Belfi Rivera Has the Instincts to Play Center Field for D-backs

Rivera is one of the few outfield prospects in the D-backs system expected to stay in center field in the long term.

This article is part of a series counting down the Diamondbacks' Top 30 prospects entering the 2024 season. These rankings are determined by Michael McDermott, in conjunction with the Inside the Diamondbacks staff.

Summary: Like Adriel Radney, Belfi Rivera is one of the top prospects from the D-backs 2024 International Signing Class. Rivera signed for $1.8 million, further showcasing the team's increased investment in the Latin American world of baseball. Rivera is very much a project prospect who will need a lot of development time in the system with a projectable body and a swing that is best stated as a work in progress. However given the raw tools, projectability, and likelihood of sticking at a premium defensive position, he still fits as one of the top prospects in the organization.

Rank: 17

Age: 17

Height/Weight: 6'1" 160 lbs.

Bats/Throws: Left/Right

Tools: Hit 45, Power 50, Run 50, Defense 55, Arm 50, Overall 45

ETA: 2030

2024 Expectations: Like with every prospect from the 2024 signing class, Rivera will begin his career at the D-backs' academy in the Dominican Republic. Then he will start playing professional games in the Dominican Summer League in June. That will be the first test in his career, as the level is often incorporated with pitchers that lack control and the quality of defense not as high given most of the players in the league are teenagers. He'll spend most, if not all, of 2024 in the DSL between the two teams the D-backs have at that level.

Projection: Rivera doesn't necessarily have a high ceiling compared to some of the other outfielders in the organization, but if the bat develops could be a safe center field projection. Despite the lack of plus speed, the instincts are good enough to compensate for that. His swing will need a lot of refinement as he matures and fills out physically, although he fits the organization's mold of smaller guys with underlying pop. Most likely he winds up being a fourth outfielder who can handle all three outfield positions, where his left-handed bat is more valuable on the major side of a platoon.

Top 30 Diamondbacks Prospects Entering the 2024 Season