Part 2: Who Might Play Third Base in the Next Two Seasons?

Introduction.

Part 1 of this article looked at five players with experience in the Majors who could possibly play third base for the Diamondbacks: Jeimer Candelario, Geraldo Perdomo, Emmanuel Rivera, Evan Longoria, and Josh Rojas.

In part 2, we will look at four of the of the Diamondbacks’ top 11 prospects who could possibly play third base in the Majors. They are Blaze Alexander (AAA, age 24), Jordan Lawler (AA, age 21), Deyvison De Los Santos(AA age 20), and A.J. Vukovich (AA, age 22). MLB.com projects them all to arrive in the Majors by 2024 (2023 for Blaze Alexander).

Prospect Grades

The following table contains some selected prospect grades from MLB.com and FanGraphs. Comparing the four players, my conclusions are:

• Blaze Alexander stands out in three areas: Hit, Arm, and Fielding.
• Jordan Lawler stands out in three areas: Hit, Run, and Fielding. Also, his Future Value (FV) is highest.
• Deyvison De Los Santos stands out in one area: Power.

Data from MLBcom and FanGraphs.

Batting in the Minors.

The following table shows their prowess is SLG and hitting home runs. Comparing the four players, my conclusions are:

• Blaze Alexander has the best OBP by a large margin.
• Despite playing at AAA instead of AA, Blaze Alexander has the best SLG by a large margin.
• Despite having the highest prospect grades for power, Deyvison De Los Santos has the lowest SLG and the lowest home runs per game in AA.

Data from MiLBcom.

Blaze Alexander.

His defense at shortstop is noteworthy. His range and great hands have combined with his 70/80 arm to turn singles into outs. In AAA (2022 & 2023), he made only 2 errors in 86 fielding attempts at shortstop per Baseball Savant.

He played 16 innings at third base. If the Diamondbacks had a shortstop but needed a third baseman, he could possibly play third base, which would make use of his 70/80 arm. My view is he would play third base with enthusiasm because he enjoys watching Manny Machado play third base. See the following answer in an interview:

James Weisser: Who is your favorite player to watch?

Blaze Alexander: I’ve always been a Manny Machado fan. He’s got a big arm at third base, he’s a power hitter a gap to gap guy, and defensively he’s one of the best in the game. He’s really fun to watch. …

Down On The Farm Interview

Blaze Alexander had the best OBP by a large margin and the best SLG by a large margin. My view is that his results on the field are just as significant as prospect grades.

MLB.com and FanGraphs differ in the strength of his hit tool. He struggles with high fastballs. The issue is whether he struggles more than most batters with that type of pitch. My view is that all batters struggle with that type of pitch, and he will overcome that difficulty.

On 13 April a pitch broke his thumb. He returned to AAA on 13 June. He hit 4 runs since his return, so it’s likely his thumb is healed.

Jordan Lawler.

His defense at shortstop is not yet as good as Blaze Alexander. He has good range, but his arm is not as good. His “body control and release” are fast enough, but his umph, while maybe good enough for shortstop, is not enough to play third base per this Utube discussion.

That discussion was a revelation to me. Now, my view is that it is unlikely he will ever play third base. Instead, he will either stay at shortstop or he will move to the outfield.

Although his OBP and SLG are less than Blaze Alexander, his batting improved in June and July. In July, his OBP was .432 and his SLG was .523. My view is that when he reaches the Majors, his batting will be a strength.

His future value is the best of the four players. Contributing factors could include his athleticism, his run tool makes him a threat to steal bases, his hit tool, his fielding, and his maturity.

Deyvison De Los Santos.

His prospect grade for fielding is the worst of the four players. In AA, he played first base and third base. Noteworthy is that this season his fielding improved. At third base, his fielding percentage increased from .917 in 2022 to .948 in 2023.

His 65/70 raw power is the highest of the four players by a large margin. His batted ball exit velocity was measured at 114 MPH per this Utube discussion.

In July of 2022, he was the Diamondbacks’ minor league player of the month. He showed promise that he will make the most of his raw power.

My view is he needs to improve his batting skills to take advantage of his power. His SLG and homers per game, which are the lowest of the four players, could instead be the highest.

A.J. Vukovich.

His prospect fielding grade, while better than Deyvison De Los Santos, is less than Blaze Alexander and Jordan Lawler.

This season he played more innings in outfield than third base (470 vs 124 per MiLB.com). While there are differing opinions whether he would be better as a center fielder or as a corner outfielder, it is clearly unlikely that he will play third base.

As far as batting, his low walk rate indicates he could benefit from less aggressiveness at the plate per MLB.com.

Summary.

Four of the Diamondbacks 11 top prospects could possibly play third base in the Majors. Listed in order of likelihood that they will play third base, from most likely to least likely, they are:

• Blaze Alexander.
• Jordan Lawler.
• Deyvison De Los Santos.
• A.J. Vukovich.