Jordan Lawlar

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Arizona Diamondbacks #1 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 60/Medium
  
  Track Record: Lawlar was a well-regarded prep player who won the Gatorade Texas player of the year honors and performed well on the showcase circuit. His well-rounded skill set had him in the mix to go No. 1 overall in 2021, but he slid to sixth, where the D-backs swooped in and signed him away from a Vanderbilt commitment for $6.7 million, the third-highest bonus in the draft and 17% over slot value. Lawlar needed surgery to repair a labrum tear in his left shoulder shortly after signing and dealt with a variety of relatively minor injuries in his first year as a pro. But he put together a strong season in 2022, finishing in the Arizona Fall League. He started 2023 at Double-A Amarillo and finished in the majors after a late-season callup in the middle of a pennant race. He struggled facing big league pitching but was dependable at shortstop and made the postseason roster.
  
  Scouting Report: Lawlar has a well-roundedness to his game that stands out at the plate. He has plus bat speed and above-average to plus raw power, he controls the zone and draws walks, he uses all fields and he has the ability to hit a variety of pitches. His path keeps his barrel in the zone, making it adaptable to a variety of pitches and locations. He made strides in 2023 with some of his underlying data, decreasing his groundball rate, hitting more fly balls and line drives and seeing a jump in the number of balls he hit with an exit velocity of at least 95 mph. He had a stretch early in the season in which he appeared to get too pull happy, sending him into a five-week funk, but showed the ability to adjust and posted a .970 OPS from June 1 until his callup. He has pronounced splits and could stand to improve against righthanded pitchers, in particular against breaking balls. Lawlar is a tremendous baserunner who combines plus speed with basestealing prowess and has the instincts to routinely take the extra base. His biggest strides came on defense, where he quieted concerns about a potential shift off the position by turning in a strong and consistent performance. He started getting rid of his throws more quickly and dropped down to a three-quarters arm slot, and his overall comfort at shortstop seemed much improved after more reps.
  
  The Future: As a player who profiles to hit for average and power, steal bases and hold down shortstop, Lawlar has the potential to join outfielder Corbin Carroll as a franchise cornerstone for years to come. It is unclear how the club will clear a path for him given the presence of shortstop Geraldo Perdomo, a 2023 all-star. But Perdomo can play third base, and Lawlar started working there as well at Triple-A prior to his callup. Lawlar figures to at least have a chance to win a role in spring training and could follow Carroll’s path as National League Rookie of the Year should he crack the Opening Day roster.
  
  Scouting Grades Hit: 60 | Power: 55 | Run: 70 | Field: 55 | Arm: 60
• 
  Ranked Arizona Diamondbacks #3 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 65/High
  
  Track Record: Lawlar was a well-regarded prep player who won Gatorade's Texas player of the year honors and performed well on the showcase circuit. His well-rounded skill set had him in the mix to go No. 1 overall in 2021 but he slid to sixth, where the D-backs swooped in and signed him for $6.7 million, the third-highest bonus in the draft. That summer, just two games into his pro career, Lawlar suffered a labrum injury that required season-ending surgery, but he made the issue look like just a speed bump by turning in a terrific 2022 season in which he reached Double-A. His time in the AFL was cut short by a fractured left scapula on a hit by pitch.
  
  Scouting Report: Lawlar has plus bat speed and power, and last season he showed an approach at the plate that was well beyond that of most players his age, thus allowing him to tap into that power on a regular basis. He uses a controlled leg kick to start an efficient swing, producing hard-hit balls to all fields. He has good feel for the barrel, the ability to catch up to velocity and is able to make adjustments at the plate, sometimes within at-bats. His walk and chase rates were above-average, while his whiff and strikeout rates were roughly average. He has some things to iron out defensively--he committed 29 errors in 87 games, many on throws--but has the skill set to not only stick at shortstop but to play it at an above-average level, showing range, quickness, arm strength and smooth actions. Lawlar has plus speed and is an excellent, instinctual baserunner.
  
  The Future: Lawlar may have as much upside as anyone in the organization, looking like a potential middle-of-the-lineup, middle-of-the-diamond star not unlike Carlos Correa. He showed last year his ETA might be sooner than later. He figures to open 2023 in Double-A Amarillo.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hitting: 60. Power: 55. Speed: 60. Fielding: 55. Arm: 60
• 
  Ranked Arizona Diamondbacks #2 prospect in 2022
  Track Record: An accomplished prep player, Lawlar stood out on the showcase circuit as arguably the top player in the 2021 draft class and was named Gatorade’s Texas player of the year in the spring. The D-backs eagerly selected him with the sixth overall pick and signed him for an above-slot $6.7 million to buy him out of a Vanderbilt commitment. Lawlar made his pro debut in the Arizona Complex League after signing, but he appeared in only two games before he suffered a labrum tear in his left shoulder that required season-ending surgery.
  
