Three Arizona Diamondbacks pitching prospects to watch in 2024

Ricardo Yan

The D-Backs signed Ricardo Yan during the 2020-2021 International Signing period. Yan’s numbers in 2021 and 2022 were solid but nothing spectacular. But in his age-20 season, Yan turned in his best season yet and even was able to make it to High-A Hillsboro before the end of the year.

Yan pitched a total of 103 innings between the two levels, working to a 3.65 ERA, 3.90 FIP, and 1.09 WHIP. The right-hander held opponents to a sub-Mendoza batting average at just .184 with a home run rate of 0.54-per-9. Yan’s 51.3% ground ball rate helped him keep such a good HR/9 last year. Yan’s 10.4% walk rate was about league average between the two levels he played at. But he had a well above average 31.9% K-rate.

Yan’s mechanics are not what you’d typically see from a starting pitcher. His motion and arm slot are similar to that of former Pittsburgh Pirates’ long-time closing pitcher Kent Tekulve. While Yan has this low arm slot, he’s able to run his sinker into the low 90s and get batters to jam it into the ground. Yan’s best pitch is his sweeping slider that has a ton of horizontal break in the opposite direction of his sinker. Yan throws a change-up, and while it shows some above-average attributes, he struggles to throw it for strikes compared to his sinker and slider.

There are some questions about his command in the long term, but his walk rate has decreased each and every year since his 2021 debut. If he improves his command just a bit more, he could definitely stick as a starting pitcher long-term. The righty could reach Double-A next year, and that will be the real challenge for him. But if he’s able to pitch well in just his age-21 campaign, you may see him take some major steps forward in Diamondbacks’ prospect rankings.

Dylan Ray

The Diamondbacks took Dylan Ray out of the University of Alabama in the 4th round of the 2022 draft. Ray had only pitched out of Alabama’s bullpen after recovering from Tommy John surgery, but the Snakes re-inserted him back into a starting pitching role after getting drafted. While his brief pro debut in 2022 did not go very well, he pitched significantly better in 2023 and could make his debut late into 2024 if he continues to pitch well.

Ray pitched 113.1 innings between High-A and Double-A Amarillo but only had an ERA of 4.37, but had much more promising underlying numbers. Ray struck out 29.3% of the batters he faced with a healthy 8.3% walk rate. Ray wasn’t as good at preventing the long ball as Yan was, but he still had a respectable 0.87 HR/9 rate and a ground ball percentage of 46.9%. Ray had a 3.75 FIP and 3.87 xFIP, showing that his ERA isn’t a 100% accurate reflection of his numbers.

That’s mainly because Ray had a nine-run outing in his next-to-last start of the year. That game lasted just 3.1 innings, and had it not happened, his season ERA would have dropped from 4.37 to just 3.76, a difference of 0.61 earned runs per nine innings, which isn’t an insignificant drop in ERA.

Ray throws four pitches, with three having above-average potential. His fastball can fluctuate in velocity, sometimes sitting 92-93 and other times sitting 94-96. But its spin carries it through the zone and makes up for inconsistent velocity. His slider can also vary in speed, but it can reach the low-90s when he throws it hard. His curveball also has above-average potential, but his command of it can get a little out of shape. This pitch sits in the upper-70s. Then there’s his change-up that has some good fading action.

Ray should start the year in Double-A’s rotation, but if he pitches well, you may very well see him at least make his Major League debut. Getting more consistency in his stuff and command will be a step in the right direction for Ray, but if he can lock this down, he could continue to make strides forward.

Landon Sims

Before the Diamondbacks took Ray in the 4th round, they took right-hander Landon Sims 34th overall in the first round of the 2022 draft. Sims had an outstanding sophomore season at Mississippi State as their closing pitcher. But in 2023, he was moved to the starting rotation, and through his first three starts and 15.1 innings, Sims allowed just two earned runs, struck out 27 batters, walked two, and only one of the 11 hits he allowed left the park.

But Sims’s season was cut short after just his third start due to Tommy John's surgery. Sims returned in June of this past season, but the D-Backs were cautious with his usage. He made 13 starts but only pitched a total of 24.2 innings between the D-Backs’ Arizona Complex League affiliate and A-Ball Visalia. While Sims had a quality 25.7% strikeout rate and a respectable 1.09 HR/9, he struggled to limit free passes, coming to an 11% walk rate. Sims had just a 5.47 ERA and 5.42 FIP in the small sample size.

But it was Sims’s first innings back from Tommy John surgery, and he pitched less than one three-game series worth of innings, so don’t take his bottom-line numbers too seriously. Sims has a chance to have two plus pitches. His four-seam fastball sits mid-90s with extreme carry through the K-zone. Sims’ slider sits mid-80s with sweeping action. But there are some questions about his change-up. His change needs a little more refining, but it has some depth and fade. Sims keeps a very short arm in his wind-up, but hides the ball well.

Sims will be another year removed from surgery next year. 2024 will be his first chance to pitch at full capacity in quite a while. If Sims can play as good as his stuff looks, he could make some serious gains in prospect rankings. After all, he was a former first-round pick with impressive stuff. Surgery may have slowed him down, but now he’s back and can pitch as a full-time starting pitcher.