D-backs Top 40 Prospects in 2024: No. 28 Yordin Chalas

The young flamethrower excelled in his first full professional season and climbed a level while showcasing electric potential

Scouts using radar guns to clock pitch velocity / Zac Bellman - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

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.

Yordin Chalas, RHP, Reliever, DOB 2/22/2004, 6'3, 175

Acquired: 2023 IFA class out of Dominican Republic

Yordin Chalas was signed by the Diamondbacks out of the Dominican Republic on January 15, 2023. He has the potential to serve as a potential late-game reliever with the ability to impact games out of the bullpen with his tall and wiry frame.

He wasn't the flashiest name that the D-backs signed during their International Free Agency period but he's become perhaps their best signing so far and most advanced signing as he reached High-A Hillsboro Hops this year.

Chalas started 2024 at Single-A with the Visalia Rawhide after spending all of 2023 in the Arizona Complex League and Dominican Summer Leagues. At just 20 years old, reaching Single-A in his first full professional season is quite the accomplishment, let along starting the year there.

With the Rawhide, Chalas excelled. Over 18 games and 15 games finished, as he proved he can handle late-game pitching, Chalas recorded a 3.18 ERA over 22.2 innings. His FIP was 3.76 while his xFIP was a strong 3.31.

His overpowering fastball helped him strike out 33 (13.1 per nine innings) while he walked just 11. He gave up only 18 hits and two homers. He had four saves but a 1-3 record. Hitters slugged just .349 against him.

Chalas posted a better than average ground ball rate of 47.1%, helping him keep it in the ballpark with a 0.79 HR/9 innings.

Over his last 3.1 innings there, he struck out eight, allowed one run and hit, and walked none. He proved that he was ready for a new challenge and the D-backs rewarded him with a promotion to a tougher level in High-A on June 18th.

Chalas didn't experience quite the same amount of success as he did with Visalia in Hillsboro, but he still exhibited the same potential and did better than perhaps the base stats say.

Over 23 games and 28 innings, he had three saves and an ERA of 4.82. However, his FIP was far lower at 3.85 and an even better xFIP of 3.52.

He allowed 28 hits, 17 runs, 15 walks, and struck out 39. The strikeout ability was plenty there but he was more wild with his pitches than he was earlier in the year.

But that might have been due to him getting used to the mound, catchers, ballparks, air, and umpires, as 11 of those walks came in his first 13 games and 13.2 innings. He had an 8.56 ERA over that span, with 19 hits and 14 runs allowed.

Over his final 10 games and 14.1 innings, he walked just four and struck out 20 with a 1.26 ERA. He allowed just three runs and nine hits, and opponents hit .173 against him.

Overall, his strikeout rate fell slightly to 12.54 per 9 innings compared to Single-A, but his walk rate stayed close to his prior numbers with 4.82 per 9 innings.

Chalas showcased his electric upper-90s fastball this year as it has a current scouting grade of 60 on the 20-80 scale, indicating it's well above average. It has big sink ability, allowing him to avoid barrels to both left and right-hand batters.

His slider is his second pitch and it's got above-average potential and is already a quality pitch that is vastly different in speed against his fastball, keeping hitters off-balance. Currently, it's a 55-grade pitch but it certainly has the chance to be far better.

Chalas is a two-pitch pitcher, which is all a dominant reliever needs if he can learn to locate them consistently around the strike zone for strikes and spot them on the edges. If he can do that, he has late-inning reliever and potential closer written all over him.

2025 Outlook

Yordin Chalas is likely to start 2025 back with the Hillsboro Hops, although it's not out of the question the Diamondbacks could remain aggressive with him and have him start the year in Double-A Amarillo

If they choose that path, then a mid or late season promotion to Triple-A Reno in 2025 is on the table as well. While aggressive, there is similar precedent in the Mike Hazen era since 2017. Justin Martinez, made it to Triple-A at the age of 20 in 2022, and was in the majors just a year later.

The Diamondbacks have to be very excited with Chalas' development so far and can start envisioning a bullpen that has both him and Justin Martinez in it as early as 2026 if he remains on his current path.