The youngest players on the Diamondbacks 40-man roster
1 Timothy 4:12 says, "Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity." Despite the young age of these 3 players, there is no reason to doubt them, due to their potential…
Diamondbacks youngest player: RP Justin Martinez (21 years and 6 months old)
I don’t know about you, but I cannot imagine being on a 40-man MLB roster at the age of 21. Martinez probably feels like the years have zoomed by considering he started rookie ball when he was just 16. Eat, sleep, and play baseball; the daily routine for Martinez…
In 2022, Martinez spent the majority of his time at the high A level with the Hillsboro Hops. In 27 innings with the Hops, Martinez posted a 2.67 ERA and a .216 BAA. Good numbers for a kid so young! Martinez is known for the heat he can bring; his fastball averages 97 MPH and a season ago he even touched 99. Having Tommy John surgery has set him back a tick, but as his arm develops and hopefully stays healthy, it would not be surprising if he is consistently throwing in the triple digits here in a couple of seasons. Martinez needs to work on his command as he tends to walk a lot of batters, but once he finds control of his pitches, he could be a huge asset for the D-Backs bullpen…
Diamondbacks 2nd youngest player: OF Jorge Barrosa (21 years and 11 months old)
Jorge is set to turn 22 here in a couple of days. Celebrating a birthday, and his first spring training all in the same month, Barrosa has to be on cloud 9!
Barrosa enjoyed quite an impressive season in the minors in 2022. Over 120 games he hit 13 HRs, 57 RBIs, and scored 90 times. He also slashed .278/.372/.439 for an OPS of .811. Oh yeah, he also stole 26 bases and is considered an elite defender in the outfield. No doubt, Barrosa has all the tools to succeed in the MLB. He will be a fun player to watch this spring training. He may not make the opening-day roster, but there is a good chance he will make a good first impression…
Diamondbacks 3rd youngest player: OF Corbin Carroll (22 years old)
I think it is safe to say that out of all the Diamondbacks players, I am most excited to watch Corbin Carroll in the 2023 season…
For those that do not know, this kid can hit. In 93 minor league games last year Carroll was essentially unstoppable at the plate. He hit to the tune of a .307 AVG, an OPS of 1.035, knocked in 62 runs, and scored 89 times. Minor league pitchers certainly couldn't get the best of him and major league arms had a hard time fooling him as well. In his first 32 career games with the D-Backs, Carroll slashed .260/.330/.500; bringing his OPS to .830. To put that into perspective, if Carroll can produce an OPS of .830 over the course of a full season, you could compare that offensive production to the likes of SS Carlos Correa, SS Xander Bogartes, and Phillies slugger OF Kyle Schwarber. Not a bad start to a career…
The Diamondbacks certainly have a lot of up-and-coming prospects to keep an eye on. It is exciting to think about what the future holds for this organization…