PHOENIX — The Arizona Diamondbacks are calling up top prospect Ryan Waldschmidt, a 23-year-old outfielder who is considered a consensus top 100 prospect in baseball, on Friday.
Center fielder Alek Thomas was designated for assignment.
After a recent malaise from a lineup that has averaged 3.2 runs over its last nine games, the Diamondbacks are hoping to add a spark.
Waldschmidt broke out last season with a dominant second half for Double-A Amarillo, earning a spot in big league spring training with a remote chance to crack the team out of camp. After a promising spring, the right-handed hitter started the year in Triple-A Reno, where he has put up a slash line of .289/.400/.477 in 34 games played.
His three triples are tied for second in the Pacific Coast League, and he is tied for seventh with nine doubles. He has added three home runs and six stolen bases as a power-speed threat with a well-regarded eye.
The Diamondbacks are looking for better at-bat quality as a team with the third-highest chase rate in MLB, and that is Waldschmidt’s strength as a player.
He has walked at a strong 12.2% clip with a somewhat high 24.4% strikeout rate despite limited chase this year. MLB averages are 8.4% and 22.2%, respectively. Strikeouts were the mark against him in spring training, although he still hit .302 with five doubles. His walk rate last season was 16%.
Waldschmidt is coming off a two-hit game on Thursday with a diving catch made in center field. He has primarily played center field this season with a couple of games logged in left field, as the organization was impressed with how well he took to center field last year.
Ryan Waldschmidt takes flight to save a run ? pic.twitter.com/voRXP1HMSp
— Reno Aces (@Aces) May 8, 2026
From farm director Chris Slivka in spring training:
“I think one of his biggest strengths is just his ability to manage an at-bat and put forth a competitive, professional AB. He does as good a job as anybody of mitigating his weaknesses at the plate and maximizing his strengths. He hits mistakes when he’s supposed to hit them. He takes his pitch and he drives it and takes advantage of those. There’s a lot of things that we care about here, like controlling the strike zone and putting forth those high-quality at-bats.
“I think, as far as intangibles, he’s another guy who works his butt off. He’s got great work ethic, high aptitude, curious, always trying to get better. In the outfield, he’s shown tremendous strides, showing us and giving us reason to believe he can play centerfield.”
Arizona drafted Waldschmidt No. 31 overall out of Kentucky in the 2024 MLB Draft. The organization took him with the prospect promotion incentive pick acquired for Corbin Carroll winning the NL Rookie of the Year.
Ryan Waldschmidt (@Dbacks) hammers his third homer of the year for the Triple-A @Aces ?
MLB's No. 51 prospect has knocks in seven of his past eight games and is slashing .324/.423/.539 on the season. pic.twitter.com/AmrrJNyrdN
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) April 26, 2026
What could this mean for the Diamondbacks’ outfield?
The Diamondbacks have rolled out an outfield of Carroll in right, Thomas in center and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. in left on most days since Gurriel’s injury return.
Gurriel has started to heat up since his first five games back, but Thomas has continued to struggle.
Thomas is batting .181 this year, coming off a game in which he bounced into a rally-killing double play early in a 4-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates. His defense has been stellar, but the Diamondbacks evaluated that they cannot move forward with giving him major league at-bats each day the way it is going.
Jordan Lawlar is working his way back from a broken wrist, but the soonest he can return is in early June. Jorge Barrosa is out of minor league options and provides versatility as a switch-hitting backup outfielder with speed and great defensive skills.
For the time being, an opportunity is present for Waldschmidt to show what he can do in center field.
The club received a jolt from calling up prospect Jose Fernandez earlier this season. Can Waldschmidt provide a similar effect?
Ryan Waldschmidt prospect rankings
MLB Pipeline: No. 49
FanGraphs: No. 35
ESPN: No. 63
Baseball America: No. 41
From MLB Pipeline:
He doesn’t expand the zone often, leading to walk rates above 15 percent at both of his 2025 stops. The uphill nature of his swing makes him susceptible to sliders down and away and heat up and in, but it also helps him drive the ball in the air to make the most of his above-average raw power.
Hence then, the article about diamondbacks call up top prospect ryan waldschmidt alek thomas dfa d 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.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Diamondbacks call up top prospect Ryan Waldschmidt, Alek Thomas DFA’d )
Also on site :
- FIA reveals changes to Formula 1’s engine regulations for 2027
- NBA Draft Combine: Names to Watch, Avoid in Bryson Graham’s First Bulls Draft
- SwimSwam Pulse: 81.9% Think Leon Marchand Takes Down 400 IM World Record This Summer