10 D-Backs Prospects To Watch Beyond The Top 30

The Diamondbacks Top 30 prospects rankings are up now for Baseball America subscribers, with full scouting reports, BA grades and tools grade projections for all 30 players.

Through the process of narrowing the list down to a Top 30, there are other intriguing names who didn’t make the cut but are worth monitoring, with the potential to jump into the Top 30 in the future. Some of those are players who might be in the upper levels and could see big league time this year, though likely in a limited role, while others are lower-level players still in the complex leagues with more upside but plenty of risk.

Beyond the Top 30, these are 10 prospects to watch in Arizona’s farm system.

Jansel Luis, SS/2B. Luis is a twitchy athlete with a quick swing from both sides of the plate. He has a tendency to square balls up, giving him the look of a future bat-first infielder.

Joe Elbis, RHP. Elbis, with good command and a deep repertoire, was one of the organization’s most-liked lower-level pitchers in 2021, but he went down with a shoulder injury in April 2022 and never made it back.

Diomede Sierra, LHP. Sierra’s fastball sits in the mid 90s with sink, and he pairs it with a slider that flashes at least plus, but throwing consistent strikes has been an issue. His believers see similarities to a young Gregory Soto.

Spencer Giesting, LHP. Big-bodied and athletic, Giesting has a tight, sharp curveball that could be plus and he projects to add some velocity to his low-90s fastball. The D-backs think they might have gotten a steal taking him in the 11th round last year out of UNC Charlotte.

Yerald Nin, SS. A graceful defender with a smooth lefthanded swing that looks a little like Robinson Cano’s, Nin has room to develop physically and has a chance to be a plus hitter at shortstop.

Andrew Saalfrank, LHP. Saalfrank has a sinker/curveball package that is unique for a lefty and he throws enough strikes for it to play. He draws comparisons to Zack Britton.

Christian Montes De Oca, RHP. He signed late at age 22, but Montes de Oca reached High-A last year in his pro debut, striking out 16.1 per nine innings and walking only 2.9 in 39.2 innings. With a fastball that sits at 95 mph and a putaway pitch in his slider, he could move fast. 

Ryan Bliss, 2B. Bliss fell flat early on in his first full season last year, but he performed better over the season’s final months. If he can clean up his swing, which can get too steep, it might allow his plus athleticism to emerge more often.

Adrian Del Castillo, C. Del Castillo showed signs of progress at the plate but was sidelined for a long stretch due to a hamate injury. Whether that progress was real should be more evident with a healthy 2023 season.

Jose Fernandez, SS. Fernandez remains one of the more talented players in the low minors for the D-backs, but his performance in the complex league was dismal, in large part due to an overly aggressive approach. He has the tools of a big leaguer but will need to get results at some point.