A look at the top new prospects entering D-backs' farm system

Being sellers at the Trade Deadline wasn’t a place the Diamondbacks wanted to be in, but they made the most of what they could, replenishing their farm system, particularly on the pitching side of things.

Arizona isn’t looking to rebuild with GM Mike Hazen saying the goal is to be pushing for a postseason spot in 2026 and most of the prospects he got back in the deals are near big league ready and should help out either this year or next.

Here’s a look at each of the prospects the Diamondbacks got back:

Tyler Locklear, 1B, Triple-A Tacoma
Acquired in: Eugenio Suárez trade with Mariners

Pipeline scouting report: After a fairly non-descript and pandemic-shortened sophomore year at Virginia Commonwealth, Locklear smacked 36 homers over his next two seasons. Twenty of those came when he also hit .402 as a junior, and he landed in the second round of the 2022 Draft as a result. A broken right hand shut him down during his first full season, though he made it to Double-A and hit well in the Arizona Fall League.

That set the stage for him to go from Arkansas to Triple-A Tacoma and get his first taste of the big leagues in 2024. He was back to dominating the Pacific Coast League in 2025 when the M’s moved him to the D-backs in the Eugenio Suárez trade at the Deadline.

A strong right-handed hitter, Locklear’s value lies in his bat. While he struggled in a very small sample with Seattle last year, there’s still confidence he’ll be able to hit and continue to learn to get to his impressive raw power. He can drive the ball to all fields, though most of his over-the-fence pop came to his pull side in 2024. He doesn’t swing and miss a ton given his power potential and draws a lot of walks, though while he did better against breaking stuff last year, he does have a tendency to chase outside of the zone too often. He’s also improved his chase rate a touch in his second go-round at Triple-A, aiding the belief he can hit in the bigs.

While Locklear played both third and first in college and saw a lot of time at the hot corner the summer after he was drafted, he’s settled in as a first baseman only. He’s solid enough there with an average arm, with a chance to be a big league regular if given the opportunity to get regular at-bats.

Organizational fit: Will take over at first base for Josh Naylor
ETA: Now

Juan Burgos, RHP, Triple-A Tacoma
Acquired in: Eugenio Suárez trade with the Mariners

Pipeline scouting report: The Mariners’ big prize in the 2018-19 international signing period was Noelvi Marte, the infielder who fetched a seven-figure bonus in July 2018. Close to the end of the period, and at the other end of the bonus spectrum, was Burgos, who signed for just $12,000 in April 2019.

He’s made very slow progress up the organizational ladder since, getting out of A ball for the first time to start the 2025 season, but he’s taken off this year, going from Double-A Arkansas to Triple-A Tacoma and then up to Seattle to make his Major League debut on July 1. The Mariners traded him to the D-backs later that month in the Eugenio Suárez deal at the Deadline.

A 6-foot right-hander, Burgos has pitched almost exclusively out of a bullpen for the entirety of his career with a three-pitch mix. His fastball that sits 95-96 mph and touches 98 doesn’t miss a ton of bats, but it does feature some two-seamer sink to it, helping to get some groundball outs. He leans heavily on his sweeping low-80s slider to get whiffs and that, along with his 91-92 mph cutter, can flash as above-average offerings.

The biggest reason for Burgos’ advancement has been in his ability to find the strike zone. His command and control have improved year after year, and he’s become a much more reliable strike-thrower, giving him his first shot in the big leagues with Seattle. Arizona will hope that such improvements stick to give the organization a shot at a dependable bullpen arm for years to come.

Organizational fit: Gives Diamondbacks another bullpen arm for later in 2025 and into the future.
ETA: 2025

Hunter Cranton, RHP, High-A Everett
Acquired in: Eugenio Suárez trade with the Mariners

Pipeline scouting report: Sometimes teams take a college senior early on Day 2 of the Draft solely to save money for other signings. Occasionally, those bargains turn out to be pretty good. That might be the case for Cranton, who signed for just $50,000 in the third round of the 2024 Draft after a solid season saving games for Kansas. The right-hander was sent to Modesto for his pro debut, and after throwing well in the regular season, tossed four hitless innings and picked up three saves to help the Nuts win the California League title. His 2025 debut was delayed by a concussion suffered on a comebacker in Spring Training, but he was in the midst of dominating at High-A Everett.

Cranton has all the makings of a big league reliever. His fastball has interesting characteristics in terms of ride up in the zone and it’s a pitch that sits 97-98 mph and can top out in triple digits. His upper-80s gyro-like slider can be a plus out pitch at times, though it flattened out and got hit at Kansas occasionally.

