The Arizona Diamondbacks had an exceptionally busy first day of the 2024 MLB Draft, making four picks: their own first and second-round selections, a Competitive Balance Round A pick, and a Prospect Promotion Incentive Pick earned when Corbin Carroll won the NL Rookie of the Year in 2023.
“Having four picks, we’re pretty excited about the class we’re bringing in,” said D-backs farm director Ian Rebhan.
With their first-round pick (No. 29 overall), the D-backs chose high school outfielder Slade Caldwell. They then picked University of Kentucky outfielder Ryan Waldschmidt (No. 31 overall), high school shortstop JD Dix (No. 35 overall), and high school catcher Ivan Luciano (No. 64 overall). Waldschmidt notably helped the Wildcats reach the College World Series for the first time this past season.
The D-backs rely on their scouts’ observations and a team of analysts who examine metrics, both of which aligned in Waldschmidt’s case.
“It was the ability to hit, not swing and miss, not expand the zone, and hit for power against the best arms in college baseball,” Rebhan said. “If you check those boxes, you’ve got a pretty bright future.”
Waldschmidt, who injured his left knee in the Cape Cod League last summer, showed this year at Kentucky that he has fully recovered. While he played left field at Kentucky, Waldschmidt has the speed to play center, and Rebhan believes he can handle any outfield position.
Dix, another player coming off an injury, had right labrum surgery last fall. The 18-year-old switch-hitting shortstop, from the same high school as former D-backs infielder and current Cubs manager Craig Counsell, demonstrated his health during his high school season this spring.
“There’s a really exciting total package there,” Rebhan said of Dix. “He played on the summer circuit, and we see him as someone who can play shortstop at the next level. We have a lot of confidence in his bat, both right-handed and left-handed. He’s a plus runner, super athletic. He came to the combine, played in the game there, and played really well. We see him as having a really interesting offensive profile.”
With their final pick of the night, the D-backs selected 17-year-old catcher Ivan Luciano from El Shaddai Christian Academy in Puerto Rico. The D-backs appreciate how Luciano controls the strike zone at such a young age and believe he will develop more power. Being a left-handed hitter who plays a premium position, Luciano was seen as a very intriguing player.
“We love his bat,” Rebhan said. “He’s super young but very advanced in his approach at the plate. He showed contact skills all summer and in Puerto Rico this year. We see him as an offensive catcher who also provides value behind the plate. He just checked a lot of boxes.”