The Diamondbacks’ top prospect has been called SS Jordan Lawlar

Head coach Torre Lovolo announced Wednesday that the Arizona Diamondbacks are calling up Jordan Lawler, an outstanding prospect.

Azcentral’s Nick Pecoro first reported the newsAnd John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports confirmed call. Arizona designated its longest-serving player, shortstop Nick Ahmed, to the task to make room for Lawler.

This is the second consecutive season that Arizona has called up top favorites late in the season after doing so with Corbin Carroll in 2022.

Lawlar is a 21-year-old shortstop who finished sixth overall in the 2021 MLB Draft out of high school. He only played 16 games with Triple-A Reno before being drafted but produced 1,050 OPS, five home runs, and 19 RBIs. He hit two home runs on Tuesday in a dominant 9-for-15 stretch at the plate.

Prior to his promotion to Reno, Lollar had a . 840 OPS with 15 batters and 33 stolen bases at Double-A Amarillo.

Lawlar has been the highest-ranked running back at Arizona State since Carroll graduated fully early this season.

He will be thrust into the pennant race, as he will join the club aggressively in the hunt for a National League Wild Card spot. Arizona is a semi-game out of the final position entering play on Wednesday afternoon.

Players on the 40-man or 60-day injured list by September 1 are eligible for the postseason, but there are injury alternatives to give teams some leeway. Active rosters expanded to 28 players at the start of September, but D-back gave Lawlar additional cast at Reno.

Lawlar has managed to put a slow start to 2023 behind him, sidestepping the development roster and working with the hitting coordinators before and after games to get things right.

“He had about a month early stretch where he actually fought, and it was the first time he ever really struggled,” D-backs farm manager Josh Barfield said last week. “But he was able to work his way through it. I think he learned a lot through those struggles. Since then, he has really swing the racket really well and controls the area really well. He has a very balanced and compact swing. He does a good job of being competitive with his rackets. “

He was below Mendoza’s streak going into June, but was involved in an electrical accident two and a half months before being promoted to Renault on August 15.

Lawlar returned in his first game with the Aces and struck out in 10 of his first 12 games.

He’s an athletic defender who needs to hone in the short term post-draft, an area Barfield said he’s improving on.

“He’s a tremendous athlete,” Barfield said. “I think part of the reason he’s improved so much this year is his work ethic and attention to detail. “I think he did a lot of that in athletics during high school and he didn’t really know the basics, all the ins and outs of shortstop play. He’s doing a good job of learning that.”

Lawler made his first minor league start at third base on Tuesday, and showed the D linebacker isn’t afraid to move him to fit their plans. He is an option at both shortstop and third base, said Lovolo.

The D linebacker had a short-range platoon that included All-Stars Geraldo Perdomo and Ahmed, though both have been well below average league hitters against lefties this year.

Lawlar has a 1.126 OPS against lefties this year at Double-A, albeit primarily in hitter-friendly environments.

Perdomo also gives the flexibility of the D linebacker with the ability to play third base and second base, allowing both Lawlar and Perdomo to play together. Third base was a rotating spot all year with Josh Rojas, Emmanuel Rivera, Jess Peterson, Evan Longoria and Buddy Kennedy.

Lawlar gives D-backs more juice on base paths with solid ball hitting skills. He’s young, so part of the playtime calculation will need to be balancing development and winning, which aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive.

Lovolo said he’s been in touch with Lawlar this year, since he’s with several players in development.

“I am looking forward to seeing him, it will be a great moment for him and for this organization.”

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