Spring training not only presents Arizona Diamondbacks fans the ability to see their favorite major leaguers up close, but it also grants them unique access to watch an organization’s prospects at Salt River Fields before they disperse for minor league ball.
Full squad workouts officially begin on Monday, and with increased activity along the back fields, more players across the organization will be visible.
The Diamondbacks’ system is a bit polarizing when looking at external media lists, as high as fourth via The Athletic’s Keith Law but in the 20s on rankings from ESPN and Baseball America.
Several prospects are on the doorstep of the major leagues, and while the depth of the team may keep them off the Opening Day roster, there will be moments when they have to come through.
This list is admittedly only the tip of the iceberg for the farm system, but let’s dive into just a handful of storylines in the farm system to watch entering spring.
Diamondbacks prospect spring training storylines
What can Adrian Del Castillo and Jordan Lawlar do to make the team?
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Two of Arizona’s most recognizable prospects, shortstop Jordan Lawlar and catcher Adrian Del Castillo, have each made their major league debuts and will compete for spots on the roster in 2025.
Del Castillo will compete with Jose Herrera for the backup role, although Herrera being out of minor league options alters the playing field a bit.
Keeping Herrera in the organization and giving Del Castillo regular playing time in the minors is a path forward. Del Castillo produced an .893 OPS in 25 MLB games last year and a 1.002 OPS in Triple-A. He’s made defensive strides, but that is the area the club wants to continue seeing development for him.
He’s worked at improving his throwing throughout the offseason, working with minor league catching coordinator Robbie Robinson.
Lawlar is blocked from an everyday starting infield job as the team is currently constructed. He missed most of the 2024 campaign with thumb and hamstring injuries, and it appears Lawlar will start in Triple-A Reno to get everyday playing time before the club calls him back up.
“He’s one of the best players in our entire system,” General manager Mike Hazen told Arizona Sports’ Bickley & Marotta on Wednesday. “He’s going to be on this team at some point. I think the battle with Jordan is sticking him on the bench and playing once a week is probably not in his best interest, but he needs to be ready.”
Lawlar will continue to get most of his reps on the left side of the infield at shortstop and third base with occasional time at second base.
Diamondbacks first-year farm director Chris Slivka told Arizona Sports what he’s looking to see from both of them this spring:
“Del Castillo has been working a lot on his defense,” he said. “Obviously, the bat played, right? The OPS speaks for itself. He’s been really working diligently on his defensive work. So that’s something that has been a main focus for him. And he made a lot of progress.
“With Jordan, I know that he worked on his swing a little bit this off season, hoping to see what that carries into spring training. Getting time in the Dominican (Winter League) was really good for him, too. So just building on those things. Continuing to fine tune his game on both sides of the ball, I think it’s gonna put him in a really good spot.”
Gino Groover learning from major leaguers
The Diamondbacks invited 2023 second-round pick Gino Groover to major league camp after a promising, albeit injury-impacted, first full pro season. A toolsy hitter from the right side, Groover reached Double-A Amarillo by the end of the regular season despite lost time due to a broken wrist, and he earned a spot in the Arizona Fall League’s Fall Stars Game.
“He showed in his short stint at Double-A and in the Fall League that the bat is gonna play,” Slivka said. “I think that getting him with that group, with his maturity level, he’s gonna fit right in. But, I think getting him with that group to work on his craft, getting some exposure to the major league staff and the guys up there will be good for his development.”
Groover has said reaching the major leagues in 2025 is a dream of his, but he understands the process. Slivka said Groover entered camp in great shape and looking improved defensively. He will primarily play third base with reps at first and second base, as well.
Crisantes building off his breakout year
Very few Diamondbacks fans outside Nogales probably heard of southern Arizona-native Demetrio Crisantes before the 2024 season. He made himself a more familiar name for baseball fans around the country with a breakout season that ended with a 57-game on-base streak.
Crisantes is only 20 years old and finished the year in Single-A Visalia with a .907 OPS, showing the Diamondbacks impressive approach at the plate from a young age.
