Diamondbacks 2024 Top Prospects No. 29: LHP Caden Grice

This article is part of a series counting down the Diamondbacks Top 30 prospects entering the 2024 season. These rankings are determined by Michael McDermott, in conjunction with the Inside the Diamondbacks staff.

Bio: One of the top high school prospects in South Carolina, winning the Gatorade Player of the Year for the state in baseball, the pandemic resulted in him honoring his commitment to play at Clemson. Grice split time between the mound and first base, hitting .288 with 45 home runs while also pitching to a 3.73 ERA in 26 games (17 starts). The D-backs took him with a supplemental second rounder last year, intrigued more by his talents on the mound than at the plate.

Rank: 29

Height/Weight: 6'6" 250 lbs.

Tools: Fastball 50, Slider 55, Changeup 50, Command 45, Overall 40; No hitter tools

ETA: 2026

What the D-backs are saying about him?

"We drafted him because we think has a chance to become a really good left-handed pitcher". He added the organization has not had the discussions between scouting and player development about the plan for these guys are yet." - Scouting Director Ian Rebhan

2023 Recap: Grice had a very successful junior season at Clemson, hitting .307 with 18 home runs and a 1.029 OPS while also going 8-1 with a 3.35 ERA and a 101/33 K/BB ratio on the mound. The two-way star was taken by Arizona with the 64th overall pick in this year's draft. He hasn't pitched in a game yet after 78 innings with Clemson, but got into four games as a hitter. Grice was 3-for-11 with a home run, three walks, and four strikeouts.

2024 Expectations: Grice could very well continue to be a two-way player, but his development on the mound is much more important in the organization. Without much experience as a pitcher, it's more likely they send him to Visalia instead of Hillsboro to open up 2024. Depending on the level of success he has in both A ball levels, he has the potential to shoot up the prospect lists a year from now. As a successful college starter for a Power 5 program, the expectation is he will easily handle the assignment of pitching in Visalia and get into Hillsboro by the All-Star break. There's a decent chance they'll let him hit while he can continue to handle the competