MLB Pipeline drops Arizona Diamondbacks prospect list

While there have been other prospect rankings, from the likes of Fangraphs and 1500 Prospects, the list put out by MLB Pipeline is always seen as one of the most highly-regarded. Well, they just dropped the Diamondbacks list for the start of 2026. 30 prospects are ranked there, and here’s what they have, along with their position and age:

1. Ryan Waldschmidt, OF, 23
2. Kayson Cunningham, SS, 19
3. Slade Caldwell, OF, 19
4. Tommy Troy, 2B/OF, 24
5. Demetrio Crisantes, 2B/3B, 21
6. JD Dix, 2B, 20
7. Daniel Eagen, RHP, 23
8. David Hagaman, RHP, 22
9. Patrick Forbes, RHP, 21
10. LuJames Groover, 3B, 23
11. Cristian Mena, RHP, 23
12. Kohl Drake, LHP, 25
13. Jansel Luis, INF, 20
14. Mitch Bratt, LHP, 22
15. Cristofer Torin, SS/2B, 20
16. Druw Jones, OF, 22
17. Carlos Virahonda, C, 20
18. Ashton Izzi, RHP, 22
19. Dean Livingston, RHP, 19
20. Brandyn Garcia, LHP, 25
21. Yassel Soler, 3B, 20
22. Brian Curley, RHP, 22
23. Yilber Díaz, RHP, 25
24. Wellington Aracena, RHP, 21
25. Daury Vasquez, RHP, 19
26. Ivan Luciano, C, 19
27. Jose Fernandez, SS, 22
28. Mason Marriott, RHP, 23
29. Avery Owusu-Asiedu, OF, 22
30. Gavin Conticello, OF, 22

No great surprise at the top, where Ryan Waldschmidt (top) retains the #1 position he had last year. He was also named at the head of the Fangraphs and Prospects 1500 lists. Behind him, Kayson Cunnigham moves up one place from the final ranking of 2025, and is preferred here to the other two systems, which both ranked him lower (Fangraphs at #7, P1500 at #4). The biggest jump is by pitcher David Hagaman, who came over from Texas in the Merrill Kelly trade, and moves up from #15 to #8, entering the top ten for the first time. Catcher Carlos Virahonda also improved by seven spots, and is at #17. Though Yilber Diaz is ranked for the first time, coming in at #23.

In the other direction, Yu-Min Lin is likely the biggest bad news candidate. He was ranked 20th, but is no longer listed. Fellow pitchers Yordin Chalas (#21 last time) and Hunter Cranton (#29) have also dropped out, with Jose Fernandez and Mason Marriott joining Diaz in entering the top thirty. Fernandez, in particular, has seen his stock rise rapidly, first being added to the D-backs’ 40-man roster, and then making a strong impression in spring training. He has a .934 OPS across eight games so far.

Overall, it’s clear that there’s still work to do by Mike Hazen, in terms of improving the pitching situation on the farm. While the arrival of Hagaman, Kohl Drake (#12) and Mitch Bratt (#14) from Texas was certainly helpful (that trade, for two months of Merrill, could turn out to be a real steal for the D-backs), there isn’t much in the way of top-tier talent. It’s equally obvious what Hazen is attempting to do lately. Eight of the top thirty came to Arizona in trades, going back to Cristian Mena in 2023. Of those, only one – outfielder Avery Owusu-Asiedu – is a position player, and he’s only just on the list, coming in at #29.

I can certainly see several names graduating from the list this year, as they come onto the major-league roster. Waldschmidt is the obvious top candidate, but we could potentially also see Tommy Troy, Drake, Bratt, Diaz and Fernandez lose their rookie status in 2026. That’s why any team needs to work on having a constant stream – a pipeline, one might say – of prospects coming through the system. What do you reckon about the D-backs farm system? Where does it stand, and which prospects are you particularly excited about following this season? Tell us in the comments!