Organization Reports
ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS
For years, Tristin English believed his future would be on the mound. Now the opposite is true, and the 22-year-old is eager to see how his future in the batter’s box plays out.
“I’m curious,” he said, “and I’m also pretty excited about it.”
So are the D-backs, especially after seeing his pro debut in the short-season Northwest League.
A third-rounder from Georgia Tech in June, English hit .290 for Hillsboro with an .838 OPS that ranked third in the NWL. He also showed enough promise at third base to create optimism about his ability to stick.
English’s baseball journey already has taken a number of turns. A righthanded batter and thrower, he spent the majority of his time in high school focused on pitching.
However, injuries limited his time on the mound in college. English had bone spurs his freshman year followed by Tommy John surgery that wiped out his sophomore season. But even though he spent time as Georgia Tech’s first baseman, he continued to get the sense teams viewed more as a pitcher.
“It wasn’t really until that summer on the Cape (in 2018),” English said, “when I hit pretty well up there, that other teams were like, ‘OK, he can hit a little bit.’ “
The D-backs were one of those teams. They tried and failed to sign him that summer as an eligible sophomore who had gone undrafted. He raised his draft stock with a big junior season, hitting .346 with 18 homers.
After signing, English bounced between right field and first base, but he shifted to third in early August and played there almost exclusively the rest of the way. His strong arm and athleticism played well at the position.
English’s bat elicits the most excitement from the D-backs. He has good contact skills, above-average raw power and a naturally aggressive approach that he is beginning to hone.
“He has never been focused on hitting only,” scouting director Deric Ladnier said. “I think this year, he did that, and he improved so much defensively that people think we’ve got a corner bat. The power is real.”
—NICK PIECORO
ATLANTA BRAVES
The Braves’ devastating Division Series loss to the Cardinals carried more low lights than high, but 22-year-old rookie righthander Mike Soroka’s brilliant Game 3 was the franchise’s standout showing of October.
Soroka allowed one run over seven innings in a pitcher’s duel against veteran Adam Wainwright. It continued his masterful road performance, where he posted a major league-best 1.55 ERA in 2019.
Drafted in the first round out of high school in Calgary in 2015, Soroka as a prospect was lauded as a durable command savant who was wise beyond his years. Shoulder issues cut his 2018 major league debut season short after five outings. A separate shoulder problem derailed his spring training and pushed his season debut back into late April.
“That’s what I’m most proud of this year,” Soroka said. “I took health for granted a lot in the minor leagues, never understanding that (injury) is a possibility … I
