Jorge Barrosa is Healthy and Developing as a Player

Arizona Diamondbacks young switch-hitting outfielder Jorge Barrosa is no stranger to the organization, but he's beginning to develop into a player to watch this spring.

Barrosa, 24, was signed as an amateur international free agent back in 2017 at just 16 years old. Since then, it's been a long, arduous journey up the minor league system.

In 2023, Barrosa slashed an impressive .274/.394/.456 in Triple-A Reno. In 2024, an early injury to center fielder Alek Thomas earned Barrosa his first cup of coffee in the major leagues. Barrosa went 2-for-10 in his first trio of games, before being sent back down soon after.

From there, the outfielder struggled with his own health, spending multiple stints on the Injured List throughout the course of 2024.

He was called back up in September, but picked up just one base hit — a double — over seven at-bats in five games to open the month, before quickly being sent back to the minors.

But now, entering his third big league camp, Barrosa is finally fully healthy, and putting up some excellent at-bats in the Cactus League.

Diamondbacks On SI's Jack Sommers caught up with the switch-hitter in Las Vegas, where half the D-backs' squad had traveled to play the Athletics as a part of Big League Weekend, promoting the A's' hopeful future home city.

Barrosa said he's feeling good, and getting plenty of work in this spring.

"I feel great, man. I've been working on a lot of stuff, the cage with the coaches and all that, and it feels really good. ... Balls fly [in Las Vegas] too, so I'm pretty excited for it. Just enjoying the time here and enjoying the game," Barrosa said.

Manager Torey Lovullo touched on Barrosa's difficult journey through injuries in his postgame press conference on Sunday, and mentioned his current health as a noteworthy factor this spring.

"Healthy is probably the word that I think of when I think of him. A couple springs ago he came into camp and got hurt right away. Last year he got banged up again. So the fact that he's healthy, that's the one thing that stands out," Lovullo said.

"But he's a good baseball player. The at-bats have been really consistent. He's controlling the zone as well. You know, you look up there and he's sitting at .300 with limited at-bats with an [.878] OPS. He's having a good spring," the skipper continued.

And the results have been good for Barrosa so far. Over 26 Cactus League plate appearances, he's slashing an excellent .318/.423/.455, with a double, triple and stolen base.

Barrosa looks calm and calculated at the plate, and while his 5-foot-6 frame doesn't exactly lend him home run power, his excellent speed has allowed him to keep his slug at a respectable level, while also affording him impressive defensive capability in the outfield.

Lovullo said he's been giving Barrosa looks at all three outfield positions, but noted that his "best" position comes in center field, where range is the most valuable asset to a defender.

Barrosa said he's been growing as a result of playing with the other big league outfielders, but especially emphasized the importance of longtime outfield and first base coach Dave McKay.

"We're in a good group, and I've been around players like [Lourdes Gurriel Jr.] and all that stuff, and it's very important too because you learn from it," said Barrosa. "But [McKay] is the best in the business for me, you know what I mean? You learn a lot from him too, and you learn about the small details."

Barrosa said McKay places an emphasis on accountability. When asked if McKay was one of the best coaches he'd ever worked with, Barrosa's answer was an emphatic "yes sir."

For now, Barrosa doesn't look to be an Opening Day lock, but his excellent defense and disciplined approach are the markings of a successful member of the D-backs' organization.

With the ever-present threat of injury to Arizona's major league outfielders, and a clean bill of health himself, Barrosa could see his number called again soon in the majors.