With the minor leagues winding down for the year, Diamondbacks farm director Shaun Larkin identified several players that have impressed in 2024.

-Jesse Friedman

3 Diamondbacks prospects that have stood out in 2024

Now that the calendar has turned to September, the Diamondbacks' minor-league affiliates are nearing the end of their seasons.

Single-A Visalia and High-A Hillsboro each have a week left in the regular season. Double-A Amarillo and Triple-A Reno have two and three weeks left, respectively. The Arizona Complex League ended in July.

With that in mind, PHNX Sports asked Diamondbacks farm director Shaun Larkin about which players have stood out over the course of the 2024 season, with a particular focus on players that don't get as much public recognition.

Here is a look at three players that Larkin mentioned.

1. Demetrio Crisantes, INF, Single-A Visalia

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DEMETRIO CRISANTES GOES OFF THE BARN WINDOW FOR A 2-RUN HANDEL’S HOME RUN

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Perhaps no Diamondbacks prospect has enjoyed a more impressive breakout season than 2022 seventh-round pick Demetrio Crisantes.

In 416 plate appearances split between the Arizona Complex League and Single-A Visalia this year, the 19-year-old has hit .349/.436/.509 with seven homers, 50 RBI and 27 stolen bases.

"He's had a huge year," Larkin said, "and it's not lucky. He's just a really, really good player that has really established himself.

"We couldn't be more proud."

Since being promoted to Visalia in mid-June, Crisantes has improved both his strikeout and walk rates, with impressive marks of 14.3 percent and 12.9 percent, respectively.

Crisantes played shortstop in high school but has played mostly second base this year, with some reps at third base and first base mixed in as well.

MLB Pipeline ranks Crisantes as the 13th-best prospect in the Diamondbacks' system.

2. Yassel Soler, 3B, Arizona Complex League

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Yassel Soler Jr | Arizona Complex League

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Signed as an international amateur in January of 2022, Diamondbacks third baseman prospect Yassel Soler played his first stateside season in 2024.

The 18-year-old impressed in the Arizona Complex League, hitting .303/.351/.472 with six homers, 35 RBI and six stolen bases in 53 games.

"Just the advanced approach on both sides of the ball," Larkin said of what stands out about Soler. "He had a really good offensive year in the ACL, controlled the zone, moved the ball forward, didn't punch, and then it's just his defensive ability. He looks like a traditional third baseman.

"He moves around well over there, arm carries, gets good hop reads. It's just a good-looking, stable third base, and with some offensive upside that was really impressive to watch."

Larkin said that Soler "embodies what being a D-back is" with his maturity and hard-working nature.

MLB Pipeline pegs Soler as the Diamondbacks' No. 22 prospect.

3. Druw Jones, CF, Single-A Visalia

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Drafted second overall in 2022, Diamondbacks top outfield prospect Druw Jones has yet to post eye-popping numbers at any level in the minors.

This year, he has spent the entire year at Single-A Visalia. He has been solid but unspectacular, with a .275/.408/.397 slash line, five homers, 60 RBI and 19 stolen bases in 449 plate appearances.

Entering the year, Jones seemed to be out of whack mechanically, with a tendency to bail out of the zone.

While Larkin said that Jones' mechanics have "cleaned up immensely," what's stood out most is what's happened between the ears.

"We've watched him mature as a person, as a player," Larkin said. "Just how he conducts himself as a professional now over the course of even the past three months. It's some growing pains and ups and downs, but I think he's starting to handle it a lot better.

"He'll probably mention the same thing; being held accountable to how he conducts an at-bat, how he conducts himself mentally, it's just been a really good growing year, and then the numbers are there to support it."

Jones' season certainly did not start off well. In his first 35 plate appearances of the year, he posted a .337 OPS and had 21 strikeouts. Since then, the 20-year-old has hit .289/.428/.419, including a .359/.500/.513 line since Aug. 18.

Larkin said that he probably could have promoted Jones to Hillsboro by now, but he also liked the idea of having Jones finish out the year for Visalia, a team that is currently in position to make the playoffs.