The D-backs have yet to sign their 29th overall pick, Slade Caldwell, but they have locked up their other two 2024 MLB first-round draft picks. It took a few extra days, but the Arizona Diamondbacks were able to sign two of their most key 2024 MLB Draft selections. They signed Ryan Waldschmidt, the 31st overall pick, outfielder, and JD Dix, the 35th overall pick, high school shortstop.
Dix was viewed as a tougher sign than Waldschmidt, who attended college. Dix, a high schooler from Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, sustained a ruptured labrum in his senior year but was still regarded as a gifted athlete. He was committed to Wake Forest prior to signing.
His slot worth was rated as $2,630,000, but the Diamondbacks were able to sign him for a bonus of $2,150,000. It’s unusual for a highly regarded high school athlete to accept a $500K discount, but it’s possible that he was sold on the D-backs; he was taken in the first round, and it’s not guaranteed that he’ll be selected that high in three years.
After selecting JD Dix, D-backs Amateur Scouting Director Ian Rebhan stated that he found comfort with the bat from both sides of the plate. He’s an excellent runner and an extremely athletic individual… We view him as someone who plays the center of the field and shortstop, with a really dynamic athletic offensive.
“Profile as well.” He said more about him here. Dix is 18 years old, is 6’2″, weighs 180 pounds, and has lots of potential to grow into his towering physique. Dix is likely to begin in the Arizona Complex League before moving up to Single-A Visalia in a few weeks. If you’re looking for an MLB comparable, MLB Pipeline compares him to DJ LeMahieu, a superb offensive hitter who won numerous batting titles during his heyday.
Outfielder Ryan Waldschmidt was considered an easier sign because he was still in college. He was Kentucky’s standout player, leading the team to its first College World Series berth. Furthermore, he did admirably against SEC pitchers.
He was the pick the D-backs obtained in exchange for Corbin Carroll earning the National League Rookie of the Year award. Waldschmidt has an all-fields approach to hitting, with the ability to drive the ball to any part of the field. He possesses 55-grade power and the speed to be a future 20/20 player in MLB. The analytics team praised his performance in Kentucky, and he passes the eye test with exceptional patience at the plate and the ability to crush off-speed or breaking pitches.
Some of his stats explain why the D-backs chose him.
Ian Rebhan, D-backs Amateur Scouting Director, spoke about Ryan Waldschmidt and why the team picked him below.
“He doesn’t swing-and-miss, he hits for power, he doesn’t expand the zone, he performed in the best conference in college baseball, but you also have the scouting group that loved the kid and got to know him well and liked the player, the bat, the power, and all the ways he can impact the game so I would say that was just a really good blend of everybody involved in the process.”
This article explains why the team picked Waldschmidt and what Arizona sees in him.
JD Dix and Ryan Waldschmidt add high floors and very high ceilings to the Arizona Diamondbacks’ prospect pool.
Slade Caldwell, the high school outfielder from Arkansas, has yet to sign. The expected slot value for the 29th overall choice is $3,500,000.
With Dix’s savings, the D-backs can pay more than $400K to sign Caldwell. This is due to Dix accepting a $500K discount and the 5% overage allowance for signing your draft picks.
The D-backs’ overall bonus pool allowance is $13,260,800, but they can go 5% over that to complete their signings without losing their first-round pick in the following year’s draft. This allows them to spend up to $13,923,840.
As a result, they have just under $4 million available to sign Slade Caldwell. It’s assumed that he’ll sign because that should be plenty for the 19th-ranked prospect on the draft board.
Expect to hear about Slade Caldwell’s signing sooner rather than later, especially since JD Dix took a discount.
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