D-backs Amateur Scouting Director Ian Rebhan Explains Ryan Waldschmidt Pick

The patient and explosive hitter had a standout season in the SEC after recovering from a knee injury and has a bright future with the D-backs

Jun 2, 2024; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats outfielder Ryan Waldschmidt (21) runs to first base during the fourth inning against the Indiana State Sycamores at Kentucky Proud Park. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports / Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports

The Arizona Diamondbacks took an offensive-first approach with their second pick in the 2024 MLB Draft. With the 31st pick, awarded thanks to Corbin Carroll winning Rookie of the Year in the National League, the D-backs took Kentucky outfielder Ryan Waldschmidt.

Scouting Director Ian Rebhan explains why they took the strong hitting Waldschmidt below.

"The year that Ryan had at Kentucky was unbelievable in the best conference of college baseball..He doesn't strike out. He walks a lot. He controls the zone, he hits, he hits for power...He checked all the boxes as an interesting, really proven, college bat...someone who touches a lot of tools, is an athlete, and proven himself as a hitter and proven himself with the approach."

Waldschmidt slashed .359/.482/.657 with 14 homers, 24 stolen bases, a 15.5% strikeout rate, and a 13.5% walk rate in 54 games in the intense and tough SEC. He was the best player on Kentucky's roster and led them to their first-ever College World Series.

He is MLB Pipeline's 23rd ranked player in the draft, indicating that perhaps Arizona got a steal. The grades of his skills from 20-80 come from MLB Pipeline.

Waldschmidt's got elite bat speed which when combined with his 6'2, 205 pound frame, has enabled him to get plenty of power. His power is graded at 55 and it wouldn't be a shock if he someday hit 30 home runs.

His bat speed allows him to produce very high exit velocities and make consistent loud contact and he drives the ball all parts of the field. Although, his power mainly is to his pull side.

He has an elite eye at the plate, as evidenced by the fact he nearly walked as much as he struck out in his Junior year. Waldschmidt might have the best eye of the MLB Draft as he knows the strike zone and refuses to chase pitches out of the zone.

He hits well enough to have a 55-grade hit tool and should hit somewhere between .255-.275 for an average, which would be good enough to be a regular contributor when mixed with his speed and power.

The analytics back up the eye test on Ryan Waldschmidt and they have plenty of great things to say. This was one of those instances where everyone is in agreement on the potential that Waldschmidt has. Nearly every analytic said Waldschmidt was an impact hitter against tough SEC pitching.

Love the Caldwell/Waldschmidt turnaround for DBacks! pic.twitter.com/WclzdtN2Pi

— Jacob (@JacobE_STL) July 15, 2024

Amateur Scouting Director Ian Rebhan spoke on how the analytics and eye/scouting test meshed together in drafting Ryan Waldschmidt. "I think we do a really good job as a whole of blending the two. This whole group has been in that room the whole week trying to get this thing in order and I think he was the perfect blend of the analytics team liked a lot of the things he do."

"He doesn't swing-and-miss, he hits for power, he doesn't expand the zone, he obviously performed in the best conference in college baseball, but you also have the scouting group that loved the kid and got to know him well and liked the player, the bat, the power, and all the ways he can impact the game so I would say that was just a really good blend of everybody involved in the process."

The metrics that jumped out with Ryan Waldschmidt to the D-backs were "Specifically, it was the ability to hit, not swing and miss, not expand the zone, hit for power against the best arms in college baseball and I think if you check a lot of those boxes, you've got a pretty bright future."

He has sneaky good speed that doesn't show up when you first scout him. Despite tearing his left ACL in the summer of 2023, he managed to return for the 2024 college season and play a full year, the majority of the time in left field. His speed grade is a healthy 55.

He stole 24 bases in the 2024 college season and should be able to steal 15-20 bags in the pros regularly.

When combined with his power, he could someday be a 30/20 hitter with enough playing time. Waldschmidt should just get better on the bases with professional coaching and training.

The Diamondbacks say they have no qualms with his recovery from his torn ACL and think he's fully healthy and ready to go. "He showed all year long that it's not an issue for him. He played good defense. He showed you he can really run...He proved it."

Thanks to his speed, he does the ability to potentially play centerfield, but it's more likely that he shifts to left field in the end, which is where he played with Kentucky. His arm strength is the worst part of his fielding.

That will be what limits his fielding as he takes good routes to the ball and has enough speed to cover plenty of ground.

According to Ian Rebhan, "We see him being able to play all three outfield spots. He played left field a lot at Kentucky but when we scout him, we see him as an above-average runner who can go out and play centerfield."

Ryan Waldschmidt is a professional hitter already with an advanced approach at the plate and should be a fairly fast riser up the Minor League ranks. He has the upside of a regular MLB outfielder and should be fairly high on the Arizona Diamondbacks prospects rankings.