Diamondbacks Minor League Round-Up of Stars of Past Week

The Diamondbacks had stellar outings from multiple prospects including a player who won Player of The Week

Amarillo Sod Poodles Caleb Roberts (7) leads off first base in a Texas League Championship game against the Arkansas Travelers, Tuesday night, September 26, 2023, at Hodgetown, in Amarillo, Texas. The Arkansas Travelers won 6-5. / Carter Pirtle for the Amarillo

The Arizona Diamondbacks have been experiencing a surge of breakout prospects this year, however, very few of them have come from their widely accepted top-15 prospects. The top-15 prospects have been wrecked with injuries and underperformance. There are some guys breaking out like Druw Jones and Deyvison De Los Santos.

Triple-A Reno Aces

Yilber Diaz and Deyvison De Los Santos

The fast-rising Yilber Diaz had a standout second start at the Triple-A level this past week. After a tough first start, Diaz adapted well to the tough Pacific Coast League and threw 5.2 innings of zero-earned runs baseball. He allowed five hits and struck out six against just two walks. He allowed three unearned runs but that was due to a costly error.

Meanwhile, De Los Santos continued to slug everything in his path, although he did exhibit some concerning swing patterns. He's continued to chase pitches low and away which led to nine strikeouts this past week against zero walks.

However, he hit .269 and slugged .500 with three doubles, a homer, and two RBI. His power is going to play in the Majors. If he can limit the swing and miss, he has the bat profile to be an All-Star DH.

Double-A Amarillo Sod Poodles

Caleb Roberts and Billy Corcoran/Spencer Giesting

Caleb Roberts had a week for the ages. He dominated Double-A this past week. He was named the Texas League Player of the Week. He hit .391 with a .913 slug and a 1.375 OPS. He mashed three homers, eight RBI, and two more extra base hits. It's noteworthy this is the second time he's won this award, the last time coming back in July of 2023.

He's blocked to Triple-A by Adrian Del Castillo and Jose Herrera once Gabriel Moreno gets activated off the IL. As for Billy Corcoran, the recent graduate of Hillsboro had a strong start. He pitched seven innings and gave up just two runs on five hits with five strikeouts. He allowed just a .192 average.

Spencer Giesting had a strong first start in Amarillo after getting promoted from Hillsboro. The left-hander pitched 6.2 innings with five hits, two earned runs, three walks, and five strikeouts. A bad error led to two more runs being scored, but overall, Giesting mixed and matched his pitches and had a strong first outing.

High-A Hillsboro Hops

Gavin Conticello and Joe Elbis/Jacob Steinmetz

Conticello had a strong week for Hillsboro in what is generally a tough Northwest League to hit in. He showcased that he can slug with a .640 slugging percentage while batting .280. He scored three runs and had seven hits. Of those seven hits, he had two homers and three doubles to go with six RBI. He's blocked at Double-A by Ivan Melendez and Caleb Roberts at first base.

Joe Elbis has continued to have a breakout year as a starting pitcher. He pitched seven innings of one-run ball. He allowed eight hits, but navigated the traffic to put up a terrific start. He struck out four while walking just two.

Jacob Steinmetz made his first two starts in High-A after getting promoted from Single-A Visalia. Steinmetz struggled with his command in his first start, over-pitching. He lasted just 0.2 innings and walked three with with a hit-batter while striking out two and giving up two runs.

However, in his second start, he showcased his potential. He pitched six innings and allowed just four hits, two earned runs, two walks, and struck out four. Steinmetz has the potential to get to Double-A early next year.

Single-A Visalia Rawhide

Demetrio Crisantes and Wilkin Paredes

The Nogales native, Crisantes, certainly made a great first impression after getting promoted to Single-A following an extremely successful stint in the ACL league. In his six games, the shortstop batted .400 with a .988 OPS. He had eight hits, three runs, and a double. However, it was his eye at the plate that showcased his potential.

He walked four times to just five strikeouts. He demonstrated patience and an advanced feel for the strikezone that will serve him well in Visalia. Plus, his speed showed with a stolen base.

As for Paredes, he had his strikeout stuff working with seven strikeouts in 6.2 innings. He allowed just six hits and two runs in a win along with no walks. He limited hitters to just a .231 average.

The Arizona Diamondbacks have had a good season developing their prospects under the watch of Shaun Larkin who is in his first year of running the team's minor leagues. Only time will tell if these breakouts will continue as players get promoted to tougher and more challenging leagues.

For full season stats for all Diamondbacks minor leaguers, follow these links for HITTERS and PITCHERS