D-backs MiLB Bats Break Out While Pitching Faces Struggles

In Tuesday's slate of minor league baseball the Diamondbacks' affiliates demonstrated some very different strengths. While Reno and Visalia demonstrated some offensive prowess and dominant pitching, Hillsboro and Amarillo suffered a different fate.

I take a dive into what happened, and some interesting notes from each D-backs affiliate's latest game.

Minor League Action:

Triple-A: Reno Aces 7, Sacramento River Cats 3

The Reno Aces put on an offensive show against the River Cats in Tuesday's ballgame. This was led once again by top prospect Jordan Lawlar who continues to destroy the baseball at the Triple-A level.

Lawlar belted his sixth home run of the year, and brought his season long OPS up to 1.142 after going two for three with a walk and two extra base hits. While the D-backs have a tough task at hand finding him a place to play, the young infielder is making his case heard.

Jordan Lawlar says bye 👋

His sixth of the year moves his average to .368 🤯@MiLB | @MLBPipeline | @Dbacks pic.twitter.com/pdTKDmGgUL
— Reno Aces (@Aces) April 29, 2025

Another MLB-caliber player who had a big showing was Jake McCarthy. While the outfielder spent the early weeks of the season with the big league club, he was optioned to Reno due to underperformance. Since his demotion however, he is hitting to an absurd level, with a .458 batting average and .567 OBP in 30 plate appearances.

McCarthy scored two runs on three hits in the ballgame. He, like Lawlar, might not come up as soon as many would expect based on pure statistics, but seeing the 27-year-old find his stride again gives hope for a rebound when he does finally return to Chase Field.

Veteran Trey Mancini had the deciding blow with a grand slam in the fifth inning. It was his fourth homer of the year, and he's batting .306 with an .840 OPS.

Starting for the Aces was Cristian Mena who made his MLB debut in 2024. After facing some injuries to end last season the former White Sox prospect has gotten off to a rocky start to the new year. He was solid for Reno in this game though, throwing six frames of three run baseball, striking out eight. His season ERA still sits at a 5.76 mark, but this was welcome progress.

The Aces bullpen shut the door behind Mena, allowing no runs on three innings of work. Kyle Backhus, who is becoming an increasingly important name to monitor, continues to look solid, striking out three in his 1.1 innings, lowering his ERA to 1.46.

Double-A: Amarillo Sod Poodles 3, Midland Rockhounds 10

The Sod Poodles started their matchup on the back foot. Left-hander Avery Short, who was making his fifth start of the year, was hit hard, allowing three runs in the first three frames.

Amarillo's offense fought back with a Jose Fernandez home run, his first of the year, bringing them back within reach. This, however, was short-lived as Short would not survive the fifth inning. The Rockhounds scored four runs in the fifth inning, bringing Short's ERA to a 6.86 mark across his limited 21-inning sample.

With a large deficit already in place it was a tall task for the Sod Poodles to compete. A Gavin Conticello double, which scored top prospect LuJames Groover, inched them closer to a competitive game, but a three-run 8th inning from Midland put it on ice.

The Sod Poodles, in fourth in the Texas League South, now hold an 8-14 record, six games back of the division-leading Frisco RoughRiders.

High-A: Hillsboro Hops 9, Vancouver Canadians 15

The Hops dueled the Canadians in a high-scoring late night affair. A matchup which totaled a combined 24 runs still saw Hillsboro lose by a six point deficit.

Pitching was a problem, with Daniel Nunez failing to escape the first inning before allowing three runs. He was replaced after going 0.2 innings, walking three batters and allowing two hits. The bullpen faced similar struggles, with each of Jorge Minyety and Liam Norris also allowing three earned runs leading to a 9-2 deficit by the top of the fourth inning.

The Hops' bats were alive, with Jansel Luis in particular driving in five runs on the evening. Ryan Waldschmidt also drove in two runs, walking twice and tallying a hit, bringing his OPS to a 1.027 clip.

Former no. 2 overall pick Druw Jones also reached base four times, drawing four walks, but striking out twice. While he is known for his incredible defensive ability, his offense has yet to truly take shape at a professional level. In 2025 so far however, there have been signs that the superstar-level talent is there, and he's fighting his way out of the struggles.

Class-A: Visalia Rawhide 5, Fresno Grizzlies 0

After a bad start to 2025 the Rawhide have seemingly turned things around. The Diamondbacks' Class-A affiliate has won five of their last seven games, and are now in 2nd place in the California League South.

Tuesday's win was powered by incredible pitching. 22-year-old Denny Larrondo threw six scoreless innings, striking out six hitters and allowing only a single hit. Across four starts the right-hander now has a 3.50 ERA.

Out of the bullpen Victor Morales and Darlin Pinales combined for three scoreless frames. Morales in doing so collected his first professional win.

Offensively, Ruben Santana belted his fourth home run of the season. The 20-year-old corner infielder tallied two hits and three RBI overall, but still holds an average of .191 with a .683 OPS on the year.

While the numbers aren't great yet, there is reason to believe much of this struggling lineup can turn a corner. For many on the roster, this year is their first taste of professional baseball, and the raw talent that they have displayed gives plenty of reason to have optimism for some of Visalia's young talent.