Melendez, Walston Headline Diamondbacks Fall League Roster

The Arizona Fall League is a continuation league after the conclusion of the minor league season that gives players an additional evaluation opportunity. Usually the players that teams end up sending are guys who missed time during the regular season or need another evaluation to decide whether or not to place on the 40-man roster. Occasionally top prospects will appear, like Jordan Lawlar last season.

For 2023, the Diamondbacks sent these eight players to the Fall League: 1B/3B Ivan Melendez, LHP Blake Walston, OF/3B A.J. Vukovich, OF/C Caleb Roberts, RHP Christian Montes De Oca, LHP Carlos Meza, RHP Austin Pope, LHP Jake Rice

Here's a quick rundown for each player that will be representing Arizona:

Ivan Melendez

Melendez is the definition of a boom/bust prospect, with 40+ home run power ceiling but a lot of swing and miss. He hit 30 home runs between Hillsboro and Amarillo in just 426 plate appearances, but also struck out 146 times (34%). With that type of power, the key in his development is to curb the swing-and-miss. Melendez is very athletic for a chiseled 6'3" 225-lb frame and will be able to play a position on the field, most likely first due to an inaccurate arm. The main area I'm looking for this fall is seeing his ability to hit high velocity without being extra susceptible to breaking and offspeed pitches and how well his footwork is at first base. A good fall could have him on the radar for a 2024 debut and Christian Walker's long term replacement at first.

Blake Walston

Walston entered the season on the doorstep of the major leagues, but struggled in the offense-inflating Pacific Coast League. On the season so far, he is 11-6 with a 4.68 ERA, which normally would be enough to warrant a MLB opportunity, but a 101-to-91 strikeout-to-walk ratio has kept him in Triple-A. At 144 1/3 innings, and likely to finish around 150 on the season, there a potential workload issue at play unless the goal is to have him throw a couple innings here and there. He had been working on a cutter to supplement a 4-seam fastball that sits 90-92 MPH to go with a curveball, slider, and changeup. For Walston, the goal is to be able to consistently throw strikes and avoid free passes. A good showcase should have him on the D-backs 40-man roster in November.

A.J. Vukovich

Vukovich is a situation where he can fill a potential need on the roster, both in the short and long term. A right-handed bat with plus power and the athleticism to handle the outfield, he could play a role as a 4th outfielder who starts against lefties. The D-backs moved him to center field, where he started 60 games in Amarillo, as a pathway to the MLB roster. However the main concern is the bat, as the free-swinging Vukovich struck out 28% of the time, while upping his walk rate to a career-best 8%. In the fall, the key for Vukovich is continuing to grow as a defender in center while working on his plate discipline, making pitchers throw strikes.

Caleb Roberts

Roberts is an interesting prospect in the system, although he won't be placed on many lists. An outfielder converted to catcher, the combination of a left-handed bat and the ability to play catcher, first base, and outfield makes for an ideal 26th player on the roster. He's coming off a big year in Amarillo, in which he slashed .278/.382/.583 with 17 home runs and a .906 OPS. In the Texas League playoffs, he's already hit three home runs in two games. The main area of evaluation will be the bat and if it'll play against MLB pitching, but how he handles the catcher position would also be worth watching to see if he is either a backup or simply an emergency option.

Christian Montes De Oca

A 24-year-old in Double-A is hardly news, but Montes De Oca did not sign with Arizona until his Age 21 season. In two seasons, he's made it all the way to Amarillo and shown the potential to be a potential MLB bullpen arm. His repertoire consists mostly of four-seam fastball that sits 94-96 MPH and a slider as his main secondary pitch.

Carlos Meza

Meza is the case of a lefty with great stuff that has struggled with command in the minor leagues. In the past two seasons, he's thrown 130 innings with 157 strikeouts and 78 walks. He finished the year with a five-game sample in Double-A Amarillo.

Austin Pope

A former late round pick that's been converted to a reliever, Pope has had a solid 2023 season between Double-A and Triple-A. In 46 games he's pitched to a 3.66 ERA with 81 strikeouts in 64 innings. Pope utilizes a fastball in the mid-90s, topping out at 97, that doesn't feature a lot of movement but misses bats when located at the top of the zone. The slider is his best secondary pitch, which has a lot of vertical depth without much sweep, that produces ground balls. He'll also mix in a curveball as his third pitch in the low-80s as a change of pace pitch to steal strikes.

Jake Rice

Rice is a former fifth year senior who found pitching in Amarillo to be difficult. Despite a 5-0 record, he had a 7.50 ERA and a 58-to-34 strikeout to walk ratio. He throws a low-90s fastball and a slider around 80 MPH.