February is here and spring training is just about underway, which can mean only one thing around these parts: it's time to rank minor-league prospects. Every team across the majors is selling hope to their fans: some are selling it in a more immediate fashion, in the form of active offseasons full of free-agent signings and trade acquisitions. Others, meanwhile, are selling it in the personage of prospects who could make the difference over the coming years.
CBS Sports continues examining the top three prospects in each organization. Our definition of "prospect" is simple: does that player have rookie eligibility remaining for the 2025 season? If so, they're a prospect; if not, that's probably why your favorite young player is absent from the proceedings.
As always, these lists are formed following conversations with scouts, analysts, player development specialists, and other talent evaluators around the industry. There's a fair amount of firsthand evaluation, statistical analysis, and historical research mixed in, too. Plus a heaping of personal bias -- we all have certain traits and profiles that we prefer over others, there's no sense pretending otherwise.
Keep in mind that there's no one right answer with these sorts of things. Besides, these are merely our opinions, meaning they have no actual bearing on the future. We already published our ranking of the top 25 prospects in all of the minors.
With all that out of the way, let's get to ranking the top three prospects in the Arizona Diamondbacks system.
1. Jordan Lawlar, SS
Top 25 rank: No. 9
The short hook: Dynamic shortstop just needs better health
Lawlar was limited to just 23 regular-season games, all on the minor-league side, by a combination of hamstring and thumb injuries. He'll now enter his fourth full professional season having yet to appear in more than 119 games in a single year. Lawlar nonetheless remains a compelling prospect. He offers plus defense at the six as well as above-average power and speed tools that should more than offset his swing-and-miss tendencies. If Lawlar's body allows, he should spend most of the upcoming season serving as Arizona's everyday shortstop. MLB ETA: Already debuted
2. Yilber Diaz, RHP
The short hook: Righty with stuff, command questions
Diaz spent most of the season between Double- and Triple-A, but along the way he was called upon to make seven big-league appearances. Consider it appropriate that he split those between starting and relieving, as it's to be seen if he has the command to stick in a rotation for the long haul. Diaz does have a big league-caliber arm either way. His arsenal includes a 96 mph fastball and two swing-and-miss breaking balls: a low-80s slider and an upper-70s spike curve. (Both generated more than 36% whiffs in the majors.) If Diaz can reliably locate his pitches -- and mind you, he issued more than a walk every other inning in Double-A -- he has a chance to slot into the big-league rotation as soon as this season. MLB ETA: Already debuted
3. Ryan Waldschmidt, OF
The short hook: Can good traits overcome awkward swing?
This may be an overrank, but we've been high on Waldschmidt dating back to before the 2024 draft, when the Diamondbacks landed a potential bargain at No. 31. Although he has an unorthodox operation that sees him barely stride before swinging, he demonstrated his offensive chops at Kentucky by more than holding his own in SEC play. He then performed well in his professional debut, hitting .273/.485/.318 with more walks than strikeouts in a small sample. Waldschmidt's boosters, generally those with a more analytical bent, see above-average power and discipline in his game as well as more athleticism than his left-field position indicates (he stole 29 bases between college and the pros last year). If he can make good on those traits over a greater sample, then perhaps this won't go down an overrank after all. MLB ETA: Spring 2027
