Director of Dynasty Content - Canadian born and raised, moved to Arkansas with my wife and two sons Ezra and Ari. Followed and played baseball my whole life; played dynasty for 25+ years.
Two seasons ago must seem like an eternity for the Diamondbacks; they had just advanced to the World Series by coming back from a 3-2 deficit against the heavily favored Phillies. They had a fighter's chance against a similarly upstart-type team in the Texas Rangers; everything was looking up. Then what happened? The Rangers dispatched the DBacks in five games, ending the Cinderella run in short order. The following season, they actually improved, winning five more games, but they still missed the playoffs, despite having the same record as the Braves and Mets. A split double-header on the Monday after the season sealed their fate.
The team signed an ace in the 2024 offseason as Corbin Burnes came home, but the magic of the previous two seasons had faded, and things were not going their way. Burnes injured his UCL in June and underwent Tommy John surgery shortly thereafter. Their two-headed bullpen monster, Justin Martinez and A.J. Puk, both suffered the same fate and will miss significant time as well. Their MVP finalist, Ketel Marte, dealt with various injuries throughout the season, leaving their offense without the punch it needed to overcome the pitching injuries. The DBacks finished under .500 for the first time since 2022. So where do they go from here? Can they be a playoff team in 2026?
This offensive core is very young with notable upside. Corbin Carroll and Ketel Marte are MVP-caliber players (and top-40 dynasty assets). Geraldo Perdomo performed like an All-Star caliber player all season long (did you realize he went .290-98-22-100-27 this year?). Having this trio at the top of your lineup bodes well for fantasy, with lots of opportunities to pile up counting stats. The rest of the lineup is filled with players in or approaching their prime, some proven and some unproven. Starting with those we can trust, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Gabriel Moreno (the return in the Daulton Varsho deal) have both been solid depth pieces throughout their careers and should provide the offense you expect from them. On the other side of things, it's tough to pin down what type of production you will get from Jordan Lawlar, Tyler Locklear, Alek Thomas, or Jake McCarthy. They all have the potential to be very good, but have also shown the ability to drag an offense down.
The pitching staff looks like it's missing an ace...because it is. Corbin Burnes will miss at least half of the season as he recovers from Tommy John surgery. Holding the fort down while he's out are some inning-eaters who provide middling ratios and strikeout numbers. Brandon Pfaadt has yet to take the next step in his development and has been described as the most average pitcher in the league. Eduardo Rodriguez has posted back-to-back 5.00 ERA seasons in the desert and can't be relied upon in fantasy at this point. Ryne Nelson is an intriguing option who has steadily improved over the last three seasons and could finally be in line for 30 starts. This team also looks like it is missing a closer....because it is. Two, in fact. Justin Martinez and A.J. Puk were set to split the closer duties in 2025, but both (within a week of each other) had elbow reconstruction surgery and will miss most of the season. Will Andrew Saalfrank assume the role, Kevin Ginkel, Ryan Thompson, or someone else?
There are some interesting prospects that should help this team in the coming seasons. Ryan Waldschmidt was one of the more underrated performers in MiLB in 2025; he does it all and has a high floor. Tommy Troy has shown great development in the upper minors and is forcing the hands of the DBacks to find a spot for him. Demetrio Cristantes is a forgotten name who can roll out of bed and hit. See if he's available in your leagues. Speedsters Slade Caldwell and Kayson Cunningham are a little further away, but could be impactful players (for fantasy as well) in due time. The Snakes have some interesting arms as well. Daniel Eagen(check out Drew's interview with him) is a rising pitcher who could help this rotation very soon, as could some others, including David Hagaman, Kohl Drake, and Mitch Bratt.
While they may not be a team discussed as a contender for 2026, they possess high-end talent with reinforcements on the way, as well as a lot of rising dynasty values.
Dynasty Buys
Daniel Eagen
Drafted in the 3rd round of the 2024 draft, this 6’4 big righty has gone from 30-team dynasty flier to one of the buzzier pitching prospects in all of baseball - and now he finds himself on a team in serious need of improvements on the mound. He shot all the way up to the Double-A level in his first year of pro ball, and he could make an MLB debut in 2026 if he manages to handle the upper minors well with his starter’s mix. Eagen has mentioned Zac Gallen as an inspiration he models his game after, which seems pretty fitting given his landing spot. While the buzz has gathered around Daniel Eagen, there is still room to buy in on him at a decent value.
Druw Jones
Remember when the baseball world was stunned by the selection of Jackson Holliday over Druw Jones in the MLB draft, and Jones remained a fairly obvious choice over Holliday in FYPD drafts? While that has aged horribly, it’s worth noting that Druw Jones played 2025 as a 21-year-old and finally showed some substantial improvements at the plate. The strikeouts were down and the contact rates were way up, which is exactly what you want to see for a guy with fun speed and decent power potential. Jones’ defense will keep him in the bigs if he can merely stay afloat with the bat, and for dynasty purposes, we’re starting to see signs that he could be more than mediocre. Might be the last buying opportunity before his post-hype hype (it’s a thing) goes mainstream!
