D-backs’ top prospect Jordan Lawlar slides in ESPN rankings

Corbin Carroll’s and Gabriel Moreno’s production for the Arizona Diamondbacks so far in 2023 graduated them out of Kiley McDaniel’s latest MLB prospect rankings for ESPN.

And so that makes shortstop Jordan Lawlar the new top prospect for Arizona.

Before the season began, he ranked No. 8 on the prospect board, behind Carroll (No. 2) and Moreno (No. 4). But despite the graduations of those two Diamondbacks and others, Lawlar has fallen to 15th on McDaniel’s midseason updated prospect rankings.

Lawlar has struggled at the plate in a major way with the Double-A Amarillo Sodpoodles. He’s slashing .186/.314/.357 this year in 35 games.

Lawlar has 18 RBIs, 24 hits — five doubles and five homers — with 21 walks and 46 strikeouts in 129 at-bats.

Some of that lack of production has been pure luck, according to some analytics.

Here are some of the unluckiest hitters in the minors through 5/22 given the qualifications:
Age 22 or younger
LD% >=21%
GB%<=44%
BABIP<.300
SwStr%<=14%

Jordan Lawlar 🥇
Lizandro Espinoza 🥈
Allan Castro 🥉
Eric Brown Jr. 👀
Moises Ballesteros 📈
Kyle Manzardo 👀📈
Jett Williams pic.twitter.com/rkwGy06Q3F

— Prospect Tilt (@Prospect_Tilt) May 23, 2023

Lawlar isn’t the lone D-back on the list of top prospects.

Outfielder Druw Jones ranked 25th, down from his preseason seat at No. 21, in McDaniel’s rankings. He played 10 games for the Visallia Rawhide in Single-A and batted just .175 before a quad strain in late April.

McDaniels’ No. 29 overall prospect, pitcher Brandon Pfaadt, moved up three spots since the start of 2023 and is four games into his MLB career with raw results to show for it.

He’s posted a 7.65 ERA and 1.55 WHIP with 14 strikeouts, eight walks, 23 hits and 17 earned runs allowed over 20.0 innings.

Those stats were greatly impacted by two rocky starts, but Pfaadt has gone at least five frames while giving up four earned runs in his past two starts.

The ugly statistics haven’t bit the Diamondbacks, though. Arizona is 3-1 in games started by Pfaadt.

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