  Scouting Report: Before his injury, Lawlar stood out as a tooled-up prospect with the potential to hit in the middle of the lineup and stick at one of the game’s most demanding positions. He has terrific bat speed that allows him to handle velocity, controls the strike zone and battles through at-bats. He swings and misses a bit too much at times, but he generally self-corrects. Lawlar has plus raw power that occasionally shows up in games and could improve as he matures and adds strength to his athletic frame. For now, his power more safely projects in the form of doubles and triples given his easy plus speed. Defensively, Lawlar is a surefire shortstop with good hands, range and footwork. He has a nearly plus-plus, accurate arm and the ability to make difficult plays look easy.
  
  The Future: Lawlar is expected to be fully healthy by the start of the 2022 season. He might have the most upside of any player in the D-backs organization and draws comparisons to a young Carlos Correa.
  

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #1 prospect in 2021 draft
  Whichever team picks Lawlar will be selecting a prep shortstop with a long track record of success. Lawlar was the shortstop and three-hole hitter for Dallas Jesuit from his first game as a sophomore to the final game of his senior year. He left an inch taller (6-foot-2) and 25 pounds heavier (195 pounds) than he was when he arrived, but his performance was remarkably consistent. Lawlar hit over .400 all three seasons and was one of the best hitters on the summer showcase circuit in both 2019 and 2020. Because he’s coming out of Texas two years after Bobby Witt Jr. (and like Witt he’s nearly 19 on draft day), Lawlar draws understandable comparisons. Witt had louder tools almost across the board with the exception of the hit tool, but Lawlar has plenty of plus tools himself, with future 60 speed (he’ll turn in 70 times right now) to go with 60 hit, a 60 glove and an above-average arm and future power. Lawlar has a high likelihood of staying at shortstop. Witt (picked No. 2 in 2019) is the only Texas prep shortstop to ever go in the top-10 picks, and Lawlar should be the second. There were concerns when Lawlar showed more swing and miss early in the season, but he resolved that as the season wore on. He struck out in 20% of his plate appearances over the first 21 games of the season. In his final 15 games he struck out once in 55 plate appearances with no degradation in his power production. Lawlar’s swing is compact with above-average bat speed. Lawlar is a fast-twitch athlete. Projecting how his power develops separates those who see him as the best prospect in the draft class from those who see him as just a top-tier draft prospect. If his power catches up to his other tools in his 20s, he could be a regular all-star. If not, his hitting ability, speed and defense still would give him a solid path to being an MLB regular with defensive value. The Vanderbilt commit also impresses with his intelligence and maturity.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #9 prospect in 2024
• Ranked Baseball America's #9 prospect in 2023
• Ranked Baseball America's #13 prospect in 2023
• Ranked Baseball America's #29 prospect in 2022

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 65/High
  
  Track Record: Lawlar was a well-regarded prep player who won Gatorade's Texas player of the year honors and performed well on the showcase circuit. His well-rounded skill set had him in the mix to go No. 1 overall in 2021 but he slid to sixth, where the D-backs swooped in and signed him for $6.7 million, the third-highest bonus in the draft. That summer, just two games into his pro career, Lawlar suffered a labrum injury that required season-ending surgery, but he made the issue look like just a speed bump by turning in a terrific 2022 season in which he reached Double-A. His time in the AFL was cut short by a fractured left scapula on a hit by pitch.
  
  Scouting Report: Lawlar has plus bat speed and power, and last season he showed an approach at the plate that was well beyond that of most players his age, thus allowing him to tap into that power on a regular basis. He uses a controlled leg kick to start an efficient swing, producing hard-hit balls to all fields. He has good feel for the barrel, the ability to catch up to velocity and is able to make adjustments at the plate, sometimes within at-bats. His walk and chase rates were above-average, while his whiff and strikeout rates were roughly average. He has some things to iron out defensively--he committed 29 errors in 87 games, many on throws--but has the skill set to not only stick at shortstop but to play it at an above-average level, showing range, quickness, arm strength and smooth actions. Lawlar has plus speed and is an excellent, instinctual baserunner.
  
  The Future: Lawlar may have as much upside as anyone in the organization, looking like a potential middle-of-the-lineup, middle-of-the-diamond star not unlike Carlos Correa. He showed last year his ETA might be sooner than later. He figures to open 2023 in Double-A Amarillo.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hitting: 60. Power: 55. Speed: 60. Fielding: 55. Arm: 60
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 65/High
  
  Track Record: Lawlar was a well-regarded prep player who won Gatorade's Texas player of the year honors and performed well on the showcase circuit. His well-rounded skill set had him in the mix to go No. 1 overall in 2021 but he slid to sixth, where the D-backs swooped in and signed him for $6.7 million, the third-highest bonus in the draft. That summer, just two games into his pro career, Lawlar suffered a labrum injury that required season-ending surgery, but he made the issue look like just a speed bump by turning in a terrific 2022 season in which he reached Double-A. His time in the AFL was cut short by a fractured left scapula on a hit by pitch.
  
