Scouting Report

Video scouting report »

Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 55 | Run: 55 | Arm: 50 | Field: 50 | Overall: 55

A transfer out of Charleston Southern, Waldschmidt was trying to build on his first year at Kentucky at the Cape Cod League in the summer of 2023 when he blew out his left ACL while stepping in an outfield divot. He returned to the Wildcats lineup in the spring all the same (albeit with more DH work out of the gate) and showed plenty of bat with 14 homers and a 1.079 OPS. The D-backs subsequently took him with the 31st overall pick (the PPI selection they got for Corbin Carroll’s Rookie of the Year award), and Waldschmidt kept right on trucking offensively in his first full season with a .289/.419/.473 line, 18 homers and 29 steals in 134 games, spread evenly across High-A and Double-A.

You won’t catch Waldschmidt doing a lot of pre-pitch movement in his crouched stance -- all he uses is a slight lift of his front left ankle to load up and then yank his swing. He doesn’t expand the zone often either, leading to walk rates above 15 percent at both of his 2025 stops. The uphill nature of his swing makes him susceptible to sliders down and away and heat up and in, but it also helps him drive the ball in the air to make the most of his above-average raw power.

With the ACL injury behind him, Waldschmidt can be more of a free runner in the pros, and he showed he was willing to push the issue a bit on the basepaths. Originally thought to be stuck in left field, he showed more aptitude for center at Double-A (where he was out of Druw Jones’ defensive shadow) with improved jumps and reads, and he could hold the position down if needed, knowing his power-speed combo would work well in a corner too. 

Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 55 | Run: 55 | Arm: 40 | Field: 45 | Overall: 55

A transfer from Charleston Southern, Waldschmidt was a solid but not quite stellar performer as a sophomore at the University of Kentucky and hoped to build his stock in the Cape Cod League in the summer of 2023. But in his fourth game with Cotuit, he blew out his left ACL on a throw when he stepped in a divot in left field. He was a DH out of the gate as a Wildcat junior, slowly adding defensive work back into his game reps as he took off offensively. He finished with a .333/.469/.610 line and 14 homers over 59 games. The D-backs selected him with the 31st overall pick (the PPI pick they received for Corbin Carroll’s Rookie of the Year win) and signed him for $2.9 million before getting him 14 games with Single-A Visalia.

Without being able to take regular hitting reps while he was hurt, Waldschmidt spent a lot of time studying pitching, even by doing the one thing he was allowed to do in the box -- bunt. It showed in his approach in both Lexington and Visalia as he didn’t often expand the zone. He uses no stride in his swing setup, letting his hands do the firing. He cut down the uphill nature of his swing a bit between his sophomore and junior years, but it’s still a hack designed to pull the ball with authority. He's had some issues with breaking stuff during his first full season but has continued to run an impressive focus on pitches inside the zone.

Waldschmidt got faster the more he put the ACL tear in his rearview mirror, and he should be an above-average runner in the pros. A former catcher in high school, he’s still learning the nuances of the outfield, and below-average arm strength makes his best fit in left. His first full season should bring an even closer look at what he can do when fully healthy.

Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 55 | Run: 55 | Arm: 40 | Field: 45 | Overall: 50

Waldschmidt was lightly recruited and scouted as a Florida high schooler because he injured his arm in a home-plate collision as a freshman catcher, could only DH as a sophomore and lost most of his junior season to the pandemic shutdown. He posted a 1.043 OPS in his first college season at the Charleston Southern, then dipped to .872 in 2023 after transferring to Kentucky. He was off to a hot start in the Cape Cod League when he stepped in a hole making a throw from the outfield, blew out his left knee and required ACL surgery that limited him to DH duties in the first three weeks of this season. After getting fully healthy, he wowed scouts with his tools and performance while dazzling analysts with his metrics. Arizona selected him with the 31st overall pick -- the selection they earned as a reward for Corbin Carroll’s Rookie of the Year win -- and signed him for slot value at $2,904,000.

Few players in this year’s Draft matched Waldschmidt's ability to make contact, avoid chasing pitches and produce high exit velocities. He has a very patient approach and a quick right-handed stroke that looks less uphill than it did in his first season with the Wildcats. He uses the entire field but also has an affinity for driving balls in the air to his pull side.

As Waldschmidt got healthier, his run times improved from fringy earlier in the season to solid with flashes of plus. The only real knock on him is that he's a subpar left fielder who looks tentative at times, though some evaluators wonder if his quickness should merit a look in center field. Arizona officials said after the Draft they feel comfortable Waldschmidt could play any of the three spots on the grass at the next level.

Video scouting report »

Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 55 | Run: 55 | Arm: 40 | Field: 45 | Overall: 50

Waldschmidt was lightly recruited and scouted as a Florida high schooler because he injured his arm in a home-plate collision as a freshman catcher, could only DH as a sophomore and lost most of his junior season to the pandemic shutdown. He posted a 1.043 OPS in his first college season at Charleston Southern, then dipped to .872 in 2023 after transferring to Kentucky. He was off to a hot start in the Cape Cod League when he stepped in a hole making a throw from the outfield, blew out his left knee and required ACL surgery that limited him to DH duties in the first three weeks of this season. Since getting fully healthy, he has wowed scouts with his tools and performance while dazzling analysts with his metrics, pushing his way into the first round.

Few players in this Draft can match Waldschmidt's ability to make contact, avoid chasing pitches and produce high exit velocities. He has a very patient approach and a quick right-handed stroke that looks less uphill than it did in his first season with the Wildcats. He uses the entire field but also has an affinity for driving balls in the air to his pull side.

As Waldschmidt has gotten healthier, his run times have improved from fringy earlier in the season to solid with flashes of plus. The only real knock on him is that he's a subpar left fielder who looks tentative at times, though some evaluators wonder if his quickness should merit a look in center field at the next level. He played primarily third base at Charleston but his below-average arm doesn't fit at the hot corner.

Awards

Baseball America Double-A All-Star

Year	Team
2025

NWL Post-Season All-Star

Year	Team
2025

TEX Player of the Month

Month	Team
08/2025

TEX Player of the Week

Week	Team
08/17/2025

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	01/30/2026	Arizona Diamondbacks invited non-roster CF Ryan Waldschmidt to spring training.
	06/24/2025	OF Ryan Waldschmidt assigned to Amarillo Sod Poodles from Hillsboro Hops.
	04/03/2025	OF Ryan Waldschmidt assigned to Hillsboro Hops from Visalia Rawhide.
	03/06/2025	activated CF Ryan Waldschmidt.
	02/27/2025	CF Ryan Waldschmidt assigned to Arizona Diamondbacks.
	09/24/2024	Visalia Rawhide activated CF Ryan Waldschmidt from the 7-day injured list.
	08/29/2024	Visalia Rawhide placed OF Ryan Waldschmidt on the 7-day injured list.
	08/06/2024	OF Ryan Waldschmidt assigned to Visalia Rawhide from ACL D-backs.
	08/05/2024	OF Ryan Waldschmidt assigned to ACL D-backs.
	07/22/2024	Arizona Diamondbacks signed OF Ryan Waldschmidt.
	06/16/2024	College Workout activated OF Ryan Waldschmidt.
	02/22/2024	College Workout activated OF Ryan Waldschmidt.
	02/22/2024	OF Ryan Waldschmidt assigned to College Workout.
	06/08/2023	OF Ryan Waldschmidt assigned to College Workout.