SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Though the Diamondbacks placed 22nd in MLB Pipeline's new farm system rankings, that doesn't mean they're bereft of talent. They counterbalance their lack of Top 100 prospects (just one, shortstop Jordan Lawlar) with one of the deeper systems around.
Some of that depth comes from three of the biggest breakout prospects of 2024. Infielder Demetrio Crisantes slashed .341/.429/.492 while reaching full-season ball for the first time, leading all teenagers in the Minors (minimum: 400 plate appearances) in hitting and on-base percentage. Right-hander Yilber Diaz went from getting roughed up at High-A in 2023 to the big leagues last season, while catcher Adrian Del Castillo suddenly topped the Minors in slugging (.603) and OPS (1.002) and also surfaced at Chase Field.
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Crisantes had Tommy John surgery early in his Arizona high school career and elbow issues persisted afterward, causing him to drop to the seventh round of the 2022 Draft. His tools beyond his bat are fairly fringy, though the Diamondbacks believe he has a special bat and can develop average or better power.
"Demetrio takes professional at-bats, and his bat-to-ball ability is exceptional," Diamondbacks farm director Chris Slivka said. "All indicators are that this kid is going to hit. He's learning when to take his shots in count leverage, when to pull the ball for a little more juice. Understanding how to do that is making him a better hitter."
Signed for just $10,000 at the relatively ancient (on the international market) age of 20 out of Venezuela in 2021, Diaz has three pitches that grade as plus or better, with his tight mid-80s slider ranking slightly ahead of his mid-90s fastball with armside run and upper-70s knuckle-curve. He ranked ninth in the Minors (minimum: 100 innings) last year with a 32.1 percent strikeout rate and posted a 3.81 ERA in 28 1/3 innings with Arizona.
"Yilber's stuff was better last year, and his velocity was up slightly," Slivka said. "The big thing was the addition of his slider in January instructs. His slider is so good, and it tunnels with his fastball to keep people off his fastball. His strikes were much better too last year. Now he's working on his changeup."
Del Castillo entered his junior season at Miami in 2021 as a potential top-five-overall pick, then slumped and dropped to the back of the second round. He has boosted his OPS from .648 to .814 to 1.002 in his three full pro seasons, doing a better job of managing the strike zone, attacking hittable pitches and producing high exit velocities. He slashed .313/.368/.525 with four homers in 25 big league games, though opponents took advantage of his below-average receiving and throwing.
"Adrian always has had the ability to be a good hitter," Slivka said. "A lot of things looked the same last year, though he did get a little stronger and add some impact. I think the next step for him is dialing in his catching and throwing. A lot of that revolves around his transfer, exchange and footwork. He has put in a lot of hard work."
Arizona also nabbed two of the biggest breakout players in the 2024 Draft. Supplemental first-round outfielder Ryan Waldschmidt bounced back from blowing out his left ACL in the Cape Cod League the previous summer to slash .333/.469/.610 with 14 homers and 25 steals in 59 games and lead Kentucky to its first-ever College World Series. Third-round right-hander Daniel Eagen missed most of 2023 with elbow and shoulder problems, then saw his fastball jump 5 mph last spring as he set a Presbyterian record with 122 strikeouts in 77 2/3 innings.
Breakout potential: Yordin Chalas
Another $10,000 bargain on the international market, Chalas signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2023 and compiled a 4.09 ERA with 72 strikeouts in 50 2/3 innings between two Class A stops in his full-season debut last year. The right-hander relies heavily on a fastball that climbs as high as 99 mph, and all 61 of his pro appearances have come out of the bullpen, but Arizona wants to try him in the rotation.
"We're going to build him up and see what he can do as a starter," Slivka said. "He works in the mid-to-upper 90s, has a hard slider and now he has added a splinker. He's very intriguing and super projectable."
Bounceback candidate: Druw Jones
The son of five-time All-Star and 10-time Gold Glover Andruw Jones and the No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 Draft, Jones signed for a franchise-record $8,189,400. A shoulder injury pushed his pro debut back to 2023, when quadriceps and hamstring injuries limited him to 41 games. His double-plus speed and center-field defense have been as good as advertised, but he showed a passive approach and made a lot of ground-ball contact while slashting .275/.409/.405 with six homers and 21 steals in 109 contests at Single-A last year.
"Druw's injuries have put him in a tough spot, but he started to come on last year and has carried it into Spring Training," Slivka said. "He's an elite center fielder with hittability. People talk about his need to pull and lift the ball, but him taking fastballs to right-center is fine. He does need to get to the point where he can do damage on hanging breaking balls. We just want him to go out and be himself."
Draft sleeper: John West
At 6-foot-8 and 265 pounds, West looks more like a power forward than a pitcher, and he did star in basketball as a Massachusetts prepster. Boston College's top starter as a senior last spring, he went in the 12th round in July and will make his pro debut in April. His velocity has jumped about 2-3 mph since he turned pro, and he features a diverse repertoire.
"John has been impressive," Slivka said. "His four-seamer has been 95-97 mph at times, and he also has a heavy sinker, a sweeper, a harder, shorter slider and a changeup. His changeup has been up to 90."