Revisiting the Diamondbacks Historic 2019 Draft

Could the Diamondbacks 2019 draft class be the best in franchise history?

© Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

In the 2019 Draft, the Diamondbacks had seven of the first 75 selections on the first night of the draft. With the the high number of draft picks and a $16 million bonus pool, the D-backs had an opportunity to add a lot of talent to the organization.

These were the players they took on the first night of the draft:

• 1st Round, 16th Overall: OF Corbin Carroll
• 1st Round, 26th Overall: LHP Blake Walston
• Comp. 1st, 33rd Overall: RHP Brennan Malone
• Comp. 1st, 34th Overall: RHP Drey Jameson
• 2nd Round, 56th Overall: RHP Ryne Nelson
• Competitive Balance Round B, 74th Overall: LHP Tommy Henry
• Competitive Balance Round B, 75th Overall: OF Dominic Fletcher

Just three years later, already four of the seven players have reached the big leagues by the end of the 2022 season. Carroll, Jameson, Nelson, and Henry each debuted with the D-backs in the final two months. Malone is the only player who is currently not in the organization, as he was sent to the Pittsburgh Pirates in the Starling Marte trade. Walston and Fletcher are on the door step of the big leagues and could debut as early as next year. Of the six players remaining in the system, four currently sit on our Top 10 list of prospects in the organization. In addition to that group of players, eighth round pick Dominic Canzone has emerged as a potential left-handed bat.

Of the group of players that already have reached the majors, Carroll has the best chance of making a big impact. In his first 21 big league games, he hit .260 with a .830 OPS, one of many ways he can impact a game. His speed is already noteworthy, as he's first amongst all MLB players on Baseball Savant's Sprint Speed Leaderboard and the second fastest home to first time. His speed also plays in the field, where Carroll has been worth five outs above average in just 48 chances. Most of that has come in left field, which will not likely be his primary position in 2023.

Looking at the pitchers from the draft class, Jameson has the best combination of stuff and command. He can utilize two plus-plus fastballs, 4-seam and sinker, to go with a plus slider and an above-average changeup that tunnels well with his sinker. In four big league starts Jameson has dominated lineups in four different ways, showing his ability to adapt to what is working for him and attacking the opposing hitter's weaknesses. Throw in the fact he is a freak athlete, and you have the potential makings for a #2 or #3 starter in a playoff rotation.

Nelson got three starts in the big leagues, showcasing his plus fastball and at times command of his above-average slider and changeup. There is no doubt he possesses the stuff to be an effective starter, but his frame and durability concerns could end up moving him to the bullpen. Should he be moved to relief, Nelson would immediately become one of their best arms. 

Henry was the first player from this class to get called up to the big leagues and had the typical rookie season. Henry throws in the low 90s with his fastball and has average secondary pitches. With good command, he has the profile of a #5 starter in a big league rotation but due to the lack of a standout pitch he could be a conversion candidate to the bullpen. Where Henry ends up will depend on the organization's success rate at developing starters.

Walston, Fletcher, and Canzone each project to hit the big leagues at some point in the 2023 season. Walston is coming off a successful season between High-A and Double-A, where he finished strong with a 2.89 ERA in his final 10 starts. Walston is 6'5" with the full arsenal of pitches that includes a fastball that can touch 96-97 MPH, two swing-and-miss breaking balls, and a solid feel for a changeup. He could be a candidate to replace Madison Bumgarner as a left-handed option in the rotation, should Bumgarner struggle early in 2023.

Fletcher and Canzone will face a tougher road to the big leagues, due to the left-handed outfield depth ahead of them. Neither outfielder have the same potential impact with the glove or speed as the players in front of them, which will make inserting them into the lineup an issue. However they could serve as depth if there are injuries at the position. Fletcher is more well-rounded and could back up all three outfield spots. He has a line drive approach at the plate. Canzone is a corner outfielder/first baseman who can generate some impressive exit velocity numbers. 

For the Diamondbacks to build a sustainable winner, they will need to hit on most of these players from their 2019 draft class. Most likely the class will need to produce at least one regular starter in the lineup, two starting pitchers, and one more impact pitcher from their top seven picks to keep the team moving in the right direction.