Prospect rankings: Jordan Lawlar still considered top-end, Demetrio Crisantes gaining national hype

The annual top prospects rankings from MLB Pipeline, The Athletic, Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus are out, and while the Arizona Diamondbacks do not frequent every list like in recent seasons, two players stand out:

Shortstop Jordan Lawlar is still considered a top-shelf prospect by analysts, and second baseman Demetrio Crisantes is quickly gaining national notoriety.

MLB Pipeline ranked Lawlar 11th, down from ninth in 2024 and the only Diamondbacks prospect in its top 100. Baseball America placed him 13th, while Baseball Prospectus dropped him down to 29th after an injury-riddled season.

The Athletic’s Keith Law was highest on him by ranking him 10th.

Pipeline omitted Crisantes, but the other three sites ranked him in the top 100 after an eye-opening first full season as a 19-year-old.

Baseball Prospectus also placed infielder and 2023 first-round pick Tommy Troy among the top 101 prospects at No. 96. Law ranked 2024 first-round outfielders Ryan Waldschmidt and Slade Caldwell No. 65 and 86, respectively, along with catcher Adrian Del Castillo No. 88 and outfielder Druw Jones No. 95.

Jordan Lawlar still Diamondbacks’ clear top prospect

Lawlar is in a similar spot as a year ago in many respects. At 22 years old, there is not an obvious path to everyday starts on the big league roster as presently constructed, and making up reps in Triple-A Reno to start the season appears likely. There’s an entire spring training to get through first, perhaps an opportunity for Lawlar to make himself undeniable for the club through performance or injury.

After his cup of coffee in 2023 and inclusion on the postseason roster, Lawlar was set to secure everyday playing time to start the 2024 season in Reno, but a thumb injury at the tail end of spring training put him on the shelf.

Reno activated Lawlar on June 11, he tore up opposing pitching for four games and went right back on the IL with a hamstring injury on June 17. He was out until September.

All-in-all, Lawlar played 23 games (.900 OPS, two home runs and six stolen bases) but only 14 at a minor league affiliate. He made up for some lost time with 27 games played in the Dominican Winter League for Tigres del Licey.

"Back, back, back … wayyyy back!"

MLB's No. 9 prospect Jordan Lawlar (@Dbacks) lofts his third homer in 20 @LIDOMRD games: pic.twitter.com/fNJF6i60XJ

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) November 18, 2024

The shortstop got some work in at third base in his limited time last year. An athletic defender with elite speed and a solid arm, Lawlar proving himself as a versatile defensive weapon would benefit the big league club greatly in 2025 from getting second baseman Ketel Marte, shortstop Geraldo Perdomo and third baseman Eugenio Suarez off their feet along with filling in for any infield injury.

Suarez enters the final year of his contract, so Lawlar proving himself at third base at least gives the club some options down the road.

In 2023, Lawlar played 105 minor league games with an .874 OPS, 20 home runs and 36 stolen bases between Double-A Amarillo and Reno. After that season, general manager Mike Hazen expressed his confidence in calling Lawlar a future star.

The D-backs picked him with the No. 6 overall pick in 2021. Can you imagine the headache opposing pitchers would have with Lawlar and Corbin Carroll on the bases with their speed?

From Law:

He’s got a strong floor as an everyday guy, at short or center or maybe even second, but if he can stay healthy and push that power to more like 20 homers or 60+ extra-base hits, he’d be more of an All-Star.

The umpires liked Jordan Lawlar's defense so much, they wanted to see it again in slo-mo!

The @Dbacks' top prospect (MLB No. 9) makes a sparkling play at shortstop in @LIDOMRD. pic.twitter.com/fLxKl7R4Vf

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) November 2, 2024

Demetrio Crisantes quickly rising up prospect boards

Crisantes was not considered a top-tier D-backs prospect after they took him with a seventh-round pick in the 2022 MLB Draft and after Tommy John surgery, but his hit tool has changed that. Baseball Prospectus and Baseball America placed him 84th, while Law soared him up the board at 36th.

The Nogales High School alum finished 2024 on a 57-game on-base streak, hitting .333 in 63 games for Single-A Visalia and .341 in 92 games including the Arizona Complex League as a 19-year-old.

He was named a California League All-Star after 63 games played in Visalia.

From Law:

It’s a really simple, clean swing with a little loft in its finish, producing a 27.4 percent line-drive rate in 2024, and he’s strong enough already for well above-average contact quality for a teenager. … Everything about Crisantes, from the swing to the batted-ball data to the performance, says he’s going to hit a ton.

Demetrio Crisantes saw a major increase in his exit velocity data and thus his prospect status

The @Dbacks prospect saw a jump in isolated slugging and overall production

… cementing himself as potential Top 100 Prospect this offseason.https://t.co/XZvMN5Fkfp pic.twitter.com/a6hiOav9vm

— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) September 26, 2024

Crisantes showed the ability to spray the ball to all fields, connecting on 16 doubles, a triple and six homers for the Rawhide. He only struck out at a 15.9% clip, which ranked seventh out of 91 batters with 200 plate appearances in the California League.

He is a ways away from the major leagues, but Crisantes was one of the organization’s best stories of 2024 and someone to watch for fans making their way to spring training in a couple weeks.

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