One-on-One with D-backs Hidden Gem Demetrio Crisantes

The Arizona native has made quick work of the lower levels to emerge as the D-backs No.13 prospect.

Feb 20, 2023; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen during spring training workouts at Salt River Fields. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher-Arizona Republic via USA TODAY NETWORK / Rob Schumacher/The Republic

Arizona Diamondbacks prospect Demetrio Crisantes has been on a tear at the plate. Taken in the 7th round of the 2022 draft, the 19-year-old right-hand infielder hit well in the Arizona Complex league in 2023, and has returned to form in 2024.

He slashed .355/.431/.521 in the ACL this year, before making a speedy jump to Single-A Visalia in mid-June. Since then, despite his young age, his numbers have gotten even better. He's hit .358/.455/.514 in 45 games with the Rawhide, good for a .969 OPS. That's included five homers and 29 walks in 179 PA.

DEMETRIO CRISANTES GOES OFF THE BARN WINDOW FOR A 2-RUN HANDEL’S HOME RUN pic.twitter.com/04MI7QTZWM

— Visalia Rawhide (@VisaliaRawhide) August 17, 2024

I had a chance to talk one-on-one with the young infielder about his jump to Single-A, and his goals for the rest of the season and beyond. Crisantes noted an increase in difficulty, but said he's simply trusted in his ability to keep hitting well.

“Lot of better competition here compared to the Complex… Pitchers are throwing more breaking balls, and that’s something that I feel like has been part of my success is laying off those breaking balls, not chasing as much as I was before. Staying in my zone, looking for my pitch and just driving it up the middle,” Crisantes said.

“Not trying to overthink too much at the plate, just go out there and see the ball, hit the ball like people always say. Just staying to my approach, trusting my hands, trusting my plan, and it’s been working so far.”

Crisantes has plenty of power in his arsenal, though it hasn't all translated to home runs just yet. Of course, as a young player, there's plenty of time for that to continue to develop. For now, he's simply looking to get solid contact and keep racking up base hits.

"As I get older, as I get stronger, the off-season where I get to lift more, I feel like my power is going to keep increasing, some fly balls that I hit to the warning track will go over the fence, or some doubles off the wall will go over the fence.

“But I’m not worried about hitting home runs. Once I start thinking about home runs, that’s when I start struggling more, just stay with my same approach, hit line drives up the middle and let everything happen,” Crisantes said.

Crisantes did, however, hit his first professional walk-off home run in July, a three-run blast to win it on the fourth of July.

But it's not just the production that makes Crisantes a prospect worth keeping up with. The 19-year-old played his high school ball in Nogales, Arizona, just over an hour south of Tucson, near the Mexico border. The young infielder lit up when asked what it meant to represent his home state.

“It’s awesome, honestly. I want to make the big leagues with the D-backs, I want to stay with the organization, it’s a great organization. Coaches are amazing, staff is amazing. Just being from Arizona too, I used to go to Chase Field all the time to watch the big league games," he said.

"Every time up there, watching a game, it just reminds me of like ‘wow, I was one of those kids asking for autographs there a couple years ago,’ and now I have the chance to… hopefully be in the big leagues with the D-backs and play there, which is a dream come true.”

He noted NL MVP Candidate and All-Star Ketel Marte as a player he looked up to on the D-backs, but also mentioned that he's made connections with some of the newer players.

"The new players there like Blaze [Alexander], I’ve gotten close to Blaze, I’ve gotten close to [Geraldo] Perdomo, just guys there that have been helping us throughout our journey.”

Of course, being from a lesser-known town like Nogales means Crisantes has had fewer eyes on him. He's flown mostly under the radar, but his fast transition and excellent Single-A numbers have propelled him from an unranked position to No.13 on Arizona's prospect list.

Crisantes said he felt the pressure of expectations early on, but has been able to use it to fuel his development and work ethic.

“In the beginning it was feeling like a little bit of pressure, just to keep doing my thing, keep doing good, it’s been a lot. I feel like I’ve never had the exposure that a lot of other players have had, being from Nogales.

"People can’t really see who I really was, so right now, where people are starting to know my name, it was a little pressure in the beginning, but as time goes on I feel like it’s just a confidence boost now more than anything, to keep working hard, to keep doing good, helping my team win," said the 19-year-old.

And that's ultimately what Crisantes plays for, to help his team win. Though a natural shortstop, Crisantes has been getting a majority of reps at second base, with scattered time at any and all infield positions.

But he's taken it in stride, and worked to be the best he can wherever he might set up. He emphasized that his defense feels like the most improved part of his game, but with plenty of room to continue to better himself at whatever position the organization might need him to play.

“I’ve been playing mostly second base this year, so probably second base has been the most comfortable, but anywhere that they put me I’ll play," said Crisantes, "I even told them they could throw me in the outfield, as long as I’m playing.”

“Honestly, I’m open for whatever, whatever the organization needs. If they need me to be a utility guy, I’m always going to be ready to play any position," he said.

With that in mind, Crisantes said he models his game after one of MLB's great players in the Dodgers' Mookie Betts, both as a hitter, and as a player who can get it done defensively at any position.

"I can be the next Mookie Betts, I feel like,” he said. 

Certainly, that might seem like a lofty goal, but his numbers absolutely reflect those of a future stud. At only 19 years old, and with his eyes set on Chase Field, there's nowhere for Crisantes to go but up.