D-backs' reigning MiLB Pitcher of the Month keeps rolling at Single-A
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When the D-backs landed Dean Livingston with their fourth-round selection in the 2025 Draft, they were banking on his upside. Even at 6-foot-4, he hadn't entered the starting rotation at Hebron Christian Academy in Dacula, Ga., until his senior year. But he had the size and with a 92-94 mph fastball to boot, he had the heat.
It’s all come together for Livingston during his first pro summer, as he's fresh off being named the club’s Minor League Pitcher of the Month for July. Now the D-backs’ No. 12 prospect, he tossed five frames of one-run ball for Single-A Visalia during in its 4-1 win over Fresno on Saturday night, as he battled first-pitch temps that sat at 104 degrees at Chukchansi Park.
Understandably, the D-backs have kept Livingston on a limited pitch count during his debut campaign, as he won’t turn 20 years old until early September. But he needed just 47 pitches to mow through the Grizzlies’ lineup, pumping 34 for strikes. He yielded just four hits -- all singles -- and didn’t walk a batter, a trend that picked up in July with him allowing just five free passes over his past six starts combined.
Livingston’s heater now consistently parks in the mid 90s and he’s utilized his above-average extension to come right after batters with it. He leaned almost exclusively on his fastball/slider combo Saturday, although he does have a changeup and curve in his repertoire.
Livingston’s 3.58 ERA through 11 starts for Visalia is muddied by a pair of clunkers in which he combined to allow 11 earned runs. While you can’t discount those outings entirely, he has a 1.93 ERA in the nine outings without them. He’s been a model of consistency, pitching into the fifth inning in nine straight starts with an 0.99 WHIP and .208 average against in that span. During his award-winning July, he didn’t allow a hit in 10 plate appearances with a runner in scoring position.
While selecting players in the Draft is never as easy as honing in on a particular region or state, the D-backs went back to the well of the Georgia prep ranks again this July. After making Livingston the highest-selected hurler from the Peach State since Dylan Lesko went 15th overall to the Padres in 2022, they blew past that number by making Blake Bryant their Comp. Round A pick, No. 31 overall.
Bryant is similar to Livingston in that he checks in at 6-foot-6 with a power heater, nasty slide piece and oodles of room to add size to his growing frame. He’ll likely follow a similar trajectory to Livingston, who didn’t make his pro debut until this May in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League.
The duo will both feature prominently on the D-backs’ Top 30 Prospects list next Thursday as MLB Pipeline folds 2026 draftees into its rankings. Even in the wake of dealing Daniel Eagen and Sandro Santana to St. Louis at the Trade Deadline, Arizona continues to replenish its pitching ranks with exciting upside, especially at the lower levels.