Under the Radar Prospects: Diamondbacks

The Arizona Diamondbacks are the subjects of this week's installment of under the radar prospects

Greetings and welcome to this week’s edition of Under the Radar Prospects.

This week, the Arizona Diamondbacks are the subject in focus with five minor leaguers from their system being identified for their strong 2023 campaigns. Some of these prospects did receive acclaim for performances, with Ivan Melendez receiving a significant bump in his prospect ranking, but still deserved to be recognized as an under-the-radar blip to pay attention to in the year to come.

Ivan Melendez, 1B/3B - Arizona Diamondbacks

A 2nd round pick during the 2022 draft, Ivan Melendez’s professional career didn’t get off to a stellar start as he only managed a 96 wRC+ over his first 120 plate appearances during his debut season. However, he did showcase an ability to get on base, getting hit 10 times and walking 10.8% of the time.

This past season, Melendez was able to find his footing at the plate as he discovered a power stroke that led to 30 home runs combined between stops at High-A and Double-A and overall hit .272/.345/.578, registering a 139 wRC+. A detriment to his game is his propensity to strikeout, as he went down on strikes a staggering 34.3% of the time; his 146 strikeouts were 2nd most in the organization.

His .306 ISO was easily the highest in the Diamondbacks system and his season did earn him a higher ranking in Arizona’s system, with him nabbing the 4th highest spot (he was previously ranked 13th).

For Melendez to be successful moving forward, he’ll have to find a way to keep his power numbers while working to get the strikeouts to a more palatable rate.

Christian Cerda, C - Arizona Diamondbacks

When the Arizona Diamondbacks acquired Christian Cerda at the 2022 trade deadline for franchise stalwart David Peralta, many people had no idea who he was. Cerda only had professional experience in the lowest levels of the minor leagues and was just 19-years-old.

However, in 2023, Cerda moved up to Single-A and showed why Arizona had targeted him from Tampa Bay as he performed well enough to earn a promotion to High-A. Cerda may not have amazing bat-to-ball skills, but he has solid power and an excellent ability to get on-base via walks. During the 2023 season, he hit 11 HR and walked 19.8% of the time, which was the highest among players with at least 200 plate appearances in the Diamondbacks system.

To go with his propensity to get on base, Cerda has also shown to be a very capable defender behind the plate. So although he doesn’t receive top prospect billing, he’ll be just 21 years old, plays a premium position, and will likely start the season in Double-A. He could soon find himself on the cusp of reaching the big leagues at some point in late 2024.

A.J. Vukovich, OF - Arizona Diamondbacks