PHOENIX — The Arizona Diamondbacks felt the need to start making changes given their recent hitting troubles, and as general manager Mike Hazen put it, top prospect Ryan Waldschmidt was the best player to call up from Triple-A Reno.
As Waldschmidt gets acclimated to the big leagues, the Aces have a group of other prospects trending upward, all of whom will make their cases to help the big league club at some point if the need presents itself.
Let’s focus on a group of five who have stood out as the season enters the middle of May — two hitters, a starter and two relievers — before digging into the farm system’s storylines as a whole:
INF LuJames Groover:
Groover is viewed as “pretty close” to major league ready at the plate. In regards to controlling the strike zone, avoiding chase and situational hitting, he has done a lot of what the organization looks for.
He does not produce much slug, but his hit tool is excellent, and he entered Saturday with as nearly many walks as strikeouts this season (15.2% walks and 15.7% strikeouts). His on-base percentage (.420) is higher than his slug (.403).
The bigger question is where he fits defensively, as Groover had some hiccups at third base in spring training. He has played mostly at the hot corner this year — where Nolan Arenado has been a consistent presence in the big league lineup — but he will continue to get reps at first base for versatility.
“Looking at where he’s been at metrically between first base and third base, he’s been very consistent,” farm director Chris Slivka told Arizona Sports. “The throwing was a little bit of a snag in spring training, but the arm action looks a bit looser. … I think the more flexibility we can give him positionally, it’s going to present more opportunities for him to help the big league club.”
LuJames Groover YOU are INSANE ?@milb | #Aceball pic.twitter.com/IQyK7kBCTo
— Reno Aces (@Aces) May 3, 2026
Tommy Troy:
Troy has remained an on-base machine. After a .390 on-base percentage last year, Troy is up to .413. He walks a lot (14%) and is batting .315 with eight doubles and three triples. His strikeouts are also up to 24%, but Slivka believed Troy would continue to adjust to Triple-A.
The Diamondbacks have been exploring his ability to play different positions, most recently giving him looks in left field. This year, Troy has played second base (where Slivka said his improvement has been stark), center field and left field, as his primary position of second base is occupied in the major leagues by Ketel Marte.
The D-backs built a roster with positional versatility, namely Ildemaro Vargas, Jose Fernandez and Tim Tawa.
Tommy Troy makes a leaping catch at the wall to take away extra bases ? pic.twitter.com/N4hon6rqBU
— Reno Aces (@Aces) May 10, 2026
Mitch Bratt:
Bratt came to Arizona last season in the Merrill Kelly trade and made his Triple-A debut this spring. So far, Bratt has been Reno’s most effective starter with a 2.48 ERA in seven starts pitching in the hitter-paradise Pacific Coast League.
Bratt does not blow hitters away with velocity but keeps them off-balanced with plus command. Bratt has struck out nine batters per nine innings with 3.1 walks, limiting hitters to a .176 average.
“Just attacking the zone relentlessly, commanding the fastball,” Slivka said. “The velocity is starting to climb up a little bit more to last year’s norm. He’s done a good job landing all his pitches in the strike zone. I think we’re continuing to emphasize utilizing the entirety of his mix so that he can really keep hitters off-balance.”
Bratt threw a four-seamer, curveball, slider, changeup and sinker in his last outing, drawing whiffs with four different pitches.
The 22-year-old is on the 40-man roster and represents starting depth with Kohl Drake.
Mitch Bratt appreciation post:
4.1 IP | 5K | 1ER
The southpaw lowers his ERA to 2.84 ? pic.twitter.com/T8Z5sdnSa8
— Reno Aces (@Aces) April 26, 2026
Yilber Diaz:
Diaz has had a wild couple of years from back-to-back six-inning starts to begin his MLB career in 2024, a demotion to Double-A Amarillo in 2025 and now a solid start as a relief pitcher with Triple-A Reno this season.
The right-hander has pitched 17.2 innings in relief this year with 25 strikeouts, nine walks and a 2.04 ERA.
His fastball is playing up in the bullpen, up to triple digits, as he leans on the heater and the slider. He has firmed up the slider to an upper 80s mph pitch, and landing that pitch in the strike zone to keep hitters off the fastball will be key.
Kade Strowd:
Spring training did not go according to plan for Strowd after coming to Arizona in the offseason Blaze Alexander trade, but he is showing why the club targeted him so far in Reno.
Strowd owns a 1.32 ERA in 13 appearances, as he continues to show big league-caliber stuff with a mid-90s mph heater and a cutter, his main weapon. He has struck out 9.88 batters per nine innings and drawn 62% ground balls.
“We feel like he could be close to contributing,” Slivka said. “We just need to continue to refine the strikes and make sure we work on his attack plans against both-sided hitters.”
Strike-throwing continues to be the focus (12.5% walks).
Kayson Cunningham has been a hits machine
Arizona’s first-round pick from last summer, Cunningham leads the California League with a .394 batting average, nearly 50 points higher than anyone else. That’s in 118 plate appearances, and with more walks than strikeouts, he is nearly reaching base 50% of the time.
The 19-year-old, left-handed-hitting infielder is in concussion protocol and expected to be back soon.
“I think another thing that we’re really happy about is the continued growth and development in shortstop,” Slivka said. “He’s done a really good job improving significantly at the position. He’s far from a finished product there. But the defensive development’s been huge.”
