Diamondbacks' Jordan Lawlar: GM stays positive amid slump
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Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen is not bothered by Lawlar's slump to start the season at Double-A Amarillo, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports. The shortstop and Arizona's top prospect is batting .165/.299/.331 over 147 plate appearances.
Hazen said he prefers if all prospects could be like Corbin Carroll but spun Lawlar's struggles as a positive, noting the adversity gives a young player a chance to adjust and figure it out. "It's probably more approach, pitch selection, how he's being pitched," Hazen said. Specifically, the organization is focused on Lawlar's reaction to pitches on the inner half, trying to keep the ball away from him and using the entire field. One bright note is that slump has not affected his defense, which Hazen noted has been "exceptional."
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Diamondbacks' Jordan Lawlar: Struggling at Double-A
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Lawlar has returned to action after missing a few days for Double-A Amarillo with a wrist injury.
The 20-year-old shortstop is slashing .162/.296/.342 with five home runs and 10 steals in 32 games. Dating back to last year, Lawlar has a .183/.297/.347 slash line and 73:30 K:BB in 52 games at Double-A. He has a high power/speed ceiling, but legitimate hit tool concerns are starting to emerge. However, his .203 BABIP this season is a sign of some misfortune, and his 29.7 percent line drive rate, 37.8 percent flyball rate and 29 percent hard-hit rate are all signs of strong quality of contact. Lawlar's stock has decreased this season, but there are reasons to expect his performance to trend up.
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Diamondbacks' Jordan Lawlar: Suffers wrist injury
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Lawlar was removed from Tuesday's game for Double-A Amarillo after getting hit on the right wrist, Theo Mackie of the Arizona Republic reports.
A team spokesperson said X-rays came back negative, and Lawlar is considered day-to-day. One of Arizona's top prospects, Lawlar is scuffling with a .178 average and .669 OPS.
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Diamondbacks' Jordan Lawlar: Plays hero in comeback
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Lawlar went 2-for-4 with a home run and four RBI for Double-A Amarillo in Wednesday's comeback win over Frisco.
Lawlar figured prominently in the Sod Poodles' improbable comeback. With Amarillo trailing 11-1 in the seventh, Lawler jacked a three-run homer to begin the comeback. The team scored another seven runs in the eighth before Lawlar walked off the RoughRiders with a single in the 10th. The Diamondbacks' highly regarded shortstop prospect has an .835 OPS with four homers, two doubles, 12 RBI, six steals and nine runs through 15 games.
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Diamondbacks' Jordan Lawlar: Maintains on-base streak
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Lawlar went 1-for-3 with a walk, a home run and a stolen base for Double-A Amarillo on Saturday.
Lawlar launched his second home run of the season in the fourth inning and has reached base safely in all eight games for the Sod Poodles, who went by their alternate identity, the Calf Fries, on Saturday. Lawlar is 8-for-29 with six walks and four extra-base hits while stealing four bases.
Diamondbacks' Jordan Lawlar: Ready for start of spring games
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Lawlar (shoulder) will bat sixth and play shortstop Saturday against Oakland.
Lawlar fractured his left scapula after being hit by a pitch at the Arizona Fall League, but his expected timeline of 6-to-8 weeks meant that his readiness for spring training never seemed in much doubt. The 2021 sixth-overall pick has yet to reach Triple-A, but he hit .303/.401/.509 across four levels last year, so a debut sometime late in the 2023 season seems possible.
Lawlar will miss the next 6-to-8 weeks after being struck by a pitch Friday and suffering a fractured left scapula, Sam Dykstra of MLB.com reports.
This injury shouldn't impact Lawlar's availability for the start of spring training, but it's certainly disappointing to see his fall season cut short. He was playing great ball in the Arizona Fall League prior to the injury, as he was batting .278 with two home runs, seven RBI, four stolen bases and nine runs scored across 11 contests with Salt River.
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Diamondbacks' Jordan Lawlar: Flashing in Arizona Fall League
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Lawlar hit just .212/.299/.353 over 20 games in Double-A to wrap up the 2022 regular season, but he's impressed through six contests in the Arizona Fall League, smashing two homers and stealing two bases with a 7:7 BB:K.
It's well worth keeping in mind the context of Lawlar's small sample of Double-A struggles -- this is a 20-year-old kid who was on his second promotion of the season after opening in Single-A. Lawlar's overall line is a far more accurate indicator of his potential: .303/.401/.509 with 16 home runs, 39 steals and a 57:115 BB:K. He'll need to clip that strikeout rate a bit and show more power in the high minors, but Lawlar certainly looks the part of a future All-Star. Arizona probably won't rush him to the big leagues, so look for him to spend much of 2023 in Double-A, with a mid-to-late-season promotion to Triple-A if he excels as expected.
The Diamondbacks promoted Lawlar from High-A Hillsboro to Double-A Amarillo on Tuesday.
With outfielder Corbin Carroll soon expected to receive a promotion from Triple-A Reno to the big club, Lawlar will become the Diamondbacks' top prospect in the minors before long. The righty-hitting shortstop, who went 1-for-4 with a run scored in his debut for Amarillo on Tuesday, is now at his fourth affiliate of 2022 after slashing .288/.385/.477 with three home runs and 13 stolen bases in 130 plate appearances at Hillsboro.
Lawlar went 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored for High-A Hillsboro on Saturday.
After initial struggles following his promotion from Single-A Visalia, Lawlar has found a groove with multiple hits in three of the last seven games for the High-A affiliate. He's 9-for-32 (.281) with four doubles, two RBI and six runs scored during that stretch.
