Diamondbacks 2024 Camp Battles: 4th Outfielder
The third camp battle we're focusing on at Inside the Diamondbacks will be the battle for the fourth and final outfield spot. Corbin Carroll and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. are expected to be everyday fixtures in the lineup while Alek Thomas projects to get the bulk of the playing time in center field. With Joc Pederson added to be the team's primary designated hitter, that means only one spot in the outfield is up for grabs.
With the recent trade of Dominic Fletcher for Cristian Mena, the team is down to two candidates for that last spot. One candidate has a mixed track record over the past two years while the other has yet to take an at-bat at the major league level.
Jake McCarthy
2023 Stats: 99 G, 312 PA, .243/.318/.326, 2 HR, 26 SB, 77 OPS+; 2024 Projection
One year ago, McCarthy was viewed as a core player coming off a fourth place finish in the National League Rookie of the Year race. However, he experienced a rough sophomore slump in 2023, twice getting sent down to the minor leagues to work on adding more impact in his swing. The disappointing season came to an end in early October, as a Grade 2 oblique strain suffered in workouts ahead of the Wild Card Series sidelined him for the entire postseason.
The case for McCarthy starts with experience, as he's accumulated 736 plate appearances in parts of three seasons. He has more experience playing right field at the major league level, grading out as slightly below-average due to a poor arm. The fourth outfielder is likely to spend a lot of time playing center or right field due to Gurriel being the everyday left fielder. He's hung in there against lefties in his career so far, with a .243/.327/.384 slash against them in 210 PA.
The case against McCarthy is the fourth outfielder will likely get starts against left-handed pitching. His primary competitor is a switch hitter, who bats right-handed against southpaws. Additionally, McCarthy has not provided a big impact against right-handed pitchers in his career either, with a .711 OPS when holding the platoon advantage.
Jorge Barrosa
2023 Stats: 120 G, 502 PA, .274/.394/.456, 13 HR, 15 SB, 110 wRC+ (AAA); 2024 Projection
Barrosa is coming off a solid year in Triple-A Reno and has nothing to prove at the minor league level. Despite being in the organization for seven years already, he's only 22 years old and ranks as the No. 16 prospect entering the season. His offensive impact is somewhat limited, as his stature puts a cap on his power ceiling. However he has solid tools across the board and could easily carve out a reserve outfielder role as a switch hitter.
The case for Barrosa comes down to handedness. As a switch hitter, he would bat right-handed against left-handed pitchers. McCarthy is a left-handed bat, immediately ceding the platoon advantage in that situation. General manager Mike Hazen says it can be difficult to evaluate hitters in the environments of Amarillo and Reno if there isn't strong plate discipline, but Barrosa has proven that over the past two years. Last year he drew 80 walks compared to 82 strikeouts.
The case against Barrosa is both a lack of experience and a lesser offensive ceiling compared to McCarthy. McCarthy is a premier base-stealing threat, with 49 steals and +8 baserunning runs on Baseball Reference. Barrosa had 37 steals over that same timeframe, but was caught 18 times (67%). For a D-backs team that needs to be able to win at the margins, that can make a difference.
Verdict
Given his experience and a more potent threat as a baserunner, McCarthy has the edge in this battle despite ceding the platoon advantage to lefties. While the production has been inconsistent throughout his career, the team likely still sees him as a core player. McCarthy gives the D-backs more chances to win at the margins as a pinch runner late in games, where his stolen base skills could make a huge difference.
