David Hagaman sat at his locker on July 31 inside the Single-A Hickory Crawdads’ clubhouse. He had pitched five days prior, but there was reason to be attuned to his cell phone, as the Rangers tried furiously in the hours before the Trade Deadline to improve their standing in the American League playoff picture.
So when the messages alert dinged, his eyes darted over. What he read was clear but ambiguous all the same: a snake emoji.
“A little confused at first,” Hagaman said. “I kind of sat there and then I started to put two and two together.”
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One day you’re just getting your feet wet in professional baseball, the next you’re on a cross-country flight to the Pacific Northwest, all while moving up to the High-A level. The D-backs acquired Hagaman (AZ No. 15) alongside two other hurlers -- Kohl Drake (AZ No. 6) and Mitch Bratt (AZ No. 9) -- in the Merrill Kelly trade, restocking their starting pitching prospect depth in one fell swoop.
But Hagaman is also new to being a full-time member of a rotation. Just two of his 36 appearances with University of West Virginia were as a starter before he was taken in the fourth round of the 2024 Draft by the Rangers. As he navigated his relief role, he sustained a setback when he injured his elbow in April 2024 and required internal brace surgery.
“I would say maybe a little bit of the mentality [changes],” Hagaman said about his new role. “I kind of think of it in a pretty simple way though -- if I'm coming in in the ninth inning or if I'm starting the game, I'm still playing baseball. I'm still attacking hitters, simple as that.”
Combine the injuries with the relative lack of starter experience and the D-backs thought it was important for Hagaman to simplify. Tweaking his arsenal could come in ‘26 and beyond. For five starts with Hillsboro, they wanted him to show what he had.
Upon his arrival, Hagaman did what all baseball players do: play catch. As he awaited his Hops debut on Aug. 6, he had something of a revelation. The curveball grip he was playing around with felt good, really good. So he incorporated it into what was already an impressive repertoire, and the results were immediate: 27 strikeouts in 20 innings with a 3.15 ERA, 0.75 WHIP and .159 average-against. Then he spun three scoreless frames with five strikeouts in his Fall League debut on Oct. 9.
Watch Hagaman walk off the mound at the end of a frame and you’d have no idea if he struck out the side or was shelled for a crooked number. That slow heartbeat and determined demeanor is by design.
“I started playing football when I was really young, and my dad used to tell me all the time, ‘You gotta have some fire out there!’ And it just never was my thing,” Hagaman said, laughing. “I messed around with it in college -- tried to get amped up and everything when I was coming out of the bullpen -- but I just started to realize the more amped up I was, the more erratic I was. I wasn't really throwing strikes. So [now] I try to stay calm and levelheaded the whole time.”
D-backs hitters in the Fall League
Jansel Luis, INF (No. 12): Despite being nearly two-and-a-half years younger than the average High-A Northwest League competitor, Luis finished third on the circuit with a .304 average as a 20-year-old this past season. Signed for $525,000 out of the Dominican Republic when the 2022 international signing period opened, he cut down his K rate this season despite the increase in competition and swiped a career-high 24 bases to boot. He remains a supremely free-swinger (just a 5.8 percent walk rate in ‘25) but one who has shown a propensity for his bat-to-ball traits to materialize into hits (380 in 324 Minor League games).
Kenny Castillo, C: Signed as part of the D-backs’ 2021 international class, Castillo steadily climbed up the club’s system before sustaining a pair of injuries this season that set him back. He’s known for his plus throwing arm -- he threw out 45 attempted basestealers as a 17-year-old in the Dominican Summer League in ‘21 -- and ability to handle a pitching staff. The Fall League will provide the Venezuela native with an opportunity to catch a variety of arms from other organizations.
Jack Hurley, OF: A standout during his days at Virginia Tech, Hurley -- whom the D-backs snagged in the third round of the 2023 Draft -- also played for the U.S. collegiate national team and earned praise as a potential five-tool standout, upside he’s looking to still tap into in pro ball. The left-handed-hitting outfielder played in 68 games for Double-A Amarillo and hit .218 with a 41 percent strikeout rate, while missing a month on the IL over the summer.
D-backs pitchers in the Fall League
Kyle Amendt, RHP: Back around for a second stint in the Fall League, Amendt brings his unique “backwards curveball” to the Salt River relief corps. A right shoulder injury sustained in late May sidelined the 25-year-old for more than three months, stunting his chances of joining the big league bullpen down the stretch. Amendt, who posted a 3.03 ERA in 27 appearances for Triple-A Reno, sits in the low 90s with his heater and mid 80s with his slider, but he's also relied upon his upper-70s hook as his go-to out pitch. All of the offerings play up when combined with over-the-top release, which gives batters a difficult look coming from his 6-foot-5 frame.
Yordin Chalas, RHP: After spending his first two seasons as a pro exclusively coming out of the bullpen, Chalas and his explosive arsenal got work as a starter in 2025. The results were mixed: a 5.54 ERA for Hillsboro with 55 strikeouts in 58 2/3 innings with just two home runs allowed before he was shifted back to relief for August and September, also receiving a bump to Double-A in the process. The 21-year-old native of the Dominican Republic can routinely ramp his heater up into the high 90s, while also working with a mid-80s slide piece. He’ll work in shorter stints in the AFL as that fastball/slider combo could help him in being a fast riser up the Minor League ladder.
Lorenzo Encarnacion, RHP: A late addition to the Salt River roster, the 23-year-old Encarnacion will get the chance to build up his workload heading into a pivotal 2026 campaign. An international free agent signee out of the Dominican Republic in January 2021, the righty received his first promotion to High-A this summer before a two-month IL stint sidetracked him. He returned for three relief appearances down the stretch and finished the season with a 6.05 ERA between Single-A Visalia and Hillsboro, while showcasing a solid four-pitch mix (fastball, changeup, slider, curveball) en route to compiling 64 strikeouts in 61 innings.
Drey Jameson, RHP: It’s been an arduous road back to the mound for one of the club’s former top prospects. Part of Arizona’s tremendously successful 2019 Draft class (Corbin Carroll, Ryne Nelson), Jameson underwent Tommy John surgery in September 2023 and has dealt with residual effects since. After making three relief appearances for the D-backs in April, the 28-year-old will be able to continue his rehab at the club’s complex in Scottsdale while getting valuable in-game reps. Jameson has sat 95-98 mph with his heater during early Fall League action, while also mixing in his upper-80s changeup and slider.
Jacob Steinmetz, RHP: A third-round pick of the D-backs back in 2021, injuries put a crimp in the development of the 6-foot-6 righty this past year. An oblique issue kept him from taking the mound in 2025 after having posted a 4.01 ERA across 23 starts with 9.4 K/9 between Single-A and High-A the year prior. Having represented Team Israel during the 2023 World Baseball Classic as a 19-year-old, the Fall League will serve as an opportunity to get some valuable innings under his belt before potentially returning for a second stint at the WBC next spring.