Revealing the Assignments of the Diamondbacks Top Prospects in 2024

Find out where the organization's top prospects will play at the start of the 2024 season!

Visalia Rawhide's Druw Jones fields a hit ball against Tuesday, April 11, 2023 against the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes of the Los Angeles Dodgers organization. / Ron Holman / Visalia Times-Delta / USA

Saturday night marked Opening Day for the Diamondbacks affiliates in Low-A, High-A, and Double-A. The organization's Triple-A affiliate, the Reno Aces, have already completed five games so far and are 2-3. With the full minor league season under way, here are the assignments for the organization's Top 30 prospects entering the 2024 season.

MLB: Arizona Diamondbacks

RHP Bryce Jarvis (No. 12), INF Blaze Alexander (No. 25)

Both Jarvis and Alexander made the D-backs Opening Day roster, the former as a long man and the other as a reserve infielder. Jarvis has already appeared in two games this season, pitching to a 4.50 ERA in four innings. Alexander has played in mostly a platoon role, with all four starts coming against lefties, with a .417/.500/.667 slash in 14 career plate appearances.

Upon making the Opening Day roster, both Jarvis and Alexander will be removed from the next prospect list update.

Triple-A: Reno Aces

INF Jordan Lawlar (No. 1), RHP Slade Cecconi (No. 4), OF Jorge Barrosa (No. 16), LHP Blake Walston (No. 18), RHP Cristian Mena (No. 21), RHP Justin Martinez (No. 26)

Three of these prospects will be in Reno's rotation for much of the season. Cecconi's long term role with the organization is a bit unclear, based on comments from manager Torey Lovullo. In February, he referenced Cecconi's stuff beginning to fall off around the 65 pitch mark and when the right-hander was optioned to Reno Lovullo did not commit to the idea of him starting. Barrosa saw brief MLB action this season, hitting .200 with a double and an RBI in three games against the New York Yankees.

Walston will be in his second year with Reno. He struggled with walks and command for much of the 2023 season, then turned in another poor outing in his first start of the year. He'll need to show more progress this year in order to earn an opportunity to pitch in MLB. Mena might be the biggest sleeper amongst all the pitching prospects in the organization. It's quite possible a year from now he could be the top pitching prospect, depending on if the velocity gains he made this spring last throughout the year. Combined with swing-and-miss secondary stuff, Mena is the one guy to keep a close eye on in 2024.

Justin Martinez still awaits his chance for another big league opportunity. The big right-hander averages 100+ MPH on a 4-seamer and sinker. The 4-seamer is a relatively straight pitch in terms of action. However what elevates his profile is an above-average slider and a splitter that's at least plus-plus and pushing 80 grades. The splitter is his go-to pitch for swings and misses, although the slider is also good at missing bats as well.

Lawlar was expected to be the everyday shortstop in Reno until a thumb injury from picking up a baseball in defensive drills. He's now recovering from surgery to repair a torn UCL in his right thumb and will be out until June.

Double-A: Amarillo Sod Poodles

LHP Yu-Min Lin (No. 5), RHP Dylan Ray (No. 9), 1B Ivan Melendez (No. 10), OF A.J. Vukovich (No. 15), C J.J. D'Orazio (No. 22), RHP Yilber Diaz (No. 26)

Lin is a smaller left-hander listed at 5'11" 160, with a wide arsenal of pitches to throw at hitters. His sinker sits 89-92 MPH to go with a plus changeup and two usable breaking balls. Dylan Ray will begin the year on the 60-day injured list, with a transaction date of March 22nd, with no update as to what the injury is.

Melendez and Vukovich both bring impressive power ceilings, but questions about their ability to hit. Melendez will need to cut his strikeout rate from 34% to stay a prospect, while increasing the walk rate and number of balls put into play. Vukovich has made a somewhat successful transition from third base to the outfield, increasing his chances of sticking on a major league roster. He'll need to be more consistent with the bat to get promoted to Reno.

J.J. D'Orazio profiles as your quintessential backup catcher who has enough of everything to stick at the position. He's a bat-first type of catcher who really struggled in his first stint in Amarillo after lighting the Northwest League on fire to start last season.

Yilber Diaz is a power arm that has issues consistently commanding the ball. His profile screams reliever with the possibility of developing three "plus" pitches. His fastball sits 95-98 MPH with carry, a big sharp curveball, and a slider that's made significant progress and become a swing-and-miss pitch in its own right. He's a guy who could make an impact as early as this season should the team convert him to a reliever for good.

High-A: Hillsboro Hops

INF Tommy Troy (No. 3), INF Gino Groover (No. 8), OF Jack Hurley (No. 13), RHP Ricardo Yan, C Christian Cerda (No. 27)

2023 draftees Tommy Troy, Gino Groover, and Jack Hurley will begin their first full season with Hillsboro after ending the last season there. Troy and Groover are expected to fly through the system to get to the major leagues. Hurley is a tooled up outfielder that struggled with swing-and-miss facing pro pitching.

Yan is a righty with a lower arm slot and the classic sinker/slider profile that comes with it. He profiles as a bullpen arm that matches up primarily against right-handed batters, who he held to a .153/.272/.197 slash against.

Cerda has a higher ceiling than D'Orazio offensively due to better raw power and a more disciplined batting eye. He has all the physical tools necessary to not only stick, but be a potential low-end starter behind the plate.

Low-A: Visalia Rawhide

OF Druw Jones (No. 2), INF Jansel Luis (No. 6), 3B Ruben Santana (No. 11), INF Cristofer Torin (No. 14), RHP Landon Sims (No. 22), LHP Caden Grice (No. 30)

Druw Jones will repeat the level he struggled to start 2023. He'll have a lot to prove this year. The young infield trio of Luis, Santana, and Torin will get their first taste of full season baseball after playing in Visalia down the stretch last season. Landon Sims and Caden Grice are two guys who could rocket up the system based on how they perform this season. Sims feels he's close to back two years removed from Tommy John surgery and learning a cutter as a third pitch. Grice will focus on the mound, although no indication has been given if the former two-way star at Clemson will be allowed to hit in the pros.