  Scouting Report: Lawlar has plus bat speed and power, and last season he showed an approach at the plate that was well beyond that of most players his age, thus allowing him to tap into that power on a regular basis. He uses a controlled leg kick to start an efficient swing, producing hard-hit balls to all fields. He has good feel for the barrel, the ability to catch up to velocity and is able to make adjustments at the plate, sometimes within at-bats. His walk and chase rates were above-average, while his whiff and strikeout rates were roughly average. He has some things to iron out defensively--he committed 29 errors in 87 games, many on throws--but has the skill set to not only stick at shortstop but to play it at an above-average level, showing range, quickness, arm strength and smooth actions. Lawlar has plus speed and is an excellent, instinctual baserunner.
  
  The Future: Lawlar may have as much upside as anyone in the organization, looking like a potential middle-of-the-lineup, middle-of-the-diamond star not unlike Carlos Correa. He showed last year his ETA might be sooner than later. He figures to open 2023 in Double-A Amarillo.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hitting: 60. Power: 55. Speed: 60. Fielding: 55. Arm: 60
• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 65/Very High
  
  Track Record: An accomplished prep player, Lawlar stood out on the showcase circuit as arguably the top player in the 2021 draft class and was named Gatorade&#39s Texas player of the year in the spring. The D-backs eagerly selected him with the sixth overall pick and signed him for an above-slot $6.7 million to buy him out of a Vanderbilt commitment. Lawlar made his pro debut in the Arizona Complex League after signing, but he appeared in only two games before he suffered a labrum tear in his left shoulder that required season-ending surgery.
  
  Scouting Report: Before his injury, Lawlar stood out as a tooled-up prospect with the potential to hit in the middle of the lineup and stick at one of the game&#39s most demanding positions. He has terrific bat speed that allows him to handle velocity, controls the strike zone and battles through at-bats. He swings and misses a bit too much at times, but he generally self-corrects. Lawlar has plus raw power that occasionally shows up in games and could improve as he matures and adds strength to his athletic frame. For now, his power more safely projects in the form of doubles and triples given his easy plus speed. Defensively, Lawlar is a sure-fire shortstop with good hands, range and footwork. He has a nearly plus-plus, accurate arm and the ability to make difficult plays look easy.
  
  The Future: Lawlar is expected to be fully healthy by the start of the 2022 season. He might have the most upside of any player in the D-backs organization and draws comparisons to a young Carlos Correa.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 60. Power: 55. Speed: 60. Fielding: 60. Arm: 65.
• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  Track Record: An accomplished prep player, Lawlar stood out on the showcase circuit as arguably the top player in the 2021 draft class and was named Gatorade’s Texas player of the year in the spring. The D-backs eagerly selected him with the sixth overall pick and signed him for an above-slot $6.7 million to buy him out of a Vanderbilt commitment. Lawlar made his pro debut in the Arizona Complex League after signing, but he appeared in only two games before he suffered a labrum tear in his left shoulder that required season-ending surgery.
  
  Scouting Report: Before his injury, Lawlar stood out as a tooled-up prospect with the potential to hit in the middle of the lineup and stick at one of the game’s most demanding positions. He has terrific bat speed that allows him to handle velocity, controls the strike zone and battles through at-bats. He swings and misses a bit too much at times, but he generally self-corrects. Lawlar has plus raw power that occasionally shows up in games and could improve as he matures and adds strength to his athletic frame. For now, his power more safely projects in the form of doubles and triples given his easy plus speed. Defensively, Lawlar is a surefire shortstop with good hands, range and footwork. He has a nearly plus-plus, accurate arm and the ability to make difficult plays look easy.
  
  The Future: Lawlar is expected to be fully healthy by the start of the 2022 season. He might have the most upside of any player in the D-backs organization and draws comparisons to a young Carlos Correa.
  
• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  The D-backs drafted a prep shortstop with a long track record of success. Lawlar was the shortstop and three-hole hitter for Dallas Jesuit from his first game as a sophomore to the final game of his senior year. He left an inch taller (6-foot-2) and 25 pounds heavier (195 pounds) than he was when he arrived, but his performance was remarkably consistent. Lawlar hit over .400 all three seasons and was one of the best hitters on the summer showcase circuit in both 2019 and 2020. Because he's coming out of Texas two years after Bobby Witt Jr. (and like Witt he's nearly 19 on draft day), Lawlar draws understandable comparisons. Witt had louder tools almost across the board with the exception of the hit tool, but Lawlar has plenty of plus tools himself, with future 60 speed (he'll turn in 70 times right now) to go with 60 hit, a 60 glove and an above-average arm and future power. Lawlar has a high likelihood of staying at shortstop. Witt (picked No. 2 in 2019) is the only Texas prep shortstop to ever go in the top-10 picks, and Lawlar should be the second. There were concerns when Lawlar showed more swing and miss early in the season, but he resolved that as the season wore on. He struck out in 20% of his plate appearances over the first 21 games of the season. In his final 15 games he struck out once in 55 plate appearances with no degradation in his power production. Lawlar's swing is compact with above-average bat speed. Lawlar is a fast-twitch athlete. Projecting how his power develops separates those who see him as the best prospect in the draft class from those who see him as just a top-tier draft prospect. If his power catches up to his other tools in his 20s, he could be a regular all-star. If not, his hitting ability, speed and defense still would give him a solid path to being an MLB regular with defensive value. The Vanderbilt commit also impresses with his intelligence and maturity.