When Demetrio Crisantes’ 2025 season came to an abrupt halt on a check swing last May 14, ultimately ending his year, it was a rare blip dulling his prospect star.
But that glow is raging bright once again, as the D-backs’ No. 5 prospect ripped his first Double-A homer on Tuesday night as part of a multihit performance for Amarillo in its 9-6 win over Midland at HODGETOWN. Crisantes needed just three rehab games in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League and then four contests with High-A Hillsboro before the organization decided it was time for the 21-year-old to meet the challenge of the upper Minors.
Crisantes has answered the bell.
The right-handed-hitting second baseman has hit safely in each of his past five contests and already has four multihit showings to his ledger in his first two weeks, including Tuesday, when both of his knocks in Amarillo’s comeback came in the same frame.
Crisantes kicked off an eight-run inning by lacing a fastball from left-hander Will Johnston (Athletics) into center field. He then put the icing on top by slugging a center-cut fastball off righty Micah Dallas over the left-center-field fence for a three-run shot. In both scenarios, he worked the count into his favor.
That advantage in particular has worked wonders for Crisantes in 2026. MLB’s No. 5 second-base prospect is running a 1.480 OPS in such scenarios, compared to a .652 mark when behind in the count. Getting into those spots has allowed Crisantes to run a 28.9 percent line-drive rate entering the night, on pace for a career best.
More from MLB Pipeline:
• Top 100 prospects | Stats | Video | Podcast | Complete coverage
While his 79 plate appearances cap his sample size, Crisantes entered the night running neck and neck with Kayson Cunningham (AZ No. 2/MLB No. 79) for the top wRC+ mark in the organization. Cunningham, who earned a bump to Hillsboro back on June 9, is hitting .350 this season across two levels, the fifth-highest mark in all of the Minors.
With Crisantes reaching Double-A, he’ll likely stand to benefit from the favorable hitting environs. But he’ll also face a cavalcade of pitching prospects. Last Wednesday, he dug in against Liam Doyle (STL No. 1/MLB No. 20), the fifth overall pick from the 2025 Draft. He promptly walked, singled and lined out to left.
Crisantes, a local product from Nogales, Ariz., is one of the organization’s premier under-the-radar finds from this decade’s Draft cycles. A seventh-round choice in 2022 at 17 years old, all he has done since then is hit. His 60-grade hit tool ties Cunningham for tops among all ranked prospects in the organization. Dating back to when he entered pro ball in ‘23, 1,342 batters have accumulated at least 750 plate appearances in the Minor Leagues. His .321 average ranks eighth, nudging out fellow .300 hitters like Detroit’s Kevin McGonigle and Tampa Bay’s Junior Caminero.
COMPLETE D-BACKS PROSPECT COVERAGE
Even with just 173 Minor League games under his belt to this point, 2026 is a big year for Crisantes. He’s set to become Rule 5 Draft-eligible this offseason, meaning the D-backs will either have to add him to their 40-man roster or allow him to become exposed for other clubs to pick up. The latter scenario feels extremely unlikely, particularly as he has racked up a .983 OPS with nine of his 19 hits going for extra bases in 18 games across three levels to begin his year.
Hitters coming back from shoulder injuries such as Crisantes (in his case, a left posterior labral tear) often see the power as the last piece to the puzzle. Always known for his gift to get bat-to-ball in the strike zone, the next hurdle for the Arizona native is to consistently drive those pitches. He’s got No. 1 in the upper Minors out of the way.