These three young D-backs could be in for breakout years in '27

This story was excerpted from Steve Gilbert's Diamondbacks Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

We spend a lot of time predicting Opening Day rosters, but it's worth remembering that it takes a lot more than just 26 players to get through a baseball season. Last season, the Diamondbacks got key contributions from some of their younger prospects, and in this issue, we're going to look at three of them who could play even bigger roles in 2027.

Here are three to watch in 2027:

OF Ryan Waldschmidt
Waldschmidt will always be tied in some way to fellow outfielder Corbin Carroll because he was selected with the pick the Diamondbacks received for Carroll winning the 2023 NL Rookie of the Year Award.

Waldschmidt was ranked as Arizona's top prospect heading into 2026 and impressed during Spring Training before opening the year at Triple-A Reno. With the Diamondbacks' offense scuffling early in the season, Waldschmidt was promoted to the big leagues on May 8 and immediately made an impact.

Almost three weeks into his time in the Majors, he was slashing .353/.411/.471 while playing an outstanding center field. As the league got more of a look at him, pitchers made adjustments, and is so often the case, it takes a bit for a younger player to adjust back. Waldschmidt was optioned back to the Minors on June 15 after his OPS dropped to .671.

Waldschmidt was back for good on July 10, and while he didn't quite recapture his form from his first few weeks, he did show signs of adjusting and delivered a pair of walk-off homers to help the Diamondbacks stay in the NL Wild Card chase until the season's final day.

"Defensively, I think the strides that we saw him make in center field were huge for us this season," farm director Chris Slivka said. "Offensively, the strikeouts are obviously there [in the big leagues], and that's something that we need to curb moving into next season. But toward the end of the season, I think you saw him start to use the entire field a little more effectively. He began understanding how pitchers were attacking him and how to counterpunch it. We saw more of an understanding of the chess match that happens at the Major League level, and those developments are going to set him up for success next year."

Waldschmidt figures to play a big role in the Arizona outfield in 2027. Whether that is in center or left is yet to be determined, but his 2026 season gave him a great base to build off of.

INF Jose Fernandez
Fernandez was another player who opened some eyes during Spring Training but was optioned to Triple-A Reno early in camp, as he had never played above the Double-A level.

The 23-year-old didn't stay there for long as he was called up to the big leagues on March 30, and one day later he made a debut for the ages, going 3-for-4 with a pair of homers including a go-ahead shot in the eighth off Kenley Jansen. He became the eighth player in MLB history to hit a pair of homers in his first regular season game.

Fernandez would be optioned and recalled two more times during the season as, much like Waldschmidt, the league adjusted to him.

"Corbin is really the only one we've had that hasn't had to go back for a reset," general manager Mike Hazen said. "It's pretty common for everyone else to have to. We saw improvements from all of our young guys when they came back."

Fernandez's versatility is a huge plus for the Diamondbacks, as he can play all four infield positions and only figures to get better at the plate with more reps.

"Offensively, there's a lot of ceiling," Slivka said. "Just given how hard he can hit the baseball. We feel like we can raise the floor with a little better approach. He's always had the frame and the physicality and the tools. Finding a way to channel that and be more this past year was something that really showed when he got to the Major League level."

RHP Gerardo Carrillo
Carrillo was signed as a Minor League free agent in the offseason, and after eight seasons in the Minors, he made his big league debut in late July at age 27.

Carrillo allowed a run in two innings in that game, then rattled off nine straight appearances (14 1/3 innings) without allowing an earned run and striking out 18.

With several relievers set to depart via free agency, Carrillo could be a big contributor in the Arizona 'pen in 2027, provided he finds a way to improve his control. Overall, he allowed 16 walks (one intentional) over 17 1/3 innings.

"He has electric stuff," Slivka said. "Upper 90s fastball, low-to-mid 90s cutter, a nasty split. We saw some inconsistencies with control. When he got sent down, we worked through some things in his delivery to help him find the zone more frequently, and he really started to dial things in."