When drafting, D-backs ponder all things big and small

For the second straight year, the Diamondbacks will be busy early in the 2025 MLB Draft, as they have their own selection at No. 18, as well as the No. 29 pick as compensation for first baseman Christian Walker signing a free agent deal with the Astros last offseason.

Last year, the Diamondbacks had their own first-round selection and the 35th overall selection, a Prospect Promotion Incentive pick for Corbin Carroll winning the 2023 NL Rookie of the Year Award.

“The most intriguing part is just having those two early picks,” Arizona scouting director Ian Rebhan said. “Being able to have the Draft capital to pick at 18 and 29. I think having a similar setup last year and seeing the success those players have gone out and had, that would be our goal to go out and get two real quality players with those first two picks.”

The Diamondbacks maintain that they always go with the best player available with each pick, but if you look at the trend of some of their picks over the years you will see that they do seem to have a type they look for, particularly early in the Draft -- athletic, up-the-middle talents regardless of their height.

Slade Caldwell, the club's first pick last year, is an example of that. While some teams might have had concerns over his height at 5-foot-9, the Diamondbacks did not and early results have been promising.

Over the years, the team has found gems in shorter players like Daulton Varsho, Alek Thomas and Carroll.

“I think probably the most public strength that everybody has been talking about is the high school position player group,” Rebhan said. “Obviously there’s a bunch of those guys -- athletic, up the middle -- the majority of them being shortstops. But the more I hear that, the more I think that college baseball is the best it’s ever been. The college players are super talented. I think as you get deeper in the draft, big leaguers come from everywhere and with how good college baseball is right now gives us opportunity even later in the draft once those high school kids are gone.”

• D-backs Day 1 picks: 18, 29, 92
• Bonus pool allotment: $10,917,800, 18th in MLB
• Last year’s top pick: Slade Caldwell, OF, pick 15 ... Caldwell is a dynamic ball of energy coming from a 5-foot-9 frame. The Diamondbacks loved his advanced approach at the plate for his age (18 at time of Draft), and that has proved to be accurate as he has risen all the way to High-A this year. Caldwell will get to display his talents at the All-Star Futures Game.
• Breakout 2024 pick: Ryan Waldschmidt, OF, pick 35 ... Much like Caldwell, Waldschmidt is a player who knows how to control the strike zone. He was selected with the Prospect Promotion Incentive Pick that the Diamondbacks received when Carroll won the 2023 NL Rookie of the Year Award.

The Diamondbacks' scouts began gathering in the Draft Room on Tuesday, and they’ll stay there until things get underway Sunday night.

One of the things they will be preparing for is a quicker pace to this year’s selections. Whereas the Draft had taken place over three days recently, this year it will be just two days. The first three rounds will be Sunday night with the final 17 rounds coming in rapid fire succession Monday.

“That’s been the big thing here leading up and even into next week -- the need to be even more prepared” Rebhan said. “We used to get through 10 rounds and then kind of reconvene and go into Day 3. This year, we’re going Rounds 4-20 with an hour break in between 10 and 11. Trying to take that preparation to another level this year and be prepared to go 20 rounds.”