The 24-year-old right-hander has a long arm action and moving parts in his delivery, which can impact his control and command. That improved with the Jayhawks in 2024, but it’s definitely a work in progress. If he can get to throwing more consistent strikes -- and early returns were good in that regard -- he could find himself in the back end of a big-league bullpen.

Organizational fit: The Diamondbacks have struggled to put together a bullpen in recent years and Cranton gives them more depth at that spot.
ETA: 2026

Kohl Drake, RHP, Triple-A Round Rock
Acquired in: Merrill Kelly trade with the Rangers

Pipeline scouting report: Drake started his college career at Arkansas Tech before pitching Walters State (Tenn.) CC to the Junior College World Series in 2021 and 2022. Named national juco pitcher of the year in '22 after leading that level in victories (14) and strikeouts (160 in 93 1/3 innings), he joined the Rangers as an 11th-rounder. After getting tattooed for a 6.36 ERA in his 2023 pro debut, he established himself as the system's best lefty last year while posting a 2.29 ERA, .196 average-against and 148/31 K/BB ratio while advancing from Single-A to Double-A.

Drake dedicated himself to bettering his strength and conditioning after the 2023 season, dropped 25 pounds off his 6-foot-5 frame and began moving more explosively down the mound. He went from operating with an 88-90 mph fastball at Walters State to dealing at 92-94 and reaching 96 with carry. He also showed better feel for spin, with his low-80s curveball missing plenty of bats and his slightly harder slider flashing as a solid offering as well. His low-80s changeup with fade and sink works well in concert with the shape of his heater.

Though Drake had a track record of providing strikes, improved core strength, balance and athleticism helped him upgrade his control even more. His combination of size and a short arm action provides some deception, as does his flat approach angle. If he can continue to get more advanced hitters to chase his curveball and changeup, he could make it as a No. 4 starter.

Organizational fit: Long-term the Diamondbacks view him as a starter, but he could also see some time in the big leagues this year in the bullpen.
ETA: 2025

Mitch Bratt, LHP, Double-A Frisco
Acquired in: Merrill Kelly trade with the Rangers

Pipeline scouting report: When pandemic restrictions made it tough to scout Canadian prepsters in 2021, Bratt left suburban Toronto to pitch his senior season as the Georgia Premier Academy (Statesboro, Ga.). After he performed well there and against older hitters in the inaugural season of the MLB Draft League, he signed for a well-over-slot $850,000 as a fifth-rounder. The youngest player (age 19) on Canada’s 2023 World Baseball Classic team, he reached Double-A shortly after turning 21 last summer. He returned to Frisco for 2025 and put up big strikeout numbers before being dealt to the D-backs at the Trade Deadline in the deal for Merrill Kelly.

Bratt hasn’t added as much velocity as hoped since turning pro, but his low-90s fastball that tops out at 95 is still effective because it rides well up in the zone and he can command it where he wants. He plays off the heater with a low-80s slider with nice depth, a mid-80s cutter, an upper-70s curveball and a mid-80s changeup. The slide piece shows the most promise and mixing in the cutter gives him a bridge pitch to work off that.

Bratt’s athletic delivery features little effort and allows him to provide constant strikes. He can move his pitches around the zone and can read hitters’ swings to determine how to get them out. His craftiness and mound presence stand out more than his pure stuff, giving him a high floor as a back-of-the-rotation starter.

Organizational fit: Helps address the Diamondbacks need for pitching
ETA: 2026

David Hagaman, RHP, Class A Hickory
Acquired in: Merrill Kelly trade with the Rangers

Pipeline scouting report: Hagaman redshirted in his first season at West Virginia and compiled 73 1/3 innings over the next two years, mostly as a reliever, before injuring his elbow last April. Though he had internal brace surgery a month later, the Rangers still selected him in the fourth round of the 2024 Draft. They used him as a starter when he debuted in the Minors in June and traded him to the D-backs as part of the Merrill Kelly deal at this year’s Deadline.

Hagaman’s promising three-pitch mix begins with a 92-94 mph fastball that climbs as high as 98 with plenty of carry and armside run. His best strikeout pitch with the Mountaineers was a tight mid-80s slider that he threw nearly as often as his heater. Considering his relief background and inexperience, he shows surprising aptitude for throwing a mid-80s changeup with fade.

An athletic mover with a 6-foot-4 frame and loose arm, Hagaman gets down the mound well and creates plenty of extension. To make it as a starter, he’ll have to improve his control after battling the strike zone in college and in summer ball. He’ll also have to prove that he can hold up and maintain his stuff while handling a rotation workload.

Organizational fit: Hagaman is a little bit further away than some of the other pitchers Arizona acquired, but he is an arm the organization’s scouts believe in.
ETA: 2028