Arizona Diamondbacks 2021 prospect headlines

IMPORTANT NOTE: This will be my final piece for AZ SnakePit, as I have found another opportunity elsewhere. I want to thank every single member of The ‘Pit and share a quick story on how much this website means to me. During the pandemic in 2020, I was a bit stuck without a clear direction. My internship was canceled due to COVID-19 and I didn’t know what to do next. That’s when I reached out to Jim McLennan and he offered me a chance to write about Diamondbacks prospects.

From my very first story to the one I’m writing now, the staff, readers and community have helped me in so many ways. I can’t thank each of you enough. The comments and insight each out of you brought made me give my best quality and effort. I enjoyed planning out different stories in hopes that you would like them, and the feedback helped me through one of the toughest times in my life. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart, your kindness really lifted me up. On the flip side, the D-backs’ farm system coverage has been tremendous thanks to the great work from James Atwood, Michael McDermott, C. Wesley Baier, EdTheRed99 and several others. Their analysis and insight has been a joy to read.

The constant posts leading up to the 2021 MLB Draft was spectacular as well with jam-packed player profiles. Arizona’s minor league coverage has been great since I joined, and it will stay that way thanks to your countless efforts. With that being said, let’s get on with it. I’ll continue to post my work on Twitter (@IsaiahBurrows_) as much as I possibly can to grow and network. A big thank you once again to Jim and the SnakePit community for having me on board, it was a blast.

It’s that time of the year where we’ve gotten a good look at some of the Diamondbacks’ prospects. I just wanted to list out a few headlines that have stood out to me throughout the year. The system as a whole has taken a bit of a hit at the top due to injuries and unfortunate circumstances, but we’ve known that for some time now. On a positive note, the pitching depth has shined at moments and some bats have continued to perform at a high level.

Regardless, here are some of my headlines from the D-backs’ farm system.

Jake McCarthy’s rise to Triple-A

It’s been a solid year at the plate for outfielder Jack McCarthy. He started the year in Double-A Amarillo and slashed .241/.333/.489 with six homers, eight doubles, four triples and 23 RBI over 35 games. That prompted a promotion to Triple-A Reno, where McCarthy has continued to perform with five homers, five triples and five doubles over 39 games. Speed has remained a constant in McCarthy’s game—he currently has 25 stolen bags on 27 attempts—but the increased power has been a pleasure to see unfold with a .453 slugging percentage. He opened eyes last season during the D-backs’ instructional league, and it’s all coming together this year.

Geraldo Perdomo’s struggles at the plate

What has transpired this season with Geraldo Perdomo? Since his MLB debut, he’s struggled mightily at the plate. He posts a .166/.313/.229 slash line over 175 at-bats and 53 games with Double-A Amarillo. Perdomo has just seven extra-base hits on the season and has seemed to be in a drastic funk all season long. The defense speaks for itself at shortstop, his ability to move so swiftly and glide out there is special. But the bat needs to develop.

Perdomo may not hit for much pop, but he’s shown a knack for getting on base over his career. That hasn’t been the case much this year with 53 strikeouts to 34 walks and a career-worst on-base percentage. Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic wrote a solid piece on the organization’s hope for Perdomo to slow things down to help turn his season around. Perdomo went 2-for-4 Aug. 10 and 2-for-5 Aug. 11 for the Sod Poodles, so hopefully he can end his season on a positive note. It’s something to monitor and watch closely for sure.

Arizona’s minor league pitching prospects blossoming

The D-backs have stacked plenty of talented arms on the farm, and a bevy of names have improved this season. The list goes on and on. Blake Walston, Ryne Nelson, Luis Frías, Drey Jameson, Slade Cecconi, Bryce Jarvis, Brandon Pfaadt, Ryan Weiss, Josh Green and Tommy Henry are some of the highlighted pitching prospects to make some strides this year.

I would be remiss if I did not shed the spotlight on right-hander Mitchell Stumpo, who has jumped three levels all the way to Double-A this season. Zach Buchanan of The Athletic did a feature on him recently that’s worth reading.

The Diamondbacks have several pieces on the bump. The question will ultimately be answered if they ultimately continue to develop and perform at the big league level, which has been somewhat of a recent issue over the past few seasons.

More prospects from the 2021 class added to the system

Arizona came away with a solid haul during the 2021 MLB Draft. First rounder and sixth overall selection Jordan Lawlar (pictured top) takes the cake and brings much-needed talent up the middle, but there are some other selections worth mentioning. Auburn shortstop and second round pick Ryan Bliss can really move on the dirt and showed some solid power last season. He’s already launched two homers with Low-A Visalia. Miami catcher and 67th overall pick Adrian Del Castillo earned All-ACC Second Team honors and earned plenty of first-round buzz heading into 2021. He shows a really good feel for the barrel and controls the zone well at the plate. Time will tell if he’ll stick behind the dish in pro ball, but the bat has a good chance to help him rise up the system quickly. Luke Albright and Gavin Conticello are some mid-round picks to keep an eye on too.

Those were some of my impressions at this point of the year. One last thank you to Jim and The SnakePit for everything.