“He’s a professional hitter,” Slivka said. “I think a lot of people talk about how to swing nowadays. He really knows how to hit. He controls the strike zone. He has the ability to hit hard line drives, contact all fields. What stands out for him is how young he is, but how mature his approach is at the plate, right? He knows when to take his shots. He knows when to get take what the pitcher is giving to him. And that’s gonna serve him well as he goes up through the system.”
Pitching depth is always key
The Diamondbacks have a stacked rotation at the major league level, but the depth in Triple-A Reno will be something to watch whether injuries occur or just looking to 2026.
Right-handers Yilber Diaz and Cristian Mena, along with southpaw Blake Walston, each made their MLB debuts last year as the club needed to dive into its pitching depth.
Mena, 22, is healthy after rehabbing a late-season injury in Arizona, and he has shown signs of encouragement.
“He’s been building up. He looks a lot stronger. He might be one that I would say has really popped coming out of the dead period,” Slivka said. “He put on a lot of muscle mass, looks like a grown man now. And what’s coming out of the arm looks really good right now and really encouraging.
“Yilber, he’s gonna build on what he when he started last year, really happy with how the season went, he dominated in the PCL. It’s something that’s not very easy to do. And then pitching in the big leagues and holding his own in that short stint, we’re really excited to see what’s gonna happen this year.”
Two under-the-radar youngsters working alongside the major leaguers are Joe Elbis, a 22-year-old starter whom the D-backs protected from the Rule 5 Draft, and Listher Sosa, a 23-year-old reliever coming off a promising season who received an invite to spring training.
Elbis worked a 3.39 ERA in 24 starts between High-A Hillsboro and Double-A Amarillo. Sosa pitched 61 minor league innings with a 3.39 ERA and 62 strikeouts across three levels, reaching Double-A.
“Listher had a great year last year, secondary development came along and the velocity popped a little bit,” Slivka said. “Joe had a healthy 2024, he’s going to build on that, started to trend upwards a lot towards the end of the season, especially with the uptick in velocity.”
Top left-handed pitching prospect Yu-Min Lin’s camp will begin later after a busy offseason in which he played for the Taiwanese national team and had to fulfill mandatory military duty, per MLB.com.
Finally, in minor league camp, starter Jose Cabrera and reliever Yordin Chalas are two prospects who turned heads last season in A-ball. FanGraphs shot Chalas up its list of D-backs prospects to 11th at the end of 2024 at 20 years old, as he struck out 72 batters in 50.2 innings. The D-backs also drafted a slew of big college arms last year, starting with Daniel Eagen and Connor Foley, who may be closer to the majors given their collegiate experience.
Druw Jones continues to make progress
Druw Jones played a healthy 2024, able to get 471 plate appearances across 109 games after injuries marred his 2022 and 2023 campaigns. Jones, a heck of a defensive outfielder and athlete, earned a solid .814 OPS with Single-A Visalia, hitting six home runs with 21 steals.
The plan is to start the 21-year-old and 2022 No. 2 overall draft pick in High-A Hillsboro, and the key to his ascension will be continuing to stay on the field.
“Did a really good job controlling strike zone,” Slivka said. “As as he continues his journey, it’s continuing to refine the offensive skill there, working through the swing a little bit more. It looks great right now, it really does. He’s got freaky ability and talent, and he’s still super young.”
Bonus ball: Cristofer Torin made early statement in instructs
When asked about instructs — minor league winter camp — standouts, Slivka first mentioned Cristofer Torin, a 19-year-old infielder who played in Visalia last season.
Torin is a well-regarded defensive middle infielder with a slender frame at 5-foot-10, 155 pounds, although Slivka said he came to camp more filled out. He only hit four home runs in 108 games last year, but he worked his walks and finished with a .725 OPS.
“I think he has such skill and talent, he can improvise defensively, he can do a lot of things,” Slivka said. “He’s got exceptional bat-to-ball ability and a really good feel for the strike zone. I think it’s continuing to refine those skills and use those skills within the game.
“We’re working through a bat speed program with him right now too, so continuing to develop the physical piece of his game, because he’s so skilled, it’s just about refining those skills from the context of the game and then physical development.”
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