Every Diamondbacks Top 100 Prospect Ever
2007-2011
Part 3 is here! In case you missed it…
You can find part 1 (1997-2003) here.
Part 2 2003-2006 can be found here.
2007 Baseball America: Justin Upton (9th), Chris Young (12th), Carlos Gonzalez (18th), Miguel Montero (63rd), Alberto Callaspo (82nd), Micah Owings (98th)
2007 MLB Pipeline: Justin Upton (7th), Chris Young (18th), Carlos Gonzalez (22nd)
Upton, Young & Cargo can be found in part 2.
BA- ‘07 63rd
MP- N/A
Miguel Montero worked his way up from being a $13K signing bonus player out of Venezuela in 2001 to the 63rd ranked prospect in baseball entering 2007 after getting a cup of coffee with the 2006 Diamondbacks. Miggy hit 26 HR in 2005 in the minors and 17 in 2006 before getting the call up. The power hitting catcher had a sweet left handed swing that produced for 9 seasons in Arizona. While his glove never caught up to his bat, who didn’t love Miggy in AZ? He was the face of the original 6 runs Taco Bell promo (lowered to 5 later on when the Diamondbacks were bad), more importantly was a 2 time All Star too.
Far and away the most accomplished Diamondback catcher of all time, the Diamondbacks moved on from his in 2014 hefty contract by trading him to the Cubs Jeferson Mejia (never made it to MLB) and Zack Godley (key member of the 2017 playoff rotation). With 3 years, $40M left on Miggy’s contract, he didn’t hit anywhere close what he did in Arizona giving the mid 2010’s Diamondbacks a rare trade win. It’s worth noting he did win a ring with the 2016 Cubs, but was a career 4-33 hitter for the Cubs in the postseason and was traded away in 2017 under bad terms. Miggy has returned to the Diamondbacks as a minor league coach and team ambassador.
BA- ‘04 71st, ‘07 82nd
MP- N/A
Like Miggy, Alberto Callaspo was signed out of Venezuela in 2001 and made him Diamondbacks/MLB debut in 2006. The difference here was Callaspo signed with the Angels, then was traded to the Diamondbacks in 2006 for RHP Jason Bulger. While Bulger pitched parts of 6 years for the Angels mostly as a AAA call up depth arm, Callaspo had a good 10 year MLB career. Unfortunately for the Diamondbacks, the first 2 years of his career weren’t very good as he hit .220 with .552 OPS over 2 seasons before being traded to the Kansas City Royals for RHP Billy Buckner after the 2007 season.
Alberto Callaspo was on the 2007 playoff roster and I’ll always remember him for being shockingly fast but somehow didn’t steal a lot of bases? It’s strange to see a player who wasn’t injured fall off a prospect list for 2 years, but the trade to Arizona before 2007 must have boosted his profile.
BA- ‘07 98th
MP- N/A
Micah Owings rocked. 2005 3rd round pick, Owings cruised through the minors in just 189 innings and debuted in 2007. A strong rookie season where he made 27 starts and threw 152.1 innings to a 4.30 ERA, earning a spot in the playoff rotation, is not even what Micah Owings is best remembered for. Micah Owings could rake! That 2007 rookie season he slashed .333/.349/.683 good for a 1.033 OPS and insane 152 OPS+. With 4 HR & 15 RBI too, including 7 doubles & triple, Micah Owings was a legit #3 SP and impact bat. Even being used a pinch hitter, Owings had a hit & 2 walks in 6 pinch hit plate appearances.
Micah Owings probably should have gotten some top 3 ROY votes, but he did easily win the Silver Slugger in 2007 for Pitcher. Unfortunately for everyone, Micah Owings pitching took a step back in 2008 with a 5.93 ERA in 18 GS (4 RP app) resulting in a shocking August post deadline trade to the Cincinnati Reds for Adam Dunn and cash. Big Donkey hit 8 HR in 44 games as rental down the stretch as Micah Owings was optioned to AAA, and struggled for the Reds 2008-10….
BUT THE STORY DOESN’T END THERE.
