Arizona Diamondbacks 2025 MLB Draft Report Card

Best Pure Hitter: A number of scouts would have pointed to Texas high school SS Kayson Cunningham (1) as the best pure hitter in the class. He’s one of the few players with a real claim at a plus hit tool, and he has a compact, tight and accurate swing with a knack for driving the ball on a line all over the field. 

Best Power Hitter: As is typical of Arizona, the team focused more on contact-oriented hitters in this draft class, though Kansas SS Brady Counsell (10) has solid pullside power and managed double-digit home runs in each of his last two college seasons. He finished his four-year college career with 28 home runs and 44 doubles.

Fastest Runner: Cunningham (1) has a short stride, but he’s quick out of the box and is regularly a plus runner who should be able to make a solid impact on the bases. South Carolina OF Nathan Hall (5) is also a plus runner and should have the legs to stick in center field. He went 14-for-16 (87.5%) in stolen bases this spring.  

Best Defensive Player: Arizona has a solid number of good-not-great defenders who should stick at up-the-middle defensive positions in this class. The standout is perhaps Duke SS Wallace Clark (9), who received praise for his smooth actions, hands, and arm strength this spring. 

Best Fastball: Louisville RHP Patrick Forbes (1C) throws a mid-90s fastball that explodes out of his hand and has already been up to 100 mph with tremendous arm speed. There’s more development needed for this pitch as he learns to command it with more consistency, but it has a chance to be a real weapon. Another big fastball comes from Georgia RHP Brian Curley (3), who has also been up to 100 mph and sits in the mid 90s with great running and riding life. 

Best Secondary Pitch: At his best, Forbes (1C) showed one of the better fastball/slider combinations in the class. His mid-80s breaking ball can blend between more of a sweeper and more of a tight, two-plane breaking ball that is effective against lefties. Regardless of the specific shape, it has the spin and power to be a plus pitch.

Best Pro Debut: None of the five players the D-backs activated for official games got a huge amount of playing time, but Vanderbilt RHP Sawyer Hawks (6) pitched well in five relief appearances with Low-A Visalia. He posted a 1.80 ERA and struck out five batters while walking two.  

Best Athlete: Georgia high school RHP Dean Livingston (4) is a big-time projection play. He’s relatively new to focusing on pitching full-time and has a background as a quarterback. He’s already been up to 98 mph with a lightning-quick right arm and could make huge strides in the coming years with more pitching-focused development and as he adds strength to a lean frame. 

Most Intriguing Background: RHP Jack Martinez (8) has had a long college path. He spent two seasons with Division III Trinity (Texas), then spent a season with Louisiana-Lafayette, then finally finished his college career with a 2025 season with Arizona State. This spring, he showed a fastball up to 97 and solid feel for secondaries that include a changeup, slider and curveball. 

Closest To The Majors: A number of the college arms the D-backs took at the top of the class need some refinement with their strike-throwing, but Curley (3) could be a quick mover if he’s put into a bullpen role and allowed to go right at hitters with his fastball/slider combo. 

Best 11+ Round Pick (Or UDFA): Mississippi State LHP Luke Dotson (11) signed for $500,000 and brings a 92-95 mph fastball with excellent riding life. He averaged around 20 inches of induced vertical break with the pitch this spring and posted a 3.09 ERA over 23.1 innings out of the bullpen. Dotson also struck out 34 batters and walked 12.