ORGANIZATION REPORTS
National League
• Curveball grants 27-year-old minor league vet new life with Rockies PAGE 53
• Young slugger senses opportunity with the Marlins PAGE 53
• A refined swing helps a Giants outfielder find his power—and reach the big leagues PAGE 55
ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS
About the nicest thing Triple-A Reno manager Chris Cron could think to say about third baseman Wyatt Mathisen was to call him a dirtball. And the best way he could explain it was with a story.
One night in Tacoma, Mathisen hurt his leg but remained in the game. He went on to hit an opposite-field home run and needed to hobble, Kirk Gibson style, around the bases. The injury was so serious it cost him the next month on the injured list.
The D-backs liked what they saw in Mathisen, which was why, in a somewhat surprising move, they added him to their 40-man roster. He is coming off a career year at Reno in which he hit .283/.403/.601 with 23 home runs in 87 games.
Mathisen is no stranger to the prospect game. He was a Pirates second-round pick in 2012 and ranked among their top 30 prospects three times.
Drafted as a catcher, he moved to third base after two years, putting pressure on his bat. That turned out to be an issue; while he always showed good plate discipline, his overall production was limited.
His bat started to show signs of life in 2018, but he left Pittsburgh as a minor league free agent after the season. According to D-backs assistant general manager Jared Porter, it was analyst Max Phillips who identified Mathisen as an intriguing free agent.
Mathisen’s breakout at the plate in 2019 almost certainly was aided by the offensive environment in Triple-A, but there were adjustments he made prior to the season that also likely played a part.
“I think he pretty much did a bit of a swing overhaul,” Reno hitting coach Jason Camilli said. “It was a thought of him letting his misses be more in the air, of setting your sights a little differently than what they were in the past.”
The D-backs like his defensive versatility—he can play third, first and second base—and believe his bat-to-ball and zone awareness skills have a chance to translate to the highest level.
“I really think he does what we preach here a lot, and that’s controlling the zone,” Cron said.
—NICK PIECORO
ATLANTA BRAVES
The Braves added five players to their 40-man roster, protecting them from eligibility for the Rule 5 draft. Among them were two highly regarded prospects, outfielder Cristian Pache and catcher William Contreras, along with a trio of lesser-known arms.
Lefthanders Tucker Davidson and Phil Pfeifer and righthander Jasseel de la Cruz were also protected. Davidson and de la Cruz, in particular, present interesting potential—and could impact the club in the nearer future.
Davidson was the system’s pleasant surprise of 2019. The 23-year-old posted a 2.15 ERA and struck out 134 in 129.2 innings, primarily at Double-A Mississippi.
Davidson, a 19th round pick in 2016 from Midland (Texas) JC, is
