Arizona Diamondbacks’ Prospect Watch: Top 30 List by MLB

Jun 24, 2015; Omaha, NE, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores shortstop Dansby Swanson (7) hits an rbi ground out during the first inning against the Virginia Cavaliers in game three of the College World Series Finals at TD Ameritrade Park. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports

In the midst of the trading deadline fury, we have to remember that there is actual baseball being played. With the Arizona Diamondbacks off today, now is as good a time as any to look at the list of Top 30 prospects according to mlb.com. The site does this twice per year and the one recently released is their mid-season evaluation, so to speak. You can view the D’backs’ Top 30 by clicking the link found here.

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At number one is the guy that was just selected with the first overall pick, shortstop Dansby Swanson. He made some news this week after being hit in the face with a Yoan Lopez (#6) pitch, suffering a minor facial injury. He was expected to make his professional debut shortly but that is now on hold. After Swanson, the next five on the list are all pitchers. Archie Bradley is listed at #2 despite some innings pitched in Arizona in 2015. Bradley has not pitched 50 innings yet, thereby retaining prospect status. Rounding out the other five are Aaron Blair, Braden Shipley, Lopez and 2015 2nd round pick Alex Young. After an initial rough outing, Blair has pitched very well at Triple A Reno and could be a September call-up. Shipley has 21 starts for Double A Mobile with an ERA under 4. A trip to Reno may be in the offering before the end of 2015. Lopez is in the rotation with Shipley for the Bay Bears and so far has a 3.34 ERA in seven appearances, six starts. Young has been assigned to the Rookie League D’backs.

Finishing off the Top 10 are infielder Brandon Drury, Infielder Domingo Leyba, Peter O’Brien and pitcher Wei-Chieh Huang. As our own Guillermo Salcido noted two weeks ago, Drury’s time is near. The middle infielders for the Snakes haven’t been producing much offensively lately while Drury is hitting .352 for the Triple A Aces. Leyba is only 19 and is playing for the High Class A Visalia Rawhide. He arrived in the same trade that brought Robbie Ray to the desert. O’Brien, as we know, is a power-hitter who has raised his average at Reno to .272. Though viewed as a guy without a position, I think we all want to see him in a Major League uniform before the end of the year so we can watch him hit bombs at Chase Field. Huang represented the D’backs (along with #15 Socrates Brito) in the Futures Game earlier this month. He is 6-1 with a 1.94 ERA for the Kane County Cougars of the Class A Midwest League.

One more guy to mention is Cody Reed who is #11. I wrote about Reed last week and fully expect him to be in the Top 10 the next time mlb updates the D’backs. Follow Reed and all of the Top 30 prospects right here at venomstrikes.

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