The Arizona Diamondbacks have a giant hole in left field after an injury to Lourdes Gurriel Jr. in September.
Blaze Alexander was expected to have a major role in the outfield before he was traded to the Baltimore Orioles. Now, the Diamondbacks are left with Jorge Barrosa, Tim Tawa and Jordan Lawlar on the 40-man roster to compete for the open spot.
Lawlar might have the best shot of the three.
While Tawa has the most playing experience of the three, with 74 games played, he is more than likely set for a utility role. As for Barrosa, he might fill a platoon role in center field with Alek Thomas.
As Gurriel recovers from a torn ACL, this will likely be the battle to watch in spring training.
Lawlar’s Career Trajectory With the Arizona Diamondbacks
Lawlar was the sixth overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft out of high school. He would be ranked as a top 25 prospect from 2022-2025, being 11th in three consecutive years, per MLB Pipeline.
He would be called up towards the end of the 2023 season, only to struggle immensely in 14 games. In 34 plate appearances, Lawlar had a .129/.206/.129 slash line, failing to deliver an extra base hit.
While the Diamondbacks went on an improbable playoff run to the World Series, Lawlar sat on the bench.
He would spend the 2024 season in Triple-A and played just 23 games at Reno. In 2025, he would start the season in Triple-A again, only to finally get called up towards the end of the season.
During 28 games with the major league club, it was more of the same struggles from 2023. In 74 plate appearances, he would have a .182/.257/.288 slash line. While he had seven extra-base hits, he would fail to hit a home run.
Now, he has as good a chance as any to show why he was a top prospect for so long.
What Traits Does Lawlar Bring to Arizona?
Lawlar possesses above-average tools across the board.
His hit and power tools are both above-average. He has a .298 lifetime average in the minors across 293 games. For his size (6-foot, 190 pounds), he has solid power with 49 home runs and a .515 slugging percentage.
His speed is what sets him apart, however. He has 102 stolen bases during that time period, including two 35+ stolen base seasons. His defense and arm are also labeled as above-average.
Shortstop is his main position. However, he has played second and third base.
With Ketel Marte at second base, Geraldo Perdomo at shortstop and Nolan Arenado at third base, Lawlar is blocked at every infield position. This necessitates his move to the outfield, where he has played just three professional games.
With so much time and resources invested in the former top prospect, Arizona must give Lawlar more than a cup of coffee in the majors and give him more time to develop.
If he wins the starting job at left field, Lawlar will be one step closer to proving his worth at the major league level.
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