Diamondbacks send 8 players to the Arizona Fall League

The Diamondbacks will send eight of their minor league players to the Arizona Fall League. The Fall League is used as a continuation league for players who either missed reps during the season or the organization needs to look at as potential call-up candidates for the upcoming season.

Here’s a quick report on the eight players that the Diamondbacks will be sending to the Arizona Fall League.

INF Tommy Troy

Troy is the Diamondbacks’ first rounder out of the 2023 draft. Originally drafted with the idea of developing as a shortstop, he moved over to second base at the tail-end of the season. Troy got off to a slow start, then missed nearly three months with a left hamstring injury. He ultimately finished the year with an unimpressive .234/.319/.363 slash with five home runs and 16 steals in 72 games, but had finished the season on a stronger note. Since August 1, he hit .276 with four home runs and nine stolen bases.

It’s unclear where Troy fits in the long-term picture of the organization. Third base is possible as Eugenio Suárez’s replacement following the 2025 season. Second base is also a route if Ketel Marte needs to become a full-time DH towards the end of his contract extension. Due to his speed and athleticism, the outfield is a possibility if the bat continues to develop.

INF Gino Groover

Groover is the Diamondbacks’ second round selection from the 2023 draft. A hitter with the rare combination of plate discipline, contact ability, and power, he had the makings to be a great middle-of-the-order bat. However, he suffered a broken left wrist just a couple of weeks into the season while playing first base. He was able to make up for lost time, slashing .272/.360/.457 with seven home runs in the pitcher-friendly Northwest League before getting promoted to Double-A Amarillo to finish the season.

Groover’s long-term defensive position is somewhat questionable, but his bat will play in the lineup. He should get a look at third base as a potential option, with first base as the fallback position. He’s a candidate to get a cup of coffee at the end of the 2025 season if he hits well between the Fall League, Double-A, and Triple-A next season.

RHP Dylan Ray

Ray missed the first two months of the season with an elbow injury but posted solid numbers once healthy. Accounting for his home ballpark being the most extreme hitter’s ballpark in the minor leagues, a 5.03 ERA in 73 1/3 innings is not horrible. He profiles more as a back of the rotation starter or a possible bullpen conversion candidate. He sits 92-94 with a four-seamer with ride, a curveball, slider, and a splitter.

The Fall League is not only a chance to make up another 30-40 innings lost to injury, but it also serves as a chance to evaluate a guy who they’ll have to make a 40-man decision on after the 2025 season. A strong showing could put him on the organization’s rotation depth chart for next season.

LHP Yu-Min Lin

Lin was on the organization’s radar at the start of Spring Training but was one of the first cuts after struggling early in Cactus League play. He suffered a broken jaw when he got hit by a hard-hit foul ball in the dugout and missed six weeks. Recovering from injury, he posted a strong 4.05 ERA with solid strikeout (22.3%) and walk rates (8.4%) for the level.

The innings he should get from the fall league should add up to roughly 130 for the season, which is a solid number to build off of for 2025. A strong showing for Lin should put him on the organization’s rotation depth chart for next season. He features a sinker at 89-92 MPH, a cutter, a slurve, and a changeup as his main pitches.

RHP Kyle Amendt

Amendt was a college closer taken in the ninth round of the 2023 draft. He has since rocketed up all the way to Triple-A Reno, the first level that challenged him this season. He’s a big, 6’5″ right-hander with a short arm stroke, over-the-top delivery, and vertical arm slot, he attacks hitters with a mid-90s four-seamer and a sharp slider with a lot of tilt. His skill set is very similar to Kevin Ginkel, who has been the Diamondbacks’ most dependable reliever since the second half of the 2022 season.

When looking at potential midseason callups for the bullpen, Amendt should be near the top of the list of candidates to consider.

LHP Philip Abner

Abner is another college reliever with a swing-and-miss four-seamer and a slider. While injuries delayed the start of his season, he was downright dominant in nine appearances with Low-A Visalia before finishing the year with High-A Hillsboro. Like Amendt, he’s one strong season away from putting himself on the map for a big league call-up due to the shortage of quality left-handed relievers in the organization outside of A.J. Puk and Joe Mantiply.

OF Kristian Robinson

Robinson was once a top prospect in the Diamondbacks organization, but a felony assault conviction of a state trooper put his career on hold for three seasons. He spent all of 2024 with Double-A Amarillo and put up a relatively pedestrian .214/.337/.350 slash line with 11 home runs in 110 games. The hit tool has not developed at all, with a 35.8% strikeout rate, which suggests a potential pitch recognition issue. The Fall League likely represents a chance to try to salvage what’s left of the season and a poor showing could mean he gets released from the organization.

RHP Alfred Morillo

Morillo flashed with High-A Hillsboro, posting a 2.41 ERA and 13 saves in 34 appearances. The biggest thing to note statistically is a .148 batting average against and a 29.2% strikeout rate. The strikeout-to-walk ratio isn’t great, sitting at 45/21, but it’s been steady progress in terms of improving his strike-throwing ability each year. The Fall League should be an opportunity to see the type of stuff he has and why the Diamondbacks might see him as a future reliever option in a couple of seasons.