Arizona Diamondbacks Top 50 Prospects (2023)

January 22, 2023 John Dodge Diamondbacks, General, MiLB, NL West, Top 50 Lists 0

Arizona Diamondbacks Top 50 graphic design by Michael Packard, @CollectingPack on Twitter
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The Diamondbacks have one of the best farm systems in all of baseball. With bats, speed, defense and top-tier pitching, this system looks to be able to keep the major league club competitive for years to come. The success in recent drafts has been tremendous with breakout major leaguers Daulton Varsho (2017, now with Toronto), Jake McCarthy (2018) leading the way, and recent first-round picks Corbin Carroll (2019), Jordan Lawlar (2021) and Druw Jones (2022) not far behind. Will these prospects be able to maintain success and continue to feed the major league club?

There are some players (Seth Beer, Buddy Kennedy, Tommy Henry) who have MLB time and are still eligible for this list (less than 130 at bats and/or less than 50 IP) whom I considered ranking, but I decided to give the spots to other younger players. I did originally have power hitting 1B Leandro Cedeno ranked 12th, but he signed with Japan’s Orix Buffaloes in December.

Let’s take a look at Arizona’s Top 50 prospects.


Prospects1500 Tiers:
Tier 1: Players with high expectations of both making the majors and playing at an All-Star level for a number of years
Tier 2: Players with an above-average expectation of making the majors and being a solid contributor
Tier 3: Players with an average expectation of making the majors and being a solid contributor
Tier 4: Players who have the potential of making the majors, or have a high likelihood of making the majors but providing minimal impact (e.g. middle reliever, low-ceiling UT guys)
Tier 5: Players of interest, worth keeping an eye on, who have an outside chance of making their team’s 40-man roster

Levels listed for each player are the highest levels player reached in 2022

Tier 1

1. Corbin Carroll, OF, 22, MLB
Carroll is considered the top prospect in all of baseball, he has all the tools to be a major league player right from Opening Day. Carroll’s ability to hit for average, get on-base, drive the ball, and bring top shelf speed make him a potential first round mainstay in fantasy drafts.

2. Druw Jones, OF, 19, High School
Jones was a first-round selection by the Diamondbacks in 2022, and has all the tools to be an offensive force and be a difference maker defensively in centerfield for many years to come.

3. Jordan Lawlar, SS, 21, Double-A
Lawlar flew through four minor league stops in 2022, all while hitting over .300 with 16 homers and driving in 62. Expect Lawlar to start in AAA Reno with an outside shot at the majors in 2023.

4. Brandon Pfaadt, RHP, 24, Triple-A
Pfaadt led the minor leagues in strikeouts and is considered a near-future starter for the major league club. Look for him to challenge for a rotation spot in Spring Training.

Tier 2

5. Gabriel Moreno, C, 22, Triple-A
Recent trade acquisition Moreno is the future for the team at catcher. Look for him to make the Opening Day roster and take the starting catcher job by the end of 2023.

6. Drey Jameson, RHP, 25, MLB
Jameson looked good going 3-0 with a 1.48 ERA in a September call-up. He’ll definitely be in the mix for a rotation spot this spring.


7. Ryne Nelson, RHP, 24, Triple-A
Nelson is another good starter in the organization. He has the strikeout stuff to be a very good major league pitcher very soon.

8. Ivan Melendez, 1B, 22, Single-A
The “Hispanic Titanic” got his first taste of pro ball in 2022. The Golden Spikes award winner is a power-hitting first baseman that should move quickly through the organization in 2023.

Tier 3

9. Slade Cecconi, RHP, 23, Double-A
Cecconi showed promise in 2022, pitching to a 4.37 ERA in the hitter-friendly Texas League.

10. Blaze Alexander, SS, 23, Triple-A
Known for his defense and strong arm, Alexander had a nice season hitting over .300 with 20 homers. He could be a September call-up if he gets off to a strong start in the first half of 2023.

11. Deyvison De Los Santos, 3B, 19, Double-A
The hit tool is definitely there as Deyvison hit .300 across three minor-league levels, then went on to play in the Arizona Fall League. He will need to cut down his strikeouts (147) as he moves through the minors.


12. Landon Sims, RHP, 22, College
One of Arizona’s top 2022 draft picks (34th overall), Sims will get started this summer as he’s coming off Tommy John surgery. He could move into a bullpen role as he works his way through the system, but whether he’s a starter or reliever at this point remains to be seen.

13. Jorge Barrosa, OF, 21, Double-A
Barrosa had an outstanding 2022. He hit .278 with 13 HR to go along with 26 SB. Just 21 years old, Barrosa separates himself from the rest of the outfield depth by being a switch hitter with a good eye, taking 65 walks to only 80 strikeouts last season.


