell a 55-hit grade, 60-grade fielding ability and 65-grade speed.

Caldwell has turned those skills into serious accolades as a high school player. The 18-year-old was recently named Arkansas¡¯s Gatorade Baseball Player of the Year for the second consecutive season. In his senior year, he helped lead Valley View High School to the Arkansas 5-A state championship. Caldwell also showed off his skills on the showcase circuit, playing in USA Baseball¡¯s 18-and-under trials last August before fracturing his fibula.

In terms of comparable players based on size and skillset, Pipeline says Caldwell is an outfield version of the Mets¡¯ Jett Williams (No. 30 overall prospect). If you¡¯re looking for high-energy 5-foot-9 left-handed-batting outfielders who can hit, defend and run, Steven Kwan and Varsho are useful comparisons (Carroll is close but technically listed at 5-foot-10).

¡°I think he's going to be a dynamic player,¡± Rebhan said. ¡°I think he's a catalyst. I think he's one of those players that makes your offense go and plays a really, really good defense.¡±

While it¡¯s a bit of a different profile than you¡¯d expect for a high school outfielder, Caldwell has clearly provided the results and flashed the skills to warrant his status as a legitimate baseball prospect.

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¡°I think the thing about Slade and even the [smaller] guys that we've taken in the past, they play a little bit bigger than their size,¡± Rebhan said. ¡°Slade¡¯s stature might be a little bit smaller but he can really hit and he's shown power and I think that's the thing that doesn't scare us off. He shows real power and is someone that can be a really well-rounded offensive player while also being super athletic, super strong, playing a really good center field. His instincts are off the charts. So the stature wasn't really a worry because he plays like he's 6-2.¡±

Caldwell committed to play baseball at the University of Mississippi, but Rebhan said the team is confident that it will be able to sign all the players selected on Day One.