The Diamondbacks made it to the Fall Classic in 2023 for the first time in 22 years and much of their success can be attributed to good scouting. Arizona is filled with homegrown players, including Alek Thomas, Brandon Pfaadt, and Corbin Carroll. With the 2024 MLB Draft nearing, let’s take a look the Diamondbacks’ best and worst MLB Draft picks of the last decade.
Best Diamondbacks MLB Draft Picks Over Last 10 Seasons
| Name | Position | Year Drafted | Round | Career bWAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dansby Swanson | SS | 2015 | 1 | 19.6 |
| Colin Poche | RP | 2016 | 14 | 1.3 |
| Kevin Ginkel | RP | 2016 | 22 | 0.5 |
| Daulton Varsho | C/OF | 2017 | 2 | 12.7 |
| Jose Caballero | INF | 2017 | 7 | 3.3 |
| Jake McCarthy | OF | 2018 | 1 | 3.5 |
| Alek Thomas | OF | 2018 | 2 | 2.3 |
| Tyler Holton | RP | 2018 | 9 | 3.1 |
| Corbin Carroll | OF | 2019 | 1 | 6.5 |
| Drey Jameson | SP/RP | 2019 | 1 | 2.0 |
| Tommy Henry | SP | 2019 | 2 | 0.8 |
The standout draft pick made by Arizona over the last decade turned out to be Dansby Swanson, a two-time Gold Glove winner and one of the game’s elite shortstops. Swanson was drafted first overall but never played a game with Arizona, as the D-Backs traded him for Shelby Miller in what turned out to be one of the most unfortunate trades over the last decade.
Aside from Swanson, the two other picks — at least as of now — made by Arizona that have been impactful at the MLB level were Daulton Varsho and Corbin Carroll. Varsho went from Wisconsin-Milwaukee star catcher to one of the game’s better outfielders, thanks to his power/speed combo.
However, Varsho’s most notable contribution to Arizona was in December 2022, when the D-Backs acquired catcher Gabriel Moreno and outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. from Toronto for the left-handed slugger.
Then, there’s Corbin Carroll, the 2023 NL Rookie of the Year. Carroll got off to a slow start in 2024 but that didn’t mitigate what the star outfielder’s done in his brief MLB career. The 23-year-old belted 25 home runs, stole 57 bases in 2023, and then played a key role for Arizona in the 2023 MLB Playoffs.
Carroll was just one of several 2019 MLB Draft picks who have helped Arizona recently. Drey Jameson and Tommy Henry have logged innings for the D-Backs through the years.
Henry, a former second-round pick, has been inconsistent throughout his MLB career. Still, the lefty does have a higher bWAR than other notable draft picks in recent years, including Brandon Pfaadt (0.0), who played a key role in the D-Backs’ run to the NL pennant in 2023.
Several others on this list were D-Backs draft picks but didn’t have much success until leaving the organization. Jose Caballero became a valuable asset thanks to his eye, while Tyler Holton morphed into a strong lefty out of the Tigers bullpen.
Now, let’s take a look at what didn’t go right for the D-Backs in the MLB Draft over the years.
Worst Diamondbacks MLB Draft Picks Over Last 10 Seasons
| Name | Position | Year Drafted | Round | Career bWAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Touki Toussaint | SP | 2014 | 1 | 0.3 |
| Cody Reed | SP | 2014 | 2 | Never played in MLB |
| Isan Diaz | INF | 2014 | 2 | -2.9 |
| Anfernee Grier | OF | 2016 | 1 | Never played in MLB |
| Andy Yerzy | C | 2016 | 2 | Never played in MLB |
| Pavin Smith | 1B | 2017 | 1 | -0.5 |
| Matt Tabor | SP | 2017 | 3 | Never played in MLB |
| Brennan Malone | SP | 2019 | 1 | Never played in MLB |
Several first-round picks who didn’t pan out, including Touki Toussaint and Pavin Smith, make this part of the list. The two have spent time at the MLB level but neither lived up to their lofty potentials. Notable Major Leaguers taken after Touissant in 2024 include Matt Chapman, Jack Flaherty, and Erick Fedde.
The Diamondbacks didn’t get much from the 2016 MLB Draft, aside from Ginkel and Poche. Arizona’s top two picks in that draft, Anfernee Grier and Andy Yerzy, never played a game at the MLB level.
Grier was released in 2020 after he posted a career OPS of .672 over four MiLB seasons and never played past High-A. Yerzy, currently at Double-A in the Brewers system, had one 20+ home run season in the Minors (2021) but only played five games above Double-A.
The most recent pick on this part of the list is Brennan Malone, who was traded just months after his selection in 2020 for Starling Marte. Malone was a high-end Florida prep star but has only logged 28.2 IP in his pro career thanks to numerous stints on the IL.
These lists do not include players selected but did not sign. bWAR figures as of May 2024.