Ryan

Waldschmidt

The most interesting name among this batch of cuts for the Diamondbacks is Ryan Waldschmidt. He had started to gain some steam in fantasy circles as a sleeper candidate, but he was always facing an uphill battle at earning a spot on the Diamondbacks’ Opening Day roster. The 23-year-old hit .240 (6-for-25) with one homer, five RBI and one stolen base during Cactus League play. He should get an opportunity with the Snakes at some point in 2026.

Waldschmidt’s seventh-inning blast came against big-league reliever Pedro Avila and was his first round-tripper of the spring. The 23-year-old is one of the more intriguing prospects with a chance to break camp in the majors this spring after hitting .289/.419/.473 with 18 homers and 29 steals in 134 games between Double-A Amarillo and High-A Hillsboro this past season. He’ll need to beat out someone like fellow top prospect Jordan Lawlar this spring, which seems a bit unlikely. He’ll likely open the year back in the upper minors with a chance to arrive sooner than later.

Gurriel underwent surgery to repair a torn ACL in his right knee back in September and is likely to be sidelined until at least the second half of next season, even if he makes a lightning-quick recovery. The 32-year-old corner outfielder is entering the final year of his deal with Arizona and could make an impact for fantasy managers over the final few months once he makes it back. There should be a clearer return timeline once he’s officially cleared to resume baseball activities. The Diamondbacks decision to ship Jake McCarthy to the division-rival Rockies reads like a quiet vote of confidence in top prospect Ryan Waldschmidt, who hit .309/.423/.498 with nine homers and 19 steals in 300 plate appearances over 66 games for Double-A Amarillo this past season, and now enters spring training with a real opportunity to compete for a starting role while Gurriel is sidelined.

Waldschmidt is a true under-the-radar prospect outside of dynasty leagues in the sense that he wasn’t a top draft pick last year and hasn’t generated a ton of mainstream hype. That’s starting to change. The 22-year-old outfielder has been one of the hottest hitters in the minors over the last couple days, batting .541 (20-for-37) with five homers since August 9. The recent explosion leaves him with a robust .292/.415/.494 triple-slash line in 46 games at the Double-A level since late June. His power/speed combo and athleticism make him an interesting fantasy prospect with a chance to debut at some point next season.

Waldschmidt, 22, hit .268/.415/.447 with nine homers and 10 steals for High-A Hillsboro, though he was better in April than he’s been lately. He’s a candidate to succeed Lourdes Gurriel Jr. as the D-backs left fielder in 2027.