Bliss, Melendez Headline D-backs Prospect Promotions
The All-Star break serves not only as a chance for major league teams to reassess their direction in the season's final three months, but also serves as a chance to promote prospects performing well. The Diamondbacks have announced a series of promotions, which we'll break down here.
Triple-A Reno
Second baseman Ryan Bliss has done nothing but crush baseballs since an aggressive assignment to Amarillo. In 68 games, he hit .358 with 12 home runs, 30 stolen bases, and a 1.007 OPS. FanGraphs rates his total offensive output to be 62% better than the average Texas League hitter, with a 162 wRC+. The strong season has improved the likelihood his bat could play in the major leagues. Defensively he profiles best to play second due to a below-average arm, although he is blocked by Ketel Marte. Marte is signed through the 2026 season, so Bliss will need to be an above-average bat to take over at second long term.
Catcher Adrian Del Castillo has bounced back after a trying first season with High-A Hillsboro in which he was battling injuries. Healthy in 2022, his bat has come alive in the homer-happy environment in Amarillo. In 63 games, he's hitting .273 with 12 home runs and an .891 OPS. Del Castillo has performed well against right-handed pitchers, hitting .283 with 10 home runs when holding the platoon advantage. The former supplemental second rounder projects to be a solid backup to the right-handed hitting Gabriel Moreno.
Double-A Amarillo
Ivan Melendez wore out pitchers in the Northwest League, setting a Hillsboro franchise record in home runs with 18 and a wRC+ of 143. With that light tower power came the swing and miss concerns as he punched out in more than a third of his plate appearances. The strikeouts are a huge concern, which is further complicated by a low walk rate of 8%, as it will limit his ability to hit for a solid average and put a cap on the power tool. Of all the power bats in the D-backs system, he has the best chances of launching out 30+ home runs on a perennial basis. If he can hit at least .240 with 35+ homers and above-average defense at first base, he should be a big league regular.
Yu-Min Lin baffled Northwest League hitters on a consistent basis, posting the second best strikeout on the team behind Yilber Diaz. Even at the young age of 19, Lin shows a good feel for spotting fastballs and changing speeds with a plus changeup. In 13 starts, Lin has pitched to a 3.43 ERA with 76 strikeouts in 60 1/3 innings. The homer-happy environment of Amarillo will present a challenge for a pitcher who has to rely on command and sequencing to get hitters out.
Acquired for Joakim Soria two years ago, catcher J.J. D'Orazio has emerged with a solid season with Hillsboro. In 67 games he hit .308 with eight home runs and a 131 wRC+. Given the age and performance at High-A, he should be considered a prospect but he'll need to continue to improve at the plate in order to progress. Without much of a standout tool and blocked by a right-handed hitting catcher in the big leagues, he profiles more as a third catcher on the 40-man roster.
Will Mabrey was a sixth round selection out of Tennessee in last year's draft and has pitched his way up to Double-A in his first full season. In 27 games with Visalia and Hillsboro, the 22-year-old left-hander has pitched to a 2.88 ERA with 44 strikeouts in 40 2/3 innings. He features a low 90s fastball that can get up to 95, but the main out pitch is a sweeping slider. At this rate of progression, a potential 2024 debut might not be out of the cards.
High-A Hillsboro
Outfielder Kristian Robinson will be aggressively promoted through the system, as the D-backs try to challenge him as best as possible. In 22 games, he hit .274 with four home runs, 16 stolen bases, and a 128 wRC+. One main concern is the strikeouts, with a 31% rate, although he also walked in 13% of his plate appearances. With him already on the 40-man roster, the clock is ticking for him to earn his way into the big leagues.
