Evaluating JD Dix and the D-backs' Top Complex League Prospects

For much of the season, we've been focusing on the Diamondbacks' full-season affiliates on the daily minor league recaps and weekly reports. This week, we're going to focus on the top prospects playing at the Complex League in Arizona.

Prospects in the Complex League are typically around 18-20 years old. They're either high school players in their first year in the organization or Latin American players who've graduated from the Dominican Summer League. It's challenging due to young players learning new routines and having to play much of the season in 100-degree temperatures.

All five prospects highlighted below are 19 or younger and either are on our midseason Top 40 Diamondbacks Prospects list or have better offensive production than the league's average.

INF JD Dix (No. 15)

The third of Arizona's three first-round selections in the 2024 Draft, Dix is hitting well in the Complex League. Dix has a nice, well-rounded tool set and a projectable body to add more strength and power.

Entering play on June 10, the switch-hitting infielder leads the club in hits (23) and walks (14). Overall, he's hitting .313 with four doubles, three triples, and a homer. It adds up to a .835 OPS and a 120 wRC+.

With Geraldo Perdomo cemented as the Diamondbacks' starting shortstop for the rest of the decade, Dix has primarily played second base. 24 of his 26 starts have been at the keystone. He projects as a potential starter on the infield, either at second or third.

INF Enyervert Perez (No. 27)

Diamondbacks farm director Chris Slivka mentioned Perez as a potential sleeper candidate in the organization. Slivka made note that Perez hits the ball extremely hard, with excellent hard-hit rates and exit velocities for his age.

That's shown up in the results, as he's batting .307 and leads the team with a .896 OPS and 138 wRC+. He's produced strong ISOs for a teenager throughout his career in the Dominican Summer League and the Complex, with a .207 mark in 2023 and .197 in 2024.

If there is one potential weakness, he has the classic swing-and-miss issues for a power hitter. He has a 15.8% swinging strike rate and has been aggressive with a 50.3% swing rate. He still draws his fair share of walks, at 12.3%, but the strikeouts have spiked recently (15 in his last 42 plate appearances).

He's played primarily first base, with 16 starts there compared to seven at third. He projects as a power-hitting first baseman, but as a right-handed bat he could move up the system a bit slower.

SS Tytus Cissell (No. 31)

Cissell was drafted in the fourth round in 2024 due to his glove and athleticism. His bat has been slow to come around, as he's hitting .221 with a .583 OPS. The biggest issue has been a 36.6% strikeout rate compared to just a 5.0% walk rate.

Slivka mentioned Cissell's shortstop defense as special, so the offensive bar for him to reach the major leagues is lower. However, he'll need to fix the strikeout problem and produce more competitive at-bats at the plate to move up the system.

The ideal outcome for Cissell is a Nick Ahmed-type career, where the bat is good enough to justify playing his glove every day. He's started 19 games at short and three at second.

C Ivan Luciano (No. 33)

Luciano is the youngest of the Complex League prospects, playing in his age-18 season. His transition to pro ball has been rough, hitting .218 with just two extra-base hits. Part of that is due to a lack of line drives, sitting at just 9.5%, and a high fly ball rate over 40%. At his age, those fly balls are more likely to result in outs than hits.

Despite a high strikeout rate of 23.9%, he has a low swinging strike rate of 10.4%. He's pretty selective overall, swinging at only 41.8% of the pitches he sees. So it seems like it's a matter of better identifying pitches he can do damage on, which will take more reps at the plate.

Reps have been tough to come by, with Adrian Del Castillo's rehab taking precedent over getting Luciano reps at the DH spot on nights he doesn't catch.

C Carlos Virahonda (NR)

Like Perez, Virahonda has been a nice find at the complex. He's been an aggressive swinger, offering at 52.7% of the pitches he sees, but has been good at making contact. He's punched out in only 15% of his plate appearances.

On the year, Virahonda is tied with Dix for the team lead in average at .310. His on-base percentage comes in at .414, despite only five walks due to being hit by six pitches in 70 PA. As a result, he has the second highest OPS (.845) and wRC+ (129) on the club.

While it's difficult to access catcher defense, Virahonda has done an excellent job gunning down attempted stealers and blocking pitches. He's caught 6 of 17 attempts (35%) and allowed just one passed ball. That's better than the 29% caught stealing rate for Luciano and four fewer passed balls.