Prospect movement is starting to reshape the D-backs’ farm system as the season’s fourth month winds down, and MLB Pipeline’s first major update of the year has brought a fresh look at Arizona’s Top 30.
This wasn’t the full rerank that’s coming in August, when the 2026 Draft class will be folded into the rankings. But it did spotlight the biggest risers and fallers, with a new top hitting prospect, a new top pitching prospect and several notable shifts throughout the list.
Infielder Demetrio Crisantes now sits atop the hitting side for Arizona at No. 1 overall and No. 86 in MLB after pushing into the Top 100. Right-hander David Hagaman has climbed to Arizona No. 3 as his first full season in the organization keeps trending in the right direction.
Both had health questions attached to them, but both have been performing at a high level this year. Crisantes has already been promoted to Triple-A Reno, while Hagaman is likely headed to Double-A Amarillo soon.
There are other changes near the top, too, but the biggest movement is coming from players who are surging or slipping the most.
The biggest jump belongs to catcher Alberto Barriga, who moved from No. 26 to No. 14.
Arizona is loaded behind the plate - Ivan Luciano is also on the rise, and 2026 first-rounder Ryder Helfrick will land in the club’s top three - but Barriga has forced his way into the conversation with a breakout season heading into his Rule 5 Draft-eligible offseason. His defense is already a selling point because of his rocket arm, and the 5-foot-9 backstop has added more power since moving from High-A Hillsboro to Double-A Amarillo.
Junior Ciprian has also climbed, going from No. 21 to No. 17.
He’s now the second-highest ranked prospect in the system among players who were not on Arizona’s preseason Top 30, behind only Barriga. The 6-foot-3 right-hander can reach the upper 90s with his fastball and has an eye-popping 56 percent whiff rate on his upper-80s slider.
The changeup still needs work if he’s going to remain a starter, but the 20-year-old has fluid movement and plenty of upside.
Another newcomer to the Top 10 is Venezuela native Virahonda, whose bat has taken a clear step forward in his second season in the States. The 20-year-old is driving the ball more, getting more contact and showing a noticeable uptick in power. Opposing basestealers have had more success against him this year, but he still projects as an above-average defender because of his blocking and receiving.
Eom, who signed for $1.5 million out of South Korea in June after passing on the KBO Draft, also lands in the mix. The 18-year-old was viewed as a likely top pick there, but Arizona gets him as a shortstop prospect instead of a two-way player. He brings a strong arm, which showed up on the mound when he hit 95 mph, and a hit-over-power profile from the right side.
Not every development has been positive. The 2024 first-rounder has long been praised for his plate discipline, but that trait has started to tilt toward passivity.
He’s still swinging only 36 percent of the time, and the results have gone backward: a 28 percent whiff rate, a 20 percent chase rate and just a .293 slugging percentage at High-A. Even so, his speed and defense still give him big league value, though it’s getting tougher to picture him as an everyday player.
Cristian Mena’s slide is more severe. The right-hander, who was previously Arizona No. 9, is now No. 23 after his 2025 season ended in June with a right shoulder strain.
He never got going in 2026 and ultimately had season-ending shoulder surgery in June. Mena, a native of the Dominican Republic, also had a right forearm strain that cut short his 2024 season, and he’ll be 24 when he returns next year.
Jones is also down the list, though his defensive reputation still keeps him in the picture. He remains the best defender in the organization, which gives him a fifth-outfielder floor, but the offense still isn’t coming around consistently, even with half his games coming at HODGETOWN, Double-A Amarillo’s hitter-friendly home. His issues against changeups and sliders are worsening - 60 percent whiff rate against changeups, 45 percent against sliders - even as he continues to punish fastballs.
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