D-backs GM Explains Opening Day Decision on Top Prospect Ryan Waldschmidt

The Arizona Diamondbacks have officially decided whether their top prospect will start the 2026 season in the big leagues or minors.

Ryan Waldschmidt, Arizona's No. 1 prospect and MLB Pipeline's No. 59 overall prospect for 2026, was reassigned to the D-backs' minor league camp on Sunday, according to MLB.com's Steve Gilbert. While the 2024 first-round pick made some noise this spring, he won't be on Arizona's Opening Day roster. And D-backs general manager Mike Hazen explained the thought process behind the young outfielder starting the season in the minors.

"I felt like he had a good spring training," Hazen said. "He's got 300 at-bats in Double-A. I think he's certainly advanced for this point in his career. I think that him going down and continuing to get reps, and improving defensively and offensively is critical. Hopefully at some point he's on our team this year. But he's still got some things to kind of fine-tune."

Arizona's Ryan Waldschmidt decision could be a good sign for the status of other D-backs outfielders

Sep 20, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll (7) bats against the Philadelphia Phillies during the third inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images | Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

While it's easy for fans to get wrapped up in the spring training hype surrounding top prospects, Arizona's decision to have Waldschmidt start the year in the minors makes a lot of sense. The 23-year-old has only one full year of minor league experience, and as Hazen alluded to, he's played just 66 games at Double-A so far. If the D-backs had the young outfielder begin the year in the big leagues before even making his Triple-A debut, they could have risked his long-term development.

Another big-picture takeaway from Arizona's choice not to rush Waldschmidt through the minors is that it could signal that some of the team's other outfielders might be ready to return from injury sooner than previously expected. Part of the discussion surrounding Waldschmidt's chance of cracking the Opening Day roster revolved around the uncertain status of franchise star Corbin Carroll and 2023 All-Star Lourdes Gurriel Jr.

Carroll had surgery on a broken hamate bone in his right hand earlier this spring, while Gurriel tore his ACL toward the end of last season. Although Carroll is expected to be back before Gurriel, it's possible both outfielders could be progressing well enough in their recoveries that Arizona didn't feel like jeopardizing Waldschmidt's future with a premature promotion.

Either way, even though Waldschmidt won't be on Arizona's Opening Day roster, the young outfielder could be on track to make his major league debut later this year if he continues to produce in the minors.