2 Diamondbacks Prospects Earn Awards

Two of the Arizona Diamondbacks' outfield prospects had award-winning weeks.

Feb 19, 2025; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder A.J. Vukovich (85) poses for a portrait for MLB Media Day at Salt River Fields. Mandatory Credit: Allan Henry-Imagn Images | Allan Henry-Imagn Images

On Monday, Arizona Diamondbacks' prospect and outfielder A.J. Vukovich was awarded Pacific Coast League Player of the Week honors for his excellent stretch of play.

Edit: Since this writing, Hillsboro Hops starting pitcher David Hagaman and outfielder Junior Franco were named Northwest League player and pitcher of the month, bringing the total to four D-backs prospects.

Vukovich had two hits on Sunday night in a slug-filled 10-8 victory over the Salt Lake Bees.

In addition, rising Taiwanese right-hander Chung-Hsiang Huang was named California League Pitcher of the Week for a dominant six-inning start on Saturday for the Visalia Rawhide.

Hagaman, part of the return in the Merrill Kelly trade, threw five innings of one-run ball, striking out eight on August 20. Franco hit .350 with a 1.158 OPS and two homers over the course of the past week at the plate.

Arizona Diamondbacks' A.J. Vukovich Earns Award

The Week of Vukovich ⭐

A.J. Vukovich has been named PCL Player of the Week by @MiLB! He slashed .533/.611/1.200 with 8 hits, 3 home runs, and 7 RBI 🏆

Full Story ⬇️ https://t.co/Ev1cO3mLZp pic.twitter.com/4VP0hDnLKc

— Reno Aces (@Aces) August 25, 2025

Vukovich, 24, has been on a tear at the plate. For the past week, he's slashed .511/.611/1.200, with eight base hits, three home runs and seven RBI. He recorded multiple hits in five of his last six games.

For the season, Vukovich is now slashing .277/.345/.520, good for an .865 OPS with an impressive 20 homers.

Even in the hitter-friendly confines of the Pacific Coast League, that type of home run power is notable.

Vukovich was taken in the fourth round of the 2020 draft, and has had a slow climb up through the minor leagues. He earned a promotion to Triple-A at the end of 2024, and has showed plenty of success, albeit in an offense-heavy environment.

But Vukovich wasn't the only impressive performer in the Aces' Sunday night win. Infielder and No. 6 prospect Tommy Troy went 3-for-4 with a homer and three RBI.

Troy is just 23 years old, young for the Triple-A level, but has not had much difficulty transitioning, as he's hit to a sturdy .299/.377/.478 slash in his first 16 games with Reno, while playing solid infield defense.

Top prospect Jordan Lawlar had a three-hit night, as he begins to find his groove again after a lengthy injury absence. Infielder Connor Kaiser had a 4-for-4 game in the Aces' 10-8 win.

Related Content: Diamondbacks' Top Prospect Rediscovers Power Swing

Diamondbacks' Chung-Hsiang Huang Continues His Rise

Chung-Hsiang Huang is the California League Pitcher of the Week!

He tossed six dominant innings in the Rawhide's win over the 66ers last Saturday. pic.twitter.com/tF4OwKJAnF

— Visalia Rawhide (@VisaliaRawhide) August 25, 2025

Huang is only 19 years old, but has delivered some impressive results on the mound for the Low-A Visalia Rawhide.

On Saturday, he pitched six innings, allowing only one run on two hits. He struck out six without walking a batter. It was the second time in August he completed six innings with one or fewer runs allowed.

For the season, his ERA is now 3.16. He's given up more than two runs only once since his promotion to Class-A. Visalia won his start by a score of 5-2.

Other Arizona Diamondbacks Minor League Action

The Double-A Amarillo Sod Poodles took a thin 5-4 win over the San Antonio Missions. No. 3 prospect Ryan Waldschmidt had a hit and two walks, but most notably made a spectacular diving catch while playing center field.

Ryan Waldschmidt expanding his defensive abilities to center field is a promising development. https://t.co/vO96YuGJrm

— Alex D’Agostino (@AlexDagAZ) August 25, 2025

The High-A Hillsboro Hops did not score through eight innings, but plated two in the top of the ninth to earn a 2-1 victory over the Eugene Emeralds. Top outfield prospect Slade Caldwell had two hits and a walk. Starter Junior Sanchez pitched five scoreless innings, allowing two hits and a walk.

The Low-A Visalia Rawhide lost 0-4. They had just five hits, including two by infielder Yerald Nin. 2025 sixth-round draft pick Sawyer Hawks pitched a scoreless relief inning in his first professional appearance.