Apr 4, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; A detailed view of an Arizona Diamondbacks hat at the game between the Washington Nationals and the Arizona Diamondbacks at Nationals Park. Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

Diamondbacks' Top Prospect Launches First Spring Training Home Run

Originally posted on Minor League Baseball on SI
By Justin Binkowski | Last updated Feb 24, 2026 10:22 AM ET

The Arizona Diamondbacks may have a tough decision to make about whether to include their top prospect on the big league roster for Opening Day.

Ryan Waldschmidt, Arizona's No. 1 prospect in 2025 and MLB Pipeline's No. 59 overall prospect for 2026, crushed his first home run of the spring in the D-backs' 9-5 loss to the Cleveland Guardians on Monday. The 23-year-old drove a 1-1 changeup 380 feet to left field with an exit velocity of 106.2 mph to score Arizona's first two runs of the game.

Although this is just one spring training home run, Waldschmidt could put himself in contention to crack the D-backs' Opening Day roster if he continues to play well, especially given the current state of Arizona's outfield.

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Question marks in Arizona's outfield could open the door for Ryan Waldschmidt

Waldschmidt was Arizona's first-round draft pick in 2024. He's only played one full season of minor league ball so far, hitting .289 with 18 home runs in 134 games last year. The 23-year-old has also played just 66 games at Double-A and hasn't debuted at Triple-A yet. Based on the D-backs' projected lineup at the start of 2026, however, a strong spring could force Arizona to consider calling Waldschmidt up to the bigs quicker than some fans likely anticipated.

Star outfielder Corbin Carroll recently underwent surgery for a broken hamate bone in his right hand, putting his status for Opening Day in question. If Waldschmidt plays well enough this spring, though, Arizona could elect to call him up and give Carroll extra time to recover.

The D-backs are also projected to use 2021 first-round pick Jordan Lawlar in the outfield this year. The former sixth-overall pick has primarily been an infielder throughout his career. But with Arizona's infield seemingly set for now, the team may take this opportunity to try Lawlar in the outfield to get his bat in the lineup.

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. is expected to contribute for Arizona this year as well, but he tore his ACL last fall. Although he's reportedly ahead of schedule in his recovery, the 32-year-old's status could influence how the D-backs decide to handle Waldschmidt.

While Waldschmidt will most likely open the 2026 season in Double- or Triple-A, how he plays throughout the rest of spring training will be worth monitoring.

More MiLB: Twins' No. 5 Prospect Stands Out With Spring Training Strikeouts of Braves All-Stars

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

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