D-backs call up their No. 1 prospect Waldschmidt; DFA Thomas

The D-backs called up outfielder and top prospect Ryan Waldschmidt from Triple-A on Friday and designated outfielder Alek Thomas for assignment.

Waldschmidt, 23, is Arizona's No. 1 prospect per MLB Pipeline and comes to the bigs after batting .289 with an .877 OPS for Reno. In 39 games in Triple-A this season, the righty swinger had a .400 on-base percentage -- fueled in large part by 19 walks -- and 22 RBIs.

Drafted as the 31st overall pick in 2024, Waldschmidt was Arizona's 2025 Minor League Player of the Year after hitting .289 with 18 homers, 78 RBIs and 29 stolen bases in 134 games between High-A Hillsboro and Double-A Amarillo. For his Minor League career, Waldschmidt has hit .288 with an .884 OPS.

Thomas, meanwhile, was DFA'd after a disappointing start to the season that saw him hit .181 with two homers and a .562 OPS in 28 games. The move comes nearly three years after he was an integral part of the D-backs' World Series run in 2023. His contributions during that postseason included a two-run game-tying home run off Phillies reliever Craig Kimbrel in Game 4 of the NLCS that paved the way for Arizona's comeback win in that game on its way to a seven-game triumph.

In parts of five seasons with Arizona, Thomas hit .230 with 31 homers and a .634 OPS.