GOODYEAR — The Arizona Diamondbacks have one of the strongest offensive cores in the major leagues and a group of players on the rungs below whom the club could really use a big season out of.
That starts in spring training, where several Diamondbacks players in big league camp are being evaluated for what role they will play. Spring results are typically not the be-all, end-all, but they can tell part of a story. Process, at-bat quality, comfortability and progress from the year before are elements to watch for.
General manager Mike Hazen has already said this is a big year for outfielder Alek Thomas to put the pieces together. Former top prospect Jordan Lawlar has a runway to everyday playing time. New top prospect Ryan Waldschmidt is a dark horse for Opening Day, but with an overwhelmingly impactful spring, who knows?
Ketel Marte, Geraldo Perdomo, Gabriel Moreno and Corbin Carroll (working back from a broken hamate) make up the core, and veteran third baseman Nolan Arenado has an established everyday role.
The Diamondbacks have a roster that presents opportunities to compliment that group, both for those looking to solidify their previously held spots and newcomers:
Diamondbacks hitters to watch closely in spring training
(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Jordan Lawlar
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So far, so good for Lawlar, who is 4-for-6 with two home runs in his first two Cactus League games with two center field starts.
The Diamondbacks are shifting Lawlar to the outfield, where there is an opportunity to play regularly, particularly as Lourdes Gurriel Jr. works back from a torn ACL.
“It looks like he’s getting nice breaks and reads in the outfield,” manager Torey Lovullo said.
Lawlar is no longer sitting near the top of national prospect lists as he’s not longer considered a prospect by MLB. More than at any other time in his career, the big league team will count on him to produce and live up to the potential that’s evident in his speed, power and athleticism.
Lawlar has 108 MLB plate appearances with a .165 batting average and no home runs. Right-handed pitchers have dominated him with outside spin, so how he adjusts to the league could make or break his upcoming season.
Making adjustments during at-bats is an area he claims to have made improvements, while he continues to work on recognizing and handling spin.
“When he has days like this when he controls the zone, has really good approaches, we feel like he’s going to — inch by inch and day by day — get closer to the type of player we know he is capable of becoming,” Lovullo said after Lawlar went 3-for-4 on Monday. “But there’s work between now and then.”
Jordan Lawlar worked a 3-2 count, fouled off a couple pitches and then crushed a home run to left field in his first AB of the spring. pic.twitter.com/a9paLb7yd6
— Alex Weiner (@alexjweiner) February 21, 2026
Alek Thomas
Thomas has not made the strides expected of him after 2023, when he capped a tremendous defensive campaign with a standout postseason at 23 years old.
Hamstring injuries bit him in 2024, and it took awhile for him to trust his legs in 2025 before his defense approached where it had been two years earlier.
At the plate, Thomas set a career high with a below-average .659 OPS in 143 games played in 2025. Instead of entering the year as the obvious starting center fielder, Thomas has been asked to move around this spring, getting reps in the corners as Lawlar plays more center.
“It’s time. He’s got three-plus years in now. He’s got 1,000 at-bats under his belt,” Hazen told Arizona Sports’ Bickley & Marotta on Friday. “Those adjustments need to start happening. He knows that. He’s working hard. I appreciate how he’s going into this. He knows what he needs to do to lock down that position.”
Thomas has made adjustments to find more success at the plate, including limiting his pronounced leg kick.
Thomas is off to a good start in Cactus League. Not only did his crush a double 110 mph off the bat on Sunday, but he drew a walk, his second in as many games after hardly reaching base on balls last year.
Lawlar, Thomas and Carroll could make up the starting outfield until Gurriel is back, whether that’s in May or June. Gurriel won’t be the everyday left fielder right when he comes back, and with a flexible designated hitter spot, there will be at-bats to go around. At the same time, Arizona will have prospects in the upper minors competing for those.
Why move Lawlar to center and put Thomas in a corner? The explanation is that it makes Lawlar’s job simpler as he gets used to a new position, allowing him to see the ball straight on and go get it. However, if Lawlar clicks and Thomas continues to struggle at the plate, then Lawlar becomes a candidate to remain the everyday center fielder when Gurriel’s playing time in left ticks up or if a prospect makes the leap.
Come for the Alek Thomas 2 RBI double, stay for his celebration at second base ?@Dbacks pic.twitter.com/K8cxFc2G5l
— Reno Aces (@Aces) February 22, 2026
Ryan Waldschmidt
Waldschmidt is getting looks early. He has started three of Arizona’s first four Cactus League games and clubbed his first home run of the spring on Monday. He doubled on Sunday and hit a 115 mph grounder on Friday.
This is the first big league camp for Waldschmidt, who was just drafted in 2024. He hit .309 with a .921 OPS in Double-A last year. He also hit 18 home runs and stole 29 bags in the minor leagues.
“I think if I focus on doing what it takes to win and what you do everyday to win baseball games, I think it’s all going to accumulate at the end of the season and whatever happens, happens,” Waldschmidt said. “Me making the team is not anything in my control, so I’m gonna play aggressive, I’m gonna play relaxed and we’ll see what happens at the end of spring training.”
