SCOTTSDALE — Arizona Diamondbacks baseball returns this week.
The D-backs begin play at Chase Field on Monday night to start a two-game exhibition series against the Cleveland Guardians, and the club has to put the final touches on the roster before Opening Day on Thursday.
This was a different spring than usual in many respects, as much of the team left camp to participate in a compelling World Baseball Classic, where Eduardo Rodriguez became a hero for Venezuela and Geraldo Perdomo a talking point for automated balls and strikes.
Corbin Carroll, Merrill Kelly and Gabriel Moreno have dealt with injuries, but Carroll and Moreno are expected to be in the Opening Day lineup. Kelly is hoping for a minimum injured list stint.
These situations presented opportunities for younger players to get more at-bats in Cactus League games, and many took advantage.
Here are five hitting and pitching standouts from Diamondbacks spring training:
5 standout Diamondbacks hitters in spring training
OF Jordan Lawlar
Stats: .333/.444/.622, 4 HRs, 13 Ks, 9 BB in 15 games
Lawlar entered camp as arguably the player to watch, given his position change to the outfield, status as the former top prospect and improved offensive production in September. He struggled mightily to get anything going in the major leagues before then, as right-on-right breaking balls buried him when he got to the big leagues.
Lawlar has looked comfortable in the outfield for someone getting his first extended professional looks out there, and he has been a standout at the plate. He’s hit the ball hard consistently (50%). On Friday, he smoked a 107 mph single on a slider off Brewers right-hander Jacob Misiorowski. What’s been especially impressive has been Lawlar’s ability to draw walks at a 17% clip, laying off tough pitches and allowing his speed to become a weapon on the bases.
The challenge is translating these successes to the regular season, which would provide a major jolt to the lineup.
OF Alek Thomas
Stats: .370/.452/.778, 3 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 6 K, 3 BB in 10 games
General manager Mike Hazen said at the start of camp that this is a “huge year” for Thomas to lock down a position. Thomas entered camp having made mechanical adjustments, eliminating the pronounced leg kick to quiet some of his movements. He has also consistently hit the ball hard this spring, hitting 10-for-27 with two home runs, three doubles and a triple.
Thomas clubbed a 432-foot shot off lefty Austin Gomber on Sunday, which was notable because lefties have given him a lot of trouble throughout his career. Manager Torey Lovullo said the limited movement has allowed Thomas to stay behind the baseball better and eliminate chase.
Gabriel Moreno
Stats: .242/.324/.545, 3 HR, 7 K, 4 BB in 11 games
Moreno salvaged his spring stats at the very end, but what was noteworthy was how hard and how far he hit the baseball. Moreno said he wants to show more power, and he crushed three home runs 445 feet or further. His average exit velocity this spring was 94.5 mph, so even though the average was not high, he put the barrel on the baseball.
Forearm tightness late in camp cost him a few days, but he returned to catching on Sunday to prepare for the regular season.
OF Jorge Barrosa
Stats: .333/.404/.714, 3 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 8 K, 5 BB in 15 games
Barrosa has a lot to prove with no minor league options left and a career .148 batting average in 95 plate appearances. The 5-foot-6 switch-hitter has put together a camp more attuned to his minor league profile than when he looked like a young player trying to do too much in the majors last year.
Barrosa’s at-bats have been better, as he has reached base at a .404 clip. The strikeouts are down to 17%.
With the ability to run and play all three outfield spots well, showing he can put together quality at-bats and make pitchers work will be a valuable attribute from the likely fourth outfielder.
UTL Tim Tawa
Stats: .318/.426/.523, 2 2B, 2 HR, 10 K, 8 BB in 16 games
Tawa is 7-for-10 with two home runs and a double against left-handed pitching this spring, which he may see a lot of this season. The D-backs don’t have an obvious designated hitter against lefties until Lourdes Gurriel Jr. comes back from the injured list, and Tawa is well-positioned to take on those at-bats or fill in defensively while someone else slides into the DH spot.
He’s remained on the infield this spring in games, playing second and third base, but he proved last year he can handle the outfield and even first base in a pinch. Tawa also has the second-most walks on the team this spring, only behind Lawlar.
