2 Key D-backs Hitters Deliver Statement Blasts in Loss to Guardians

Arizona Diamondbacks' No. 1 prospect Ryan Waldschmidt continued to add to his case for making the opening day roster on Monday. In the seventh inning of a game against the Cleveland Guardians, Waldschmidt shot a ball over the left field fence for a two-run homer — his first of the Cactus League.

Waldschmidt's blast came off a changeup left in a hittable area of the strike zone — a laser off the bat that traveled 380 feet with a launch angle of just 20.

It wasn't just Arizona's top prospect who made a statement, however. Center fielder Jordan Lawlar delivered a 3-for-4 day at the plate, and crushed a 104.1 MPH homer of his own in the eighth inning.

Arizona would ultimately lose 9-5, but it was an encouraging sign from two members of the D-backs' roster intrigue this spring.

Arizona Diamondbacks' Ryan Waldschmidt Building Case to Make Roster

Waldschmidt finished his day 1-for-3 with the homer and a walk, though he did, uncharacteristically, strike out twice. Still, the top prospect has collected an extra-base hit and an RBI in back-to-back games, delivering an RBI double as a part of a six-run inning on Sunday.

Waldschmidt has collected high praise from manager Torey Lovullo and GM Mike Hazen, and is continuing to make a case for an opening day roster spot. He has yet to play an inning in Triple-A, but has a mature approach and elite eye at the plate. Clearly, the power is there, as well.

"He's got a lot of positives going for him right now. We love that. Every coach that had him last year, I know that he climbed through the system a little bit. Everybody said that this is a guy that's going to continue to grow," Lovullo said of Waldschmidt prior to the D-backs' first spring game.

Arizona Diamondbacks' Jordan Lawlar Continues Early Tear

Lawlar is now 4-for-6 with a walk on the young Cactus League season, with both home runs coming against off-speed pitches from right-handers — a genre of offering he direly needed to punish more this season.

So far, he appears to be transitioning well to his new outfield role, and the bat is beginning to show flashes of the No. 1 prospect he once was for Arizona.

"We want him to continue to control the zone, have good plate coverage, have awareness on the outer half, check off of spin that isn't there. We've seen that in spurts at different times, and we know what he's capable of doing," Lovullo said of Lawlar after his first spring homer.

Another Rough Day for Diamondbacks Pitchers

Arizona's pitching staff had another rocky overall performance against Cleveland. Reliever Taylor Clarke got the start and threw a scoreless, 1-2-3 first inning, and Juan Morillo worked around a leadoff double for a scoreless second.

But then right-hander Juan Burgos gave up two runs and Antonio Menendez gave up three over 1.1 innings. Logan Mercado gave up another pair of runs, and Wilkin Paredes issued four walks on the way to two more earned runs while only collecting two outs in the eighth.