D-backs Top 40 Prospects in 2024: No. 17 Daniel Eagen

One of Arizona's newest pitchers has yet to make his organizational debut.

Jul 14, 2024; Ft. Worth, TX, USA; MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred during the first round of the MLB Draft at Cowtown Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

This article is part of a series reviewing the seasons of the top 40 prospects still in the Arizona Diamondbacks system as of the end of 2024.

RHP Daniel Eagen, DOB 11/23/2002, 6'4", 205 LBs

Acquired: 2024 MLB Draft, round 3, pick 102

The Arizona Diamondbacks selected their first pitcher of the 2024 MLB draft in the third round at pick 102. That pick became right-handed starting pitcher Daniel Eagen, a 21-year-old out of Presbyterian College, a minuscule private institution in South Carolina.

Eagen became Presbyterian's highest-drafted player in program history, but the journey certainly didn't begin smoothly.

He struggled to 7.63 and 12.10 ERAs over his freshman and sophomore season, only pitching 43.2 innings his freshman year. Then, his sophomore year was derailed by a UCL injury, limiting his 2023 season to just 9.2 innings over five appearances (three starts).

But the big righty showed major jump in 2024. Finally fully healthy, Eagen pitched to a stellar 2.67 ERA over 14 starts, and began to see exceptional life on his knockout curveball, striking out batters at an incredible 37.8% rate. That registered 14 strikeouts per nine innings, and nearly halved his WHIP to an excellent 0.991.

Eagen relies mostly on three pitches, leaning heavily on his plus curveball to collect whiffs and strikeouts. The curve has solid movement and clocks in around the low-80s, grading out as a well above-average pitch.

But that's not Eagen's only weapon. He also throws a plus fastball that sits between 93-95 MPH and can top 96, as well as a less frequently utilized slider, which also profiles as a plus pitch. He has a changeup as well, but rarely uses it, and it profiles as a below average pitch in the mid-80s.

Eagen's command has a bit of a way to go developmentally, as he has yet to walk fewer than 3.0 batters per nine in a season, and he relies on whiffs and strikeouts to collect outs.

2025 Outlook

There's still plenty of distance for Eagen to cover before he's considered a major league-ready prospect. While he might be somewhat more developed than a high school draftee, he's only pitched 131 total innings in college, and has struggled with injury, limiting him to just a 77.2 inning season-high.

He's served as both a starting pitcher and reliever, and while he found his most success in college as a starter, he will likely need to work on an extra pitch to add to his arsenal, and continue to develop his command. Even at a minor league level, a plus curveball isn't enough to make a living on by itself.

But his fastball has potential to develop into a high-power pitch if he cant command it, and if he can develop his changeup or another secondary pitch (and find a groove for his slider), he'll be an arm to watch through the minor leagues.

Eagen has yet to pitch in the D-backs' system, and will likely begin the 2025 season in the Arizona Complex League, though it could be a short stint for him there as a college-level draftee. Expect him to get the bulk of his innings with the Class-A Visalia Rawhide before it's all said and done next year.

He's an intellectual pitcher, and likely has the mental makeup to become a major leaguer; there are simply questions about his durability and future role, but those will be answered with time in the organization.

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