Honorable mentions
Ildemaro Vargas: Vargas has become an annual spring training standout for the D-backs, hitting .365 in 2019, .395 in 2020, .275 when he returned last year and .378 this spring. Vargas was Arizona’s hits leader for Cactus League in 2o26, battling for a utility role after signing a minor league deal.
Jose Fernandez: Fernandez, a 22-year-old prospect on the 40-man roster, went 7-for-25 with six extra-base hits and an average exit velocity of 98 mph. He was the star of the Spring Breakout game with three hits, as he has put himself on more radars this camp.
Ryan Waldschmidt: Arizona’s top prospect did not make the team out of camp, but he walloped five doubles and ended his spring with a three-hit performance on Sunday. He is one to keep an eye on for a call-up this season.
Corbin Carroll: Carroll’s stats are not noteworthy. What is noteworthy is that he broke his hamate bone, underwent surgery to remove it, returned to the complex to continue training the next day and was back in Cactus League games a month later.
5 standout Diamondbacks pitchers in spring training
Ryne Nelson
Stats: 5 GS, 17 IP, 3.18 ERA, 23 Ks, 2 BB
Nelson looked sharper as the spring wore on and his outings lasted longer, giving up one run with 13 strikeouts and one walk in his last nine innings. He’s averaged 96 mph with the four-seamer with elite induced vertical break (rise or carry effect), while the slider worked a 42% whiff rate.
Nelson’s fastball was already a strength, and sharpening his secondary pitches has been a focus that can allow him to continue putting up strong numbers as he pushes deeper into his career.
Brandon Pfaadt
Stats: 3 GS, 10 IP, 1 ER, 11 Ks, 3 BB
Pfaadt made a couple starts on the backfields, so he only pitched 10 Cactus League innings this spring. In those 10 frames, he allowed one run with 11 strikeouts.
Pfaadt threw five hitless innings in his last Cactus League start against the Padres, with four whiffs on the sweeper he is looking to sharpen this year. If that pitch pairs with his cutter to become a plus for him like it had been before 2025, Pfaadt will have more answers this season to find better consistency.
Taylor Clarke
Stats: 8.2 IP, 1.04 ERA, 6 Ks, 2 BB
Clarke has almost been easy to overlook due to how efficient he has been. He’s only needed 122 pitches to get through nearly an entire game’s worth of innings, as opponents hit .161 off him in Cactus League. He had his struggles earlier in his career in Arizona, but some arsenal changes and improvements led to a career year in Kansas City last year.
The D-backs brought Clarke back on a one-year deal.
Jonathan Loaisiga
Stats: 7 IP, 3.86 ERA, 7 K, 2 BB
The key for Loaisiga this spring was staying healthy and throwing strikes, and he did so with seven strikeouts to two walks in seven innings of work. His fastball reached 99.6 mph in his last appearance, as he showed the stuff that Arizona was willing to take a flier on.
Loaisiga said he turned down other minor league offers and even a major league offer to sign a minor league deal with Arizona, and it appeared that decision will pay off with a roster spot.
Andrew Hoffmann
Stats: 8 IP, 2.25 ERA, 19 K, 3 BB
It was hard to pick the last spot on the list — like it will be picking the final bullpen pieces — between Hoffmann and Juan Morillo, but Hoffmann struck out 10 hitters in eight innings and drew 40% or better whiff rates on both his changeup and slider.
Hoffmann came into camp saying he would bump the usage of his slider, which would diversify his pitch mix with the changeup and heater.
Honorable mentions
Juan Morillo: This spring, Morillo has drawn a 40% whiff rate with the slider while keeping the walks down, both quality signs after his rookie season in 2025. Arizona has a crowded roster bubble for bullpen spots, and Morillo has separated himself with a stellar Cactus League slate: one earned run in 8.1 innings.
Paul Sewald: The veteran is back and throwing harder than he did last year, averaging 91.4 mph with the fastball that reached 92-93.5 mph pretty regularly. He did not walk anyone in seven Cactus League innings and is positioned for a back-end role.
Zac Gallen: Gallen’s final numbers don’t look great, but the Opening Day starter threw harder this spring at 94.2 mph with the fastball and feels that he’s physically in a good spot after his strong finish last year.
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