Waldschmidt lives up to top prospect billing with leaping grab, 2-run knock

PHOENIX – Less than two months ago, Ryan Waldschmidt was the headliner of the D-backs’ 2026 Spring Breakout roster. On Sunday afternoon, in just his second big league start, he once again grabbed the marquee, this time showcasing the impact on both sides of the ball that has made his arrival in downtown Phoenix so anticipated.

Waldschmidt provided the offensive thump for the D-backs in their 5-1 win over the Mets at Chase Field on Mother’s Day, sizzling a 102 mph double to the base of the left-center-field wall in the second, plating a pair. Traveling 404 feet, the ball would have been a home run in 15 of the 30 MLB ballparks. Instead, the D-backs’ No. 1 prospect settled for his first RBIs in The Show.

“He's got just this quality of contact,” manager Torey Lovullo said. “That's what he's known to do. He's able to barrel a baseball. He's able to get into good swing counts and not miss a pitch that he's looking for.”

After wearing an 0-for-3 with three strikeouts (two of which saw him go down looking) less than 24 hours prior, Waldschmidt got back to work. He studied the scouting report on Mets right-hander Tobias Myers and got the fastball in a 2-0 count that he was looking for. It was the latest banner moment in a week full of them, as his family got to soak in the first three games of his Major League career alongside him.

“It just means the world that they're able to be here with me and kind of experience the same thing as me,” Waldschmidt said. “It was a great experience for me, and I couldn't imagine what it was like for them watching me grow up and watching me play at each level and then finally seeing it on the biggest stage. So I'm just really happy that I'm able to be here and do this, but they also got to experience it as well.”

His second run-scoring knock in the sixth was a near 180-degree pivot. The 23-year-old was early on a down-and-away changeup from left-hander David Peterson, but still got enough off his pink bat to the ball to flare a 73.8 mph single into center field, underneath the diving effort of Mets center fielder Tyrone Taylor.

Waldschmidt’s dazzling day backed 8 1/3 strong innings from left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez, who allowed just four hits and one run, pitching into the ninth inning for the first time in his big league career. He didn’t allow a hit until the sixth, consistently generating weak contact. But Major League hitters will eventually find the barrel.

Every no-hit bid gets a little defensive help. Waldschmidt produced the time-honored tradition of making a dazzling catch to keep the quest for history alive, running a country mile to make a grab leading off the fifth that robbed Mark Vientos of a hit. He crashed into the left-field wall, smashing the bill of his cap in the process.

“I said to him, ‘Bro, that was a sick play,’” Rodriguez said. “He just got here and he’s doing his thing, and I love the way he plays."

“I knew E-Rod was working the inner half of the plate on righties pretty well today, so I saw the pitch and I saw it come off the bat and … I took off for it,” Waldschmidt said. “I knew I was getting close to the fence, but I was going to do whatever I could to catch that ball. I was going full speed into the wall, catch or not.”

“These kids know when they come up here, their defense is just as important as their offense,” Lovullo said. “Credit to player development … they keep telling them, ‘You're not going to get called up to the big leagues if you can't play good defense.’”

When the D-backs made the decision to promote Waldschmidt (MLB’s No. 44 prospect) earlier this week, they were adamant he wasn’t to be viewed as the immediate solution to the club’s slow offensive start. But he’s been a shot of life, barreling baseballs, crashing into walls and making tons of putouts, even setting the club record (eight) for most in a first outfield start Saturday night.

“I got a lot of work [yesterday], so I didn't really have enough time to even be nervous about it,” Waldschmidt said. “Today I showed up and it was really just, ‘Be yourself, play aggressive, play your game, you're here for a reason.’”