MLB Pipeline recently moved Cunningham onto its top 100 prospects in baseball list at No. 95.
Kayson Cunningham sets a pair of career highs in hits (four) and RBIs (four) for the @VisaliaRawhide ⭐️
The @Dbacks' No. 2 prospect finishes atop the Single-A California League with a .388 average in April: pic.twitter.com/GZDuLTlx2h
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) May 1, 2026
Slade Caldwell’s stats are perplexing
Arizona’s first-round pick from 2024, Caldwell is off to a strange start this season.
The speedy outfielder is batting .161.
And yet, his .402 OBP is eighth in the Northwest League. He leads the league in walks, but the thinking is that he needs to swing the bat more.
A major league average swing percentage is just over 47%. Caldwell is at 31%.
“We need to continue to work with him on pulling the trigger on pitches he can handle,” Slivka said. “Our hitting group’s working relentlessly with him, just in terms of approach and swing. We’re focusing on making sure he’s pulling the trigger on those pitches and he’s mechanically tightened up so he can make quality contact. I know it’s been a rough start for him, but I still have a lot of confidence in the athlete and the tools.”
Similar to Cunningham, Caldwell was on fire to start last season in Visalia and earned a promotion quickly. He was the youngest player for a time in High-A. He also played through a herniated disk in his back for most of the season. He was slow-played in spring, so he is a little behind where he’d normally be in terms of reps at this point.
Manuel Pena: Next Jose Fernandez?
Pena may not be high on many Diamondbacks prospects list, but he has been must-watch so far this season. Pena won the Texas League Player of the Month for April, as he leads the league with 13 home runs and 30 RBIs in 31 games.
Slivka compared Pena to Fernandez in the sense that the organization has pushed him through the ranks when he has been on the younger side for each level, and he has held his own.
This season has been a breakout so far, as the infielder is one home run away from tying a career high.
“He’s a left-handed hitter who’s really starting to grow into his man strength and power this season,” Slivka said. “It’s not just Amarillo. His hard hit rates, his top-end exit velocities are way up this year. There’s a lot of substance behind his hot start. He still needs to learn to manage the strike zone a little better and control his ABs, something any young hitter generally struggles with at an upper level. So we’re looking forward to his continued growth.”
Stop if you’ve heard this before…Manny Pena just homered. #EmbraceTheAnimal pic.twitter.com/KGY92y0VAC
— Amarillo Sod Poodles (@sodpoodles) April 16, 2026
Promising early signs from Baltimore trade
The D-backs picked up more talent than Strowd for Alexander.
Right-handed pitcher Wellington Aracena is nearly hitting 100 mph as a starter in High-A Hillsboro, and the strikeouts are piling up. He has punched out 24 batters in 18.1 innings with 10 walks, pitching to a 2.95 ERA.
“He’s been controlling his body over the rubber more, and that’s been leading to more success over the plate in terms of count control, lowering the walk rates,” Slivka said. “He’s missing bats with electric stuff.”
Infielder Jose Mejia is in Single-A Visalia and won the club’s Minor League Player of the Month award for April. Mejia, at 20 years old, is one off the California League lead for walks while hitting .313, racking up an OBP that ranks third in the league (.463).
Both players are due to rise up Diamondbacks prospect rankings if this continues.
Jake McCarthy trade acquisition wins award
Right-handed pitcher Josh Grosz was acquired in the Jake McCarthy trade with the Colorado Rockies. He recently won the Texas League Pitcher of the Week for striking out 11 batters with one hit, no walks and no earned runs in his last start. The 23-year-old starter has struck out 34 hitters in 19.2 innings so far for Double-A Amarillo.
5 more Diamondbacks prospects off to hot starts
High-A Hillsboro RHP Junior Sanchez: 23.1 IP, 35 Ks, 6 BB, 1.54 ERA Triple-A Reno OF Kristian Robinson: .298/.409/.468, 6 SB Single-A Visalia C Carlos Virahonda: .272/.345/.573, 8 HR High-A Hillsboro C Alberto Barriga: .296/.378/.563, 5 HR Double-A Amarillo RHP Jose Cabrera: 29 IP, 32 Ks, 6 BB, 3.41 ERAInjury updates: Crisantes, Forbes and Ray
Infielder Demetrio Crisantes, Arizona’s No. 4 prospect on MLB Pipeline, is getting close to getting back into games after suffering a hamstring injury. Crisantes missed most of last year with a shoulder injury and has yet to make his 2026 debut. He is expected to play in games in the next week or two and get back to Hillsboro in the first week of June. Pitcher Patrick Forbes (No. 29 pick in 2025), suffered a mild flexor strain this spring and has been throwing bullpens. The hope is he will be back in games in June. Pitcher Dylan Ray, who is on the 40-man roster, has dealt with a minor groin issue. He has thrown live batting practice at Salt River Fields and is expected to slide back into the rotation this week. Reliever Hunter Cranton is going to have season-ending surgery on his hip. The hard-throwing reliever was part of the Eugenio Suarez trade last summer with Seattle.Hence then, the article about checking in on diamondbacks farm system who could be next after ryan waldschmidt was published today ( ) and is available on Arizona sports ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
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