Lawlar Shows Capacity To Adapt And Improve
Jordan Lawlar worked through what was probably the first prolonged slump of his life. He erased nearly all questions about his defense at shortstop. The 21-year-old also earned his first big league callup.
All in all, it was a highly impressive season for the D-backs’ top prospect, who managed to both live up to high expectations while demonstrating the capacity to adjust and improve.
“He’s a special player, a special talent, a special person,” D-backs farm director Josh Barfield said. “He’s going to play in multiple All-Star Games and play this game for a very long time.”
In 105 games between Double-A Amarillo and Triple-A Reno, Lawlar hit .278/.378/.496 with 20 home runs and 36 stolen bases in 41 attempts.
Those numbers look even better considering the funk in which Lawlar was stuck for the better part of five weeks. For a 28-game stretch in April and May, he hit just .162 with 38 strikeouts. But he made the necessary adjustments and took off from there.
“He learned a lot about himself as a hitter and what makes him successful, and what he needs to do to get out of ruts like that,” Barfield said. “I think ultimately it’s going to help him long-term. It’s nice when you see someone so young handle adversity so well.”
Lawlar’s improvement at shortstop was even more notable. He entered the year with some evaluators believing he would need to shift off the position. He finished it making highlight-reel plays in the majors.
Lawlar is said to have found an arm slot that worked for him, and more accurate throws seemed to lead to more confidence throughout his defensive game.
Lawlar has not looked comfortable during his big league cameo, but he is expected to figure prominently into Arizona’s future.
—NICK PIECORO
Smith-Shawver Takes Giant Strides In 2023
A.J. Smith-Shawver finally turned his potential into results in 2023.
The 20-year-old righthander compiled a 2.76 ERA in 15 starts across three minor league levels, most of them at Triple-A Gwinnett. He struck out 79 and walked 33 in 62 innings.
Smith-Shawver also made five appearances in the majors, highlighted by his June 9 outing in which he pitched 5.1 scoreless innings against the Nationals.
Prior to the season, Smith-Shawver generated buzz because of his profile and the fact that he had struck out 103 in 68.2 innings for Low-A Augusta in 2022.
Months later, he was making spot starts in the big leagues.
The Braves drafted Smith-Shawver out of a Texas high school in the seventh round in 2021 and went way over slot to sign him.
Smith-Shawver was teammates with Bobby Witt Jr. at Colleyville Heritage High and was a star quarterback who could have gone to Texas Tech as a two-sport commit.
That arm talent is what separates Smith-Shawver. His fastball sits in the
