Ryan Waldschmidt's First Career Homer Is A Massive Step Forward

Arizona's former No. 1 prospect finally has his first big swing.

Jul 12, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks center fielder Ryan Waldschmidt (15) runs on a sacrifice fly during the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It took Arizona Diamondbacks rookie Ryan Waldschmidt 39 major league games and 142 plate appearances, but on Wednesday afternoon against the Athletics, he finally collected his first major league home run.

The Diamondbacks were locked into a 2-2 tie with the Athletics in their game three rubber match at Chase Field heading into the bottom of the fifth inning. With two outs, the home run party began.

It started with a Gabriel Moreno solo homer. James McCann followed with a two-run shot — the 100th in the veteran backstop's lengthy career.

And then Waldschmidt, with Tim Tawa at first base, got a 95.8 MPH four-seam fastball on the inside edge of the zone and turned on it for his first major league blast. The two-run shot put Arizona ahead, 9-2 after seven two-out runs came across home plate.

It took him 39 games and 142 plate appearances, but Ryan Waldschmidt has his first major league home run.

It was not cheap. 104 MPH off the bat, 426 feet deep. pic.twitter.com/O7rptoiN02

— Alex D’Agostino (@AlexDagAZ) July 22, 2026

Diamondbacks Ryan Waldschmidt hits first MLB homer

Waldschmidt is no longer the top prospect in the D-backs' system; that spot now belongs to shortstop Kayson Cunningham. Waldschmidt has surpassed that prospect threshold. He's a major-leaguer, and despite some early success, had been in a bit of a rut of late, hitting just .211 in June.

It seemed as if major league pitching had begun to adjust to him, and he had yet to display much of the power output that had helped him rocket through the D-backs' minor league system in the first place. But that power concern might not last much longer.

Jul 12, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks center fielder Ryan Waldschmidt (15) watches his sacrifice fly during the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With the homer, Waldschmidt raised his season slash to .254/.305/.369 and his OPS to .674, and he's now hit safely in four straight games. He's beginning to look more confident at the plate, as well.

Though the rookie still has work to do, it's an extremely encouraging sign to see him leave the yard with authority and remind the Diamondbacks that there is still raw power in his bat.

Arizona needs to see more of that production out of their highly-regarded rookie. With Tommy Troy, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Jordan Lawlar all down on the injured list, the D-backs' outfield playing time is wide open for Waldschmidt to start claiming his territory.

He has a prime opportunity to begin asserting himself as a long-term D-backs solution. He'd already played strong-enough defense to be worthy of regular playing time, but Wednesday's homer is the perfect first step toward earning an everyday job. The future of the Diamondbacks' outfield is bright.