Three Arizona Diamondbacks pitching prospects to watch in 2024
By Noah Wright
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.