Jazz Chisolm Packs The Punch

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.—More than once during back-field games this spring, opposing players expressed surprise about the size of the Diamondbacks’ No. 3 hitter—and then made comments about the violent hacks he took. Jazz Chisholm loved hearing it.

“Everybody calls me a little kid,” Chisholm said. “It happened against the Rockies. They were like, ‘Oh my goodness, kid, you take some hacks.’ ”

That he does. And those swings continued to produce damage in spring training, just as they did a year ago in the Pioneer League.

Chisholm, a 19-year-old shortstop, signed for $200,000 out of the Bahamas in 2015 and is looking increasingly like a bargain. Some scouts already believe he is Arizona’s best position prospect.

Chisholm hit .286/.333/.446 in his pro debut last season at Rookie-level Missoula, exhibiting good power—22 extra-base hits, including nine homers—particularly for someone listed at 5-foot-11, 165 pounds.

D-backs special assistant Craig Shipley first came across Chisholm in Nassau in February 2015. Shipley was scouting touted shortstop Lucius Fox but was intrigued by Chisholm, who played second base that day, and took another trip down to see him at a workout a few weeks later.

“They ran a 60-yard dash, hit a little BP, took some ground balls, and now Jazz was at shortstop,” Shipley said. “I actually liked him better at short than what I’d seen at second. You could see the hands better.

“They played a game, he had three at-bats, and when there was a strike, he hit it. I know he caught the ball. His arm was easy.”

The D-backs signed Chisholm the following July 2. He knows his bonus was small compared to other international players, but he says he’s not concerned.

“The signing bonus doesn’t really mean anything to me,” he said. “It’s something you get out of it, but I want to make my money in the big leagues.”

SNAKE BITE

• Righthander Jon Duplantier impressed with his stuff and presence during spring training. His fastball was up to 97 mph. Duplantier, a third-round pick last year out of Rice, battled injuries last season.

• Former No. 1 prospect Archie Bradley made the D-backs’ Opening Day roster as a reliever.

— Nick Piecoro covers the Diamondbacks for AZCentralSports.com