SCOTTSDALE - For Demetrio Crisantes, the path to the Arizona Fall League started in a family warehouse in Nogales, where a blue tarp once split produce from baseball.
His father and assistant coach, Miguel, made the call when Demetrio was 11: soccer or baseball, one or the other. Once baseball won out, Miguel went all-in.
The family’s warehouse, packed with tomatoes, cucumbers and bell peppers in the southern Arizona border town, got a makeover on one side and became a training space the community could use. That setup helped turn into something bigger than a home project: it became a proving ground.
The results have been hard to miss. The warehouse-gym hybrid has sent 85 local athletes to colleges with scholarships, and it helped shape the Diamondbacks’ top prospect at a time when his pro future was anything but certain.
Crisantes, 22, is now the clear headliner in Arizona’s farm system after the Diamondbacks promoted center fielder Ryan Waldschmidt in May. The Arizona native was a seventh-round pick in the 2022 MLB draft, and the road here was anything but smooth.
“It means a lot, especially for my family,” Crisantes said about being drafted locally four years ago. “They were really happy about (it), we weren’t sure if I was gonna be here or even on the East Coast, but it’s just a three-hour drive (from Nogales) and they can come watch me play whenever.”
Born in Tucson on Sept. 5, 2004, Crisantes grew up in Nogales and started playing baseball at 4. Even his draft day came with uncertainty because of an elbow issue that scared off several teams.
“I had a little elbow problem back in high school, so during the draft process a lot of teams were not sure if I was gonna be able to play or be ready,” Crisantes said. “Luckily, the Diamondbacks believed in me and gave me that opportunity.”
Miguel said the Astros, Yankees and Blue Jays showed the most interest, but all had concerns about whether Crisantes would be ready after the injury diagnosis.
What the family called a “little elbow problem” was actually one of baseball’s most serious procedures. After his sophomore season was wiped out by COVID-19, Crisantes had his first Tommy John surgery at 15, a reconstructive operation on the elbow’s ulnar collateral ligament. He later had to go through it again.
“It was tough, especially during COVID,” Crisantes said. “We got the surgery done (with) whatever insurance could cover at the time and had to get it repaired again when I got drafted. Luckily, my elbow is feeling amazing now, and (I’ll) just go from there.”
Miguel said the first surgery was done incorrectly, which led to the second one. Still, the setbacks never kept Crisantes down for long. He hit .507 as a junior and .485 as a senior, and over four minor league seasons he has put together a .312 average and .872 OPS.
The family’s baseball footprint kept growing, too. After Crisantes graduated from Nogales High, his father donated almost all of their equipment to friends and others in the Nogales community who had helped them along the way, which led to a new facility called Trained 2 Go.
Now Crisantes heads into the six-week Arizona Fall League saying he is “100% healthy and playing harder.” He’ll work with three other teams’ staffs as part of the Salt River Rafters, with the goal of taking another step toward the majors.
Miguel said watching his son get here has been a privilege, and he pointed to the discipline that showed up long before pro ball ever did. Crisantes never stayed out past 10:30 p.m., or 11 p.m. on weekends, and he never drank alcohol in high school.
“When he signed, he said ‘Remember how my friends used to make fun of me at parties? Look where I am and look where they are,’” Miguel said.
“He used to work out after school, before practice, after practice and he never complained. It’s something that he had inside.
“It’s been the highlight of my life. The memories we’ve made and moments together with him are going to stay with me forever. It’s more than you can imagine.”
Coaches Scott Nestor and Ronald Ramirez of the River Rafters said the priority in the Fall League is keeping Crisantes healthy over the next six weeks.
“We looked at his season and talked with his (Diamondbacks) hitting department, what he wants to work on over the next six weeks and make sure he gets out of here healthy and headed in the right direction,” Nestor said.
For Crisantes, the uncertainty that shadowed his draft year has faded. Arizona took the chance when others held back, and he has kept giving the organization reasons to feel good about it.
“As a kid getting drafted, I didn’t realize what pro ball really is,” Crisantes said. “I didn’t realize how much competition there is all across.
You’re basically playing for all 30 teams. Having a better, mature mindset and learning from others is a blessing.”