Top Prospect Jordan Lawlar Promoted to Triple-A Reno

The D-backs 2021 first rounder reaches the highest level of the minors in his Age 20 season.

The Diamondbacks top prospect has moved up a level, as shortstop Jordan Lawlar will now be playing for Triple-A Reno. Under general manager Mike Hazen, the modus operandi for player development is to give their prospects a taste of the next level at the end of a successful season. That was something manager Torey Lovullo revealed when discussing pitching prospect Bryce Jarvis' promotion to the big league roster yesterday.

"I've been with Mike a long time, and we were in player development in Boston, he would always give guys the opportunity to show what they could do at the end of the year for the level they were going to start at the next year. I thought that it was a very healthy way for the players to learn and think about their next off-season so they were ready for the next level. I think that's the strategy that works in the game. 

The same principle applies to Lawlar, who will finish the year in Reno. His year in Amarillo didn't get off to a great start, as he batted .114 with 36 strikeouts between April 21st and May 21st. Since then he has taken his bat to the next level with a triple slash of .313/.403/.541 with 19 doubles, two triples, and 10 home runs in his final 57 games. When accounting for one of the most run-inflating environments in the minor leagues, Lawlar's offensive output is considered to be 47% better than the average hitter with a 147 wRC+. 

Deyvison De Los Santos was named the organization's Minor League Player of the Month for July. After spending the first two weeks of the month on the Player Development List, he came back with a vengeance to close out the month. In 14 games with Amarillo, De Los Santos hit .364/.397/.582 with two home runs, 12 strikeouts, and three walks. Hillsboro right-hander Dylan Ray was named the organization's Minor League Pitcher of the month, which you can read about those exploits here.

Ivan Melendez has crushed 10 home runs in his first 23 games with Amarillo. At the same time he has 36 strikeouts and only four walks. That comes with the boom-bust territory of a big time power bat with a lot of swing-and-miss in his hitting profile. He'll be a tough evaluation while in the offense-boosting environments of Amarillo and Reno. The hope is he can significantly reduce the amount of strikeouts next year to improve the odds he'll stick in an MLB lineup.

Jansel Luis' stay on the injured list proved to be short, as he spent the minimum seven days before getting activated by Visalia on August 8th. Since returning, Luis is 8-for-18 with a triple and a home run. After a strong run at the complex, he has held his own at Visalia to close out the year. In 16 games with the D-backs Low-A affiliate, he's hitting .318/.368/.492 with two home runs and a 15/3 strikeout to walk ratio. As a result of his breakthrough season, he's on the prospect map and already ranked as a Top 5 prospect in the organization now.