The 23-year-old has yet to play in Triple-A and it is probably premature to expect at this point he’ll be in the Opening Day lineup. But his dominant second half in Double-A, advanced approach at the plate and ability to play multiple outfield spots are reasons to suggest his candidacy could be real, and even if he starts in Triple-A, he’s knocking on the door. Proving he can handle center field, Lovullo said, is an important assignment for him this spring.
“I know he climbed through the system a little bit,” Lovullo said. “Everybody said this is a guy that’s going to continue to grow. … It’s now up to him to go out there and perform. So I don’t want to give it a floor or a ceiling. He’s wherever needs to be.”
If he starts in Triple-A, he becomes a name to monitor for a midseason call-up.
Top Diamondbacks prospect Ryan Waldschmidt hit his first home run of the spring today against the Guardians.
Here's his approach to his first major league camp: pic.twitter.com/qXoti0mZeP
— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) February 23, 2026
Jorge Barrosa
Sticking to the outfield, as that is where most of Arizona’s lineup questions lie, this is a big spring training for Jorge Barrosa.
The 25-year-old is out of minor league options and needs to make the team to avoid the waiver wire. Can he play to his strengths and become a useful major league role player is the question.
The 5-foot-6 switch-hitter is an elite defender who can fill into all three outfield spots, which gives him an edge to crack the roster as the D-backs are focused on shoring up its defense this year.
In the minor leagues, he’s done well at limiting strikeouts, drawing walks, stealing bases and showing sneaky pop. With his size and the plate discipline he’s shown in the minors, pitching to him should be difficult. In the big leagues (only 71 plate appearances), that has not yet come through, as he has helped pitchers by chasing.
After a slow start in Sunday’s game, he got ahold of a pitch and shot it over the wall.
“Important (spring) for him, and he knows it,” Lovullo said. “It’s more than hitting home runs, it’s two-strike approach, understanding the strike zone, the little things that go on inside a baseball game. Hitting a home run is huge for his confidence, and I love that. There needs to be some adjustments and versatility in his swing and the pitches he’s looking for.”
Jorge Barrosa BOMB in Arizona ? @Dbacks pic.twitter.com/BIbX7KggLj
— Reno Aces (@Aces) February 22, 2026
Pavin Smith
This will be the seventh straight season in which Pavin Smith will play in the majors for the Diamondbacks.
It has been an odd couple of years for Smith. He was a minor leaguer for much of 2024 and a strikeout machine who dealt with injuries for most of 2025. But in September 2024 and March/April 2025, Smith was one of the three best hitters in the league statistically with a 1.085 OPS in 164 plate appearances. He was platooned against righties and crushed fastballs, and it was a winning formula until the league adjusted.
“In some ways, I’ve definitely got some confidence knowing that I belong here, and I’m excited to build on that,” Smith told Arizona Sports. “They started to adjust and throw a lot more offspeed. And now it’s my turn to adjust to that this year. I’ve just been hitting the slider machine a lot and having that approach where I know they’re gonna throw that and not going to cheat the fastball all the time.”
Smith is set up for another platoon role, as the D-backs brought in Carlos Santana to partner with him at first base. How the playing time is divvied up is to be determined. They could simply platoon with Santana facing lefties, or Santana could get the bulk of starts at first base with Smith slotting into more of a DH against righties (which seems logical given Santana’s defensive superiority).
Santana is 40 years old and coming off a bad season at the plate. Smith has been a subpar defender at first base. If Smith could prove that he’s made improvements on defense, that would give the D-backs some optionality. But with no more minor league options, Smith is going to have to hit enough to avoid putting the front office in a tough spot with him. If he finishes 2026 with the same .797 OPS that he had in 2025, that would be great. But evening his production out with fewer strikeouts will go a long way.
Smith said he felt he was turning a corner before his quad injury last summer, and now is a time to show the progress he’s made with his approach.
Pavin Smith records the first hit of the Cactus League for the #Dbacks. pic.twitter.com/pF1tv3sr9s
— SleeperDiamondbacks (@SleeperDbacks) February 20, 2026
Anyone else?
Tim Tawa had an impressive rookie season defensively, playing every position except pitcher, catcher and shortstop. The plan isn’t to get him reps at shortstop, Lovullo said. Tawa has power from the right side, but like Lawlar, he will have to adjust MLB righties beating him with spin. He also has options left. Ildemaro Vargas is perhaps the frontrunner to be the backup shortstop even though he is not on the active roster. Vargas goes way back with the Diamondbacks, and that trust level brought him back last year, when he played his role with decent defense all over the diamond. Tommy Troy is another well-regarded prospect yet to debut who is off to a hot start this spring. Troy is 4-for-7 with two doubles and a lot of hard contact. He also provides versatility, more equipt at second base than shortstop but with center field as a recent tool added to his bag. First baseman Tyler Locklear is out for spring training as he recovers from shoulder and elbow surgeries, while catcher Adrian Del Castillo is working back from a calf injury and will be slow-played this spring.Follow @alexjweiner
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