14. Blake Walston, LHP, 21, Double-A
This former first-round pick is still young at just 21 years old. He pitched across two minor league levels (High-A, Double-A) in 2022. Walston is definitely another arm to watch in 2023.

15. A.J. Vukovich, 3B, 21, Double-A
Vukovich had a good season with 17 homers and a sneaky 17 steals. There is not a lot of 3B depth in the system to keep him from moving quickly.

16. Yu-Min Lin, LHP, 19, Single-A
Lin has an above-average changeup. His pro debut season produced 91 strikeouts in only 56 innings pitched in Rookie ball and Single-A Visalia.

17. Dominic Fletcher, OF, 25, Triple-A
Brother of major leaguer David, Dominic had a really nice 2022 slashing .312/.378/.486/.864 against upper level pitching in AA/AAA. He needs an opportunity to open up on the MLB roster in 2023.

18. Dominic Canzone, OF, 25, Triple-A
Canzone is another left-handed outfielder in the Dbacks system. He may need a trade to advance to the major leagues.

19. Justin Martinez, RHP, 21, Triple-A
A power arm, Martinez has a better-than-average chance to find his way to the big league roster this coming season.

Tier 4

20. Kristian Robinson, OF, 22, DNP
21. Ryan Bliss, SS, 23, High-A
22. Cam Coursey, 2B, 24, High-A
23. Wilderd Patino, OF, 21, High-A
24. Jamison Hill, RHP, 23, Double-A
25. Bryce Jarvis, RHP, 25, Double-A
26. Levi Kelly, RHP, 23, Double-A
27. Kyle Backhus, LHP, 24, Double-A
28. Nate Savino, LHP, 20, College
29. Tim Tawa, 2B/OF, 23, Double-A

Legal issues in his native Bahamas have kept the former top prospect Robinson from playing the last couple of seasons. Three years is a long time of development lost, but 2023 looks to be his time to get back on the field and show his talents. Bliss strikes out a ton – 118 last season. He has to cut down on those to continue to climb the ladder in the organization. Hill pitches with a lot of passion and excitement on the mound, and moved up three levels in 2022. Patino had a nice 2022 hitting .290 with an eye-popping 67 steals. Kelly is hoping for a healthy 2023 following a couple injury-riddled seasons, and could be a high-leverage reliever. Savino (3rd round draft pick) had 9.1 K/9 in his third year at UVA.

Tier 5

30. Dylan Ray, RHP, 21, Single-A
31. Spencer Giesting, LHP, 21, Single-A
32. Carlos Vargas, RHP, 23, Triple-A (Indians)
33. Manuel Pena, IF, 19, Single-A
34. Ruben Santana, 3B, 17, Rookie (DSL)
35. Joe Elbis, RHP, 20, Single-A
36. Andrew Pintar, SS, 21, College
37. Conor Grammes, RHP, 25, High-A
38. Luke Albright, RHP, 23, High-A
39. Hugh Fisher, LHP, 23, High-A
40. Christian Montes De Oca, RHP, 23, High-A
41. Avery Short, LHP, 21, High-A
42. Joshua Day, SS/2B, 22, High-A
43. Junior Franco, OF, 20, Single-A
44. Liam Norris, LHP, 21, Single-A
45. Gavin Conticello, 3B, 19, Single-A
46. Miguel Gil, RHP, 21, Single-A
47. Sergio Gutierrez, C/1B, 21, Single-A (with 1 G, 1 AB at Triple-A)
48. Landon Green, RHP, 23, Single-A
49. Yilber Diaz, RHP, 22, High-A
50. Gavin Logan, C, 23, High-A

Ray, the Diamondbacks’ 4th round pick in 2022, impressed in the Cape Cod League this past summer. He tallied 17 strikeouts in 11 innings to go along with a 1.63 ERA. Montes De Oca had a huge season striking out 71 batters in only 39 innings pitched. Still very young at just 19, 3B Conticello was drafted into an organization at a position without a lot of depth. He will probably start at Visalia again this season. Logan was drafted out of the baseball factory at Oregon State University. He already moved up to High-A Hillsboro last season and could be a dark horse to make it to the majors in 2024.

John Dodge

John Dodge, a lifelong White Sox fan, was born in Chicago, Illinois. He's been a part of dynasty baseball leagues for over 25 years, participating in several daily head-to-head leagues. It is a season-long grind of about 120 games that he has a hard time living without during the off-season. John is also a baseball video game addict, owning the classic Baseball Stars as well as MVP 2005. Lately he's addicted to Super Mega Baseball. Currently lives in Surprise, Arizona - the place to be for Spring Training as well as Arizona Fall League games.

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