Ricardo Yan Earns The No. 26 Spot After Breakthrough 2023

This article is part of a series counting down the Diamondbacks Top 30 prospects entering the 2024 season. These rankings are determined by Michael McDermott, in conjunction with the Inside the Diamondbacks staff.

Bio: Ricardo Yan signed with the Diamondbacks in January 2021 as a long and lanky right-hander who operates from a low three-quarters arm slot. In just two seasons, he's gone from the Dominican Summer League all the way to Class A Advanced Hillsboro. His sinker and slider combo plus the arm slot is similar to Ryan Thompson, who helped fuel a deep postseason run with a 2.31 ERA in 11 2/3 innings. While he doesn't have a lot of experience, the combination of the arm slot, late movement, youth, and possible future projectability makes for either a potential reliable bullpen arm or a back of the rotation starter.

Rank: 26

Age: 22

Height/Weight: 6'4" 180 lbs.

Throws: Right

Tools: Fastball 50, Slider 60, Changeup 40, Command 45, Overall 40

ETA: 2026

2023 Recap: Yan opened the year with Class A Visalia, putting up solid numbers across the board with a 4.33 ERA and a 105/34 strikeout to walk ratio in 81 innings. Per nine innings he struck out 11.7, walked 3.8, and allowed 0.56 home runs. With those solid peripherals, the D-backs promoted him to High-A Hillsboro to face tougher hitters. His walk rate increased to 4.5, but the strikeouts also saw a similar increase to 13.1. Between both levels, he maintained a consistent 3:1 ratio of strikeouts and walks. For a 21-year-old to make it to High-A and perform there, it's an encouraging sign.

2024 Expectations: Yan is likely to repeat Hillsboro to open the 2024 season, but could find himself pitching in Amarillo. The combination of the lower arm slot and the classic sinker/slider combination presents a tough matchup for less polished hitters, so the player development staff needs to give him the appropriate challenge. After successfully handling 103 innings in 2023, the next step is building him up to 125-135 innings in 2024. The walks will need to improve for him to remain as a starter, as his strikeout and walk numbers suggest a potential bullpen conversion candidate.

Projection: Yan still profiles for the Ryan Thompson role, handling the middle innings initially before moving to setup work. The arm slot suggests a potential concern for platoon splits and times through the order penalty as he works his way up the minor league ladder. Developing the changeup as a useful third pitch will be critical in his ability to stick as a starter, but a floor of a solid reliever is not a bad result either.