The Diamondbacks signed Micah Owings before the 2011 season after he was DFA by the Reds. Owings refound his footing in the MLB moving to the bullpen in a multi-inning role and having success in 33 appearances, 3.57 ERA in 63 IP. While Owings went just 4-19 at the plate, he threw 3 scoreless innings in the 2011 Playoffs, ending his Diamondbacks career on a perfect high note. Owings signed with the Padres the following offseason and injuries caused him to just appear in 2012 at the MLB level before calling it a career.
Micah Owings had such a unique career, and it’s pretty crazy that his 3 seasons in Arizona were on AWESOME teams. 2007 & 2011 playoff teams, then 2008 he was traded in August before the infamous September of 2008 collapse…
2008 Baseball America: Jarrod Parker (46th), Max Scherzer (66th)
2008 MLB Pipeline: Max Scherzer (35th)
BA- ‘08 46th, ‘09 29th, ‘10 36th, ‘11 33rd
MP- ‘09 19th, ‘10 21st, ‘11 29th
This one is a bummer. Jarrod Parker was the 9th overall pick of the 2007 draft for the Diamondbacks out of high school. Parker dominated in his first 2 years in the minors reaching AA with low 3 ERA’s both seasons, but before the 2010 season he had his first Tommy John surgery. Parker missed all of 2010 but returned in 2011 and didn’t miss a beat with a 3.79 ERA in 26 GS between AA/AAA earning a start with the 2011 Diamondbacks in late September going 5.2 scoreless innings. Parker being a massive big name prospect and dealing in his debut, got the final bullpen spot on the 2011 playoff team and appeared in 1 game.
For the Diamondbacks & Jarrod Parker, things got weird. Kevin Towers made a shocking trade that offseason by dealing Parker with Ryan Cook and Collin Cowgill to the Oakland Athletics for Craig Breslow, Trevor Cahill and cash. Jarrod Parker put together back to back strong seasons posting a combined 3.73 ERA in 61 GS vs Cahill’s 3.86 ERA in 58 GS. While trading Parker was extremely frustrating due him being an elite prospect for 4 years, balling out in his one start, then just being gone at the peak of his hype, I never knew before this Trevor Cahill was just as good as Parker the first 2 years after that trade.
The total trade looked dead even as Breslow & Cook pitched well too, but 2014 was when the wheels fell off for Trevor Cahill (5.61 ERA that season and lost his rotation spot before being traded away the next Spring Training) and Jarrod Parker tore his UCL again in March of 2014 causing Tommy John #2. Things got worse for Parker as he fractured his elbow TWICE rehabbing in 2015 & 2016 (gruesome video of the 2015 one if you’re a sicko). Parker never appeared in a MLB game after 2013.
BA- ‘08 66th
MP- ‘08 35th
Max Scherzer is easily on the Diamondbacks “Mt Rushmore of bad trades” which is saying a lot. Max was the 11th overall pick in 2006 and in just 143.2 innings (185 K’s!) Max earned a call up in 2008 where bounced from the bullpen & rotation and posted a strong 3.05 ERA in 56 IP (66 K’s). Max followed up in 2009 making 30 starts and posting a great 4.12 ERA in 30 starts, striking out 174 in 170.1 innings.
Then the trade happened….
Entering 2010, Josh Byrnes had just fired Bob Melvin in 2009 after a 12-17 start for AJ Hinch, who had never coached before and came straight from the front office. Byrnes’ seat was HOT, Hinch wasn’t liked in Arizona, and the Diamondbacks had just Dan Haren at SP1, Max at SP2 and really nothing else in the rotation. The Diamondbacks famously had concerns about Max’s delivery and long term ability to stay in the rotation (fools), so they turned Max Scherzer into 2 young SP’s in Ian Kennedy & Edwin Jackson in a chaotic 3 team deal with the Tigers & Yankees (full piece for the Diamondbacks was Scherzer & LHP Daniel Schlereth for Kennedy & Jackson).
While Ian Kennedy did have 3 good years, including being the ace of the 2011 Diamondback playoff team with 21-4 2.88 ERA season netting him 4th place in Cy Young voting, Edwin Jackson was terrible in 21 starts (5.16 ERA, though he did throw a no hitter), and was luckily dealt for Daniel Hudson. But as we all know, Max Scherzer went on to have a Hall of Fame caliber career, win Cy Youngs and embarrass the Diamondbacks for not believing in him for now 15 years….
