Meet the Diamondbacks Top Three Prospects
MLB.com recently released their newest top 100 prospect list. Several teams have two prospects in the top 25 like the Pirates, Tigers, Orioles and even the Red Sox. But, only one team has three prospects in the top 25, and that team is the Arizona Diamondbacks. Therefore to celebrate this achievement, I decided to give our Diamondback fans an introduction to each of them as we grow our farm system, and if you see one of them during spring training, you can make sure you get their autograph while everyone else just stares and wonders who they are.
In the top 25 there are 7 prospects whose positions are shortstop and one who is listed as a SS/3B and he, Bobby Witt Jr. is the top prospect on the list and is going to play third base for the Royals, so I did not count him in the 7. But someone who I did count, and is the 23rd rated prospect on the list is Jordan Lawlar.
He began playing varsity baseball his sophomore year where he batted .409. His junior season was abruptly ended by the COVID-19 pandemic after only 12 games. But in those 12 games he hit .485 with a home run and 13 RBI's. That same summer he played in the Perfect Game All-American Game Classic and was named the Jackie Robinson Perfect Game Player of the Year. Then, as a senior he was finally able to play a full season and hit .412 with six home runs, 37 RBI's and 32 stolen bases.
Lawlar is more of a gap to gap hitter and excels at inside-outing pitches. He has plus speed, plenty of range, quick hands and a strong arm that scouts believe will allow him to stick at shortstop as he climbs in the minors and when he makes it to the majors more than likely in the 2024 season.
Lawlar was ranked as the #23 prospect, now let's turn our attention to the #19th ranked prospect, outfielder Corbin Carroll.
As a senior in 2019, Carroll hit .540 with nine home runs and a 1.859 OPS. Another high school star the Diamondbacks signed him to a $3.7MM slot bonus instead of going to UCLA. He was selected in the 2019 Major League Baseball Draft. He, like most prospects, was signed to the Arizona Rookie League Diamondbacks where he hit .291 with two home runs, 14 RBI's and 16 stolen bases in 31 games. He was then promoted to the Hillsboro Hops where he batted .326 with six RBI's in 11 games with them.
When scouts look at Carroll they see everything they need to project him as a plus hitter. He has an advanced approach, controls the hitting zone, and shows the ability to make adjustments. He makes not only consistent contact, but hard consistent contact. That gives him the ability to drive the ball to all fields, and he does this all from the left side of the plate, which is always a plus. Carroll has added more strength since wearing a Diamondbacks uniform. He may never get to 30 home runs, but he will spray the ball all over the field, projecting to more doubles but enough pop in his bat to still give you 10 to 20 dingers. Carroll has been to three different stops in his short COVID restricted minor league career. In the Rookie League he posted a .299 average and impressive .896 OPS with 18 steals which got him a promotion to short season Class A Hillsboro Hops. But, where he really turned heads was at the alternate training site. He turned heads for not only his performance but also the advanced competition he did his work against. This led him to a hot start in High-A before he injured his shoulder on a home run swing. Before the injury, he was slashing .435/552/913 in seven games.
But, what really sets Carroll apart is what scouts would call his plus-plus speed. In his 49 games in Dbacks uniform he has swiped 21 bags while only being caught twice. That speed also gives him an advantage in center field as well. He has plenty of range and is a plus defender. His 5' 10" 165 pound frame grades out well overall with an emphasis on his speed, defense, and contact with the baseball.
So far Lawlar and Carroll are great prospects. But, the drawback is they are each only in Single-A. Our third and final guy is much closer to the big leagues and is the son of a former minor league player as well.
Former Minor League Outfielder Allen Thomas gave the world current Minor League outfielder Alek Thomas, and in so doing, may have given the Diamondbacks their next superstar. The Chicago high school star was set to attend Texas Christian University until the Diamondbacks selected him in the 2nd round of the 2018 MLB Player Draft and gave him a generous $1.2MM for the talent he showed. He continued to show that talent in his first year or organised baseball as he made it to Advanced A Visalia at the ripe age of 19. But that was not all, he also received a SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game nod. 2020 had Thomas at the Alternate site like fellow prospect Corbin Carroll and in 2021 he blew through AA and closed the season in AAA Reno. But, that was not all, as he represented the Diamondbacks organization for a second time in the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game.
When scouts rave about Thomas they use such baseball phrases as outstanding instincts and strong baseball acumen. Those two things along with his plus speed and left-handed line-drive contact will see him in the majors sooner rather than later. He currently is considered a center fielder, but I personally would like to see him move to left as the future replacement to the Freight Train with Dalton Varsho in center. One downfall of Thomas is that he does not have a strong throwing arm, but that should only limit him to center and left and will keep him having the tag placed on him of being able to play "any outfield position."
The future is bright for the Arizona Diamondbacks. It is one thing when someone with the Diamondbacks raves about players in their own farm system. But, when other people agree with them, and publish their findings for MLB.com it just confirms everything. I should also mention that the Dbacks did have one other player in the top 100 baseball prospects article as LHP Blake Walston snuck in at #99. The major league team may have had a down year but the farm system is on the upswing.