Dynasty Sells
Jordan Lawlar
Lawlar has been a frustrating prospect to follow, as he’s battled injuries and playing time issues so far in his career, leading to him bouncing around the diamond trying to figure out where he can fit in a crowded D-Backs outfield. However, with all the “bad luck”, it’s also gone a little understated that he’s also been flashing some rough plate discipline in both his strikeout rates and contact percentages over the past couple of seasons. While he looked better at Triple-A in 2025, it’s also hard to figure out how much of that is real, given the hitter-friendly nature of the PCL. Jordan Lawlar will turn 24 during the 2026 season, and he’ll need everything to go right to avoid losing all of his hype entirely - so this might be a good selling moment if you can find someone intrigued by his 20/20 theoretical upside.
Ryne Nelson
This one feels a little cruel after Nelson ended up as the D-Back’s de facto staff ace in 2025, but his “back of the baseball card” numbers don’t necessarily line up with the metrics or who he’s been historically. It seems more likely that his 3.39 ERA could be the best number he ever posts throughout his career, given all the loud contact he gives up and lack of nasty stuff. While he has strong command that should give him a path to a long career as a 4th or 5th starter, this might be a good time to shop Ryne Nelson around to see if you can cash in on this “mirage” breakout campaign.
Top Fantasy Prospects
Players are in order of their fantasy prospect ranking from our September end of season list.
In a year where multiple fellow 2024 draftees made waves in the majors, Waldschmidt performed quite well in his first full professional season, albeit at a more conventional pace. The former Kentucky Wildcat split time at both High-A and Double-A in 2025, posting a combined wRC+ of 143 to go with a .289/.419/.473 slash line, 18 home runs, and 29 stolen bases. As impressive as his power-speed combination looked all season long, Waldschmidt’s elevated BABIP (.334) boosted his batting average, and he made contact in the zone at just a 72.3% clip once he reached Double-A. That said, even if the outfielder only ends up hitting around .250 as a big leaguer, he has more than enough pop to be a 20+ homer threat annually, and should keep making enough noise on the basepaths to provide above-average value in the steals category as well. Waldschmidt heads into 2026 as a top-30 prospect and should make his MLB debut relatively early on in the upcoming season. - Lucas Morel
The Diamondbacks started giving Troy reps in center field to open up additional paths to the big leagues. After an injury-plagued and disappointing season in 2024, Troy bounced back in a big way. He finished the season in Triple-A, batting .289 with 15 home runs and 24 stolen bases. The speed is real, but the power numbers might be a bit inflated by some hitter-friendly environments. His batted-ball data backs that up—Troy posted a below-average 84.7 mph average exit velocity and maxed out at 105 mph. Temper expectations with the power, but count on a strong batting average and plenty of speed. With Ketel Marte under contract through 2031, Troy could end up in a utility role or possibly transition full-time to center field. Either way, he’s likely due for major league at-bats soon and should contribute in some, but not all, fantasy categories. He's a borderline top 100 prospect with a limited ceiling. - Tom Gates
Not only is Caldwell flying around the bases, but the recently drafted prep shortstop is flying up the system as well. He finished the year in High-A, where the power didn’t quite show up over 66 games—but he wasn’t overmatched either. His patient approach produced a strong 16% walk rate and helped him swipe 12 bags. Caldwell also used his plus speed to stretch singles into doubles, racking up 16 of them. The loft in his swing that was noted earlier in his career disappeared against tougher competition in High-A—a common adjustment period for young hitters. With his build, bat speed, and barrel control, Caldwell still projects to reach double-digit home runs at peak. The stolen base upside, however, is elite. Expect a strong batting average as well; his speed and batted-ball profile could allow him to flirt with a .300 mark in the majors one day. If Caldwell remains in the Arizona system, he’ll benefit from several hitter-friendly environments that might artificially boost his home run totals. Should that happen and his market value spikes into top-30 territory, it could be a good time to sell high. Caldwell currently profiles as a top-100 prospect with a safe floor but a somewhat limited ceiling given his hit-over-power skill set. - Tom Gates
Director of Dynasty Content - Canadian born and raised, moved to Arkansas with my wife and two sons Ezra and Ari. Followed and played baseball my whole life; played dynasty for 25+ years.
As Director of Pro Scouting, I lead a talented group of evaluators as we break down future stars. You can find me at random California League games throughout the season!
As Director of Pro Scouting, I lead a talented group of evaluators as we break down future stars. You can find me at random California League games throughout the season!
As Director of Pro Scouting, I lead a talented group of evaluators as we break down future stars. You can find me at random California League games throughout the season!
As Director of Pro Scouting, I lead a talented group of evaluators as we break down future stars. You can find me at random California League games throughout the season!
Director of Dynasty Content - Canadian born and raised, moved to Arkansas with my wife and two sons Ezra and Ari. Followed and played baseball my whole life; played dynasty for 25+ years.
As Director of Pro Scouting, I lead a talented group of evaluators as we break down future stars. You can find me at random California League games throughout the season!
As Director of Pro Scouting, I lead a talented group of evaluators as we break down future stars. You can find me at random California League games throughout the season!
