D-backs Top Prospect Ryan Waldschmidt Erupts at Plate in 10th MLB Game

May 13, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks center fielder Ryan Waldschmidt (15) celebrates after he hits a single against the Texas Rangers during the third inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

D-backs Top Prospect Ryan Waldschmidt Erupts at Plate in 10th MLB Game

Originally posted on Minor League Baseball on SI
By Justin Binkowski | Last updated May 19, 2026 4:05 PM ET

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The Arizona Diamondbacks' top prospect, outfielder Ryan Waldschmidt, delivered his best offensive performance yet in the early days of his big league career.

Waldschmidt, MLB Pipeline's No. 33 overall prospect for 2026, went 3-for-3 with a walk, two doubles, two stolen bases, an RBI, and two runs scored in the Diamondbacks' 12-2 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Monday. The 23-year-old most notably walked and hit an infield single off the 2021 American League Cy Young Award winner, Giants left-hander Robbie Ray. His two doubles came against different relievers, and his second two-bagger was smoked 107 mph off the bat.

Overall, this was Waldschmidt's first three-hit game in the majors and his second multi-hit performance. The 2024 first-round pick is now hitting .313 through his first 10 MLB games with four doubles, six RBIs, and three stolen bases. While he's still chasing his first big league homer, his latest showing at the plate could be the start of an offensive outburst for the rookie.

Ryan Waldschmidt is just getting started in the majors

Arizona called up Waldschmidt on May 8 after he posted a .289 batting average with three home runs, 22 RBIs, and six stolen bases in 34 Triple-A games to start the 2026 season. On that same day, the Diamondbacks also designated outfielder Alek Thomas for assignment to make room for the team's top prospect on the MLB roster. Thomas was a 2018 second-round draft pick by Arizona and was in his fifth season with the big league team, so this was likely a difficult decision for the organization to make.

At the same time, moving on from Thomas cleared a path for Waldschmidt to receive regular playing time in Arizona's outfield. Based on some comments shared by Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen earlier this spring, Arizona didn't seem like it was in a rush to fast-track their top prospect through the minors at the risk of jeopardizing his long-term development. But so far, even in a small 10-game sample size, the 23-year-old has shown he's ready to contribute both offensively and defensively in the big leagues.

The Diamondbacks had a 17-19 record when Waldschmidt was promoted to the majors. Now, Arizona is 23-23. While he obviously can't take all the credit for the team's recent success, the top prospect is undoubtedly set to play a big role for the Diamondbacks this year and beyond.

This article first appeared on Minor League Baseball on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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