2009 Baseball America: Jarrod Parker (29th), Gerardo Parra (88th)
2009 MLB Pipeline: Jarrod Parker (18th)
BA- ‘09 88th
MP- N/A
Gerardo Parra was signed in 2004 out of Venezuela for $125K. After 4 strong minor league seasons consistently hitting for average, stealing bases and playing great defense, Parra broke the top 100 entering 2009 when he made his MLB debut. Gerardo Parra was probably one of the steadiest Diamondbacks of all time. In 6 seasons he was always a lock to hit for average & play elite defense. Parra won Gold Gloves in ‘11 & ‘13, including being named defensive player of the year in 2013.
Gerardo Parra was the original David Peralta. A fan favorite in LF, clubhouse leader and Gold Glove winner. Parra finished his Diamondbacks career hitting .274 over 6 years with 39 HR & 51 SB. With a year & half left on his deal, the Diamondbacks traded Parra to Milwaukee for Anthony Banda and Mitch Haniger. Parra played 12 years in the majors an eventually won a World Series with the Nationals. Few Diamondbacks had a higher approval rating than Parra did.
2010 Baseball America: Jarrod Parker (36th)
2010 MLB Pipeline: Jarrod Parker (21st)
2011 Baseball America: Jarrod Parker (33rd), Tyler Skaggs (82nd), Matt Davidson (99th)
2011 MLB Pipeline: Jarrod Parker (29th)
BA- ‘11 82nd, ‘12 13th, ‘13 12th
MP- ‘12 21st, ‘13 10th
Tyler Skaggs was a 1st round comp pick in 2009, 40th overall by the Angels. Just a year later Skaggs was dealt with Patrick Corbin, Rafael Rodríguez and Joe Saunders from the Angels to the Diamondbacks for Dan Haren. In Skaggs first 2 full seasons in the Diamondbacks farm system he dominated with a 2.96 ERA in 27 starts, then 2.87 ERA in 22 starts before getting promoted in 2012.
At just 20, Skaggs had already made the major leagues, but as you’ve learned by now this regime had zero patience for young SP’s… so after compiling a 5.43 ERA through 13 MLB starts at age 20 & 21, the Diamondbacks traded Skaggs BACK to the Angels along with Adam Eaton (3 way trade, Eaton went to CHW) for Mark Trumbo & 2 prospects (A.J. Schugel & Brandon Jacobs).
Tyler Skaggs battled injuries on the Angels, including a 2014 Tommy John surgery. Over 5 seasons for the Angels, Skaggs compiled a solid 4.25 ERA over 83 starts. Sadly, Tyler Skaggs passed away in 2019 midseason from a drug overdose.
BA- ‘11 99th, ‘12 97th, ‘13 88th, ‘14 72nd
MP- ‘13 77th, ‘14 80th
Matt Davidson was the 35th overall pick by the Diamondback out of high school in 2009. Matt Davidson popped on prospect lists after posting 4 straight seasons with .800 OPS or higher in the minors from 2010-13, earning a promotion in 2013. Davidson got 76 AB’s in 2013 and swung the bat well with 3 HR, 12 RBI and slashed .237/.333/.434.
Once again, the Diamondbacks traded away a top prospect just after their promotion in Matt Davidson’s case too. That offseason Kevin Towers traded Davidson to the White Sox for closer Addison Reed, who was coming off a 40 save season. Reed had an up and down 2014 with a 4.25 ERA & 32 saves, before losing the job in the 2015 season and being traded to the Mets for Miller Díaz (never made it) and Matt Koch. As for Matt Davidson, he surprisingly spent all of 2014-16 in AAA outside of 1 game in 2016 as struggled to sub .700 OPS seasons. Finally in 2017 things clicked for Davidson and he played the majority of ‘17 & ‘18 with the White Sox & hit a combined 46 HR over both seasons. Strikeouts, poor glove caused Davidson to play just 33 more games in the MLB, including a 1-10 return to the Diamondbacks in 2022.
Next on Every Diamondbacks Top 100 Prospect Ever…. the Bauer/Bradley draft…
-Goldy Happens