David Hagaman closed the book on his High-A Hillsboro tenure with a flourish last Saturday -- a career-high 10 strikeouts across 6 1/3 frames of one-run ball. Next up: the Texas League.
Hagaman kept the good times rolling for Double-A Amarillo on Friday night, matching his career best in punchouts with his second consecutive 10-K performance. The club fell 4-0 to Arkansas at Dickey Stephens Park, but it’s a major step in the right direction for the D-backs’ No. 3 prospect, who now slots in as the club’s top-ranked pitching prospect as he continues to stack up punchouts during his first full year in the system.
Fans of the D-backs’ big league club have already gotten a glimpse earlier this week at the rewards last year’s Merrill Kelly deal with the Rangers at the Trade Deadline has yielded after Mitch Bratt (No. 8 prospect) turned in a seven-inning masterpiece on Wednesday night. Kohl Drake (No. 21) is yet to find the same success, but has emerged as a rotation option down the stretch when, in light of Kelly departing Friday’s start early due to a right leg cramp, increases his value.
While Bratt and Drake have quickly ascended to the big leagues, it’s always been more of a long-term vision for Hagaman, who is enjoying the first full season of his career as a starter.
For three innings, Hagaman went zero-for-zero with baseball’s top-ranked pitching prospect, Kade Anderson, who drew the start for Arkansas. Navigating a lineup chock full of Mariners talent, including two Top 100 prospects -- Jonny Farmelo (No. 59) and Felnin Celesten (No. 36) -- at the top, Hagaman wiggled out of trouble and posted multiple K’s in each of his first three frames.
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Prior to the Trade Deadline, it was up for debate as to who had the best curveball in the D-backs system: Hagaman or Daniel Eagen. But following the latter’s trade to St. Louis in return for outfielder Lars Nootbaar, Hagaman easily sits in pole position. He went to his breaker for seven of his 10 punchouts, including in back-to-back at-bats against Farmelo and Celesten in the fifth, both of whom waved haplessly over the top.
Leadoff walks are known to haunt and they did so for Hagaman in the fourth, as he yielded a pair of runs off a free pass and a bunt hit. While he scattered six hits (all singles) and three walks, just one run on his ledger was earned and he logged 15 swings-and-misses.
COMPLETE D-BACKS PROSPECT COVERAGE
As the summer has rolled on, Hagaman has quietly emerged as one of the premier hurlers across the Minors. Over his past seven starts, he has posted a 1.74 ERA and run a 52/12 K/BB ratio. He’s endured one true clunker all year -- a five-run start back on May 12 -- but outside of that, he has limited the opposition to three earned runs or fewer in 15 of his 16 turns through the rotation.
Maybe most importantly for a hurler who underwent internal brace surgery in May 2024, Hagaman has been available. After slowly building up through April and May, he has thrown at least 80 pitches in 10 consecutive starts.
An influx of talent will soon arrive on the D-backs’ Top 30 Prospects list once MLB Pipeline factors in the 2026 Draft class next week. But even as arms like 2025 draftees Dean Livingston (No. 12) and Brian Curley (No. 14) continue to find success elsewhere on the farm, it’s hard to argue that any hurler has improved his stock as much among Arizona pitching prospects this year than Hagaman.