How Did the Diamondbacks Fare in the First Week in the Arizona Fall League

A look at how the Diamondbacks representatives played in their first week in the Arizona Fall League.

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Jordan Lawlar

4 G, 3-14, 2 HR, 4 BB, 5 SO, 2 SB

Lawlar got off to a pretty hot start, going 3-6 with four walks and two home runs in his first two games. Since then, he's gone 0-8 with three strikeouts. There has been some solid contact, with four of his batted balls hit above 100 MPH. On those batted balls, he's 3-4 with two home runs, a single, and a lineout to first. I'm not too overly concerned about his ability to hit, given a solid track record in Low-A and High-A of being able to consistently make quality contact. 

Lawlar has gotten a few chances on defense, from what I've seen he can handle the routine plays at shortstop just fine. There is a bit of a concern that his arm angle is dropping, which is causing his throws to sail a bit. It happened a couple times in his game on Saturday, with both throws being somewhat loopy, although getting to first base in time. This is something to watch for.

Deyvison De Los Santos

3 G, 1-8, 2B, HBP, 2 BB, 2 SO

The most important thing to watch for De Los Santos was his approach, especially given his stretch in High-A in which he had 54 strikeouts to just seven walks.  In three games so far in the Fall League that ratio is 2/2, but he's struggled to make quality contact. His hardest-hit ball in terms of exit velocity is a 105.4 MPH flyout. His one hit came on a 90.6 MPH ground ball down the line that the third baseman fanned on for a double. 

He hasn't had a chance to play at third in the fall, but his defense at first base has caught my attention. De Los Santos, despite a big frame, shows the ability to move well on the field. He's made plays ranging to his right on ground balls and vacuums up the balls hit to him. Based on actions, I'm not entirely sold on his ability to play third because his transfer looks a bit slower compared to the other third basemen I've seen in the Fall League. 

Ultimately I'm not as worried about the glove but more so the bat and his approach at the plate. If the bat plays at the big league level, he's likely to either end up at first base or the designated hitter spot in the lineup. 

Cooper Hummel

1 G, 2-3

Hummel played Saturday after returning from the big leagues and had a solid day at the plate, getting two hits on a couple well-struck balls. Both his singles came off the bat at 103 and 101 MPH. The main reason he was sent to the Fall League was to get some reps behind the plate and he had mixed results in his first game back. On the one stolen base against him he bounced the ball well short of the second base bag. He was unable to block a wild pitch with a runner on third who came home to score during a four run eighth inning. He might need to hold his target up a little longer as well. He seems to drop his target before the pitcher releases the ball sometimes. 

Pitchers

The pitchers the Diamondbacks sent to the Fall League did not have a good week. J.B. Bukauskas got mixed results in his one appearance. He got a pair of strikeouts, but on the second strikeout the catcher was unable to complete the play. The next two hitters recorded extra base hits, a 95 MPH double in which the left fielder had an interesting route to the ball followed up by a 99 MPH opposite field home run. His velocity was down a tick compared to his 2021 average of 94. 

Chad Patrick pitched on Thursday, which I didn't watch live. Patrick's fastball was 90-93 MPH, which he threw for 32 of his 49 pitches. He also featured a cutter, curveball, slider and changeup. Control was an issue, as only 22 of his 49 pitches were strikes. He'll need to throw more strikes in his next start.

Jackson Goddard has not looked impressive in his two outings in the Fall League. Goddard has allowed six runs in three innings, allowing five hits, three walks, and two walks. His fastball sat 92-95, with a changeup and curveball as his secondary pitches. 

Kyle Backhus had two appearances, allowing a run in 1.2 innings. His sinker was 88-92 MPH with a slider around 75-79. The arm angle and sinker/slider combination could make him an interesting matchup lefty in the Diamondbacks bullpen, although he'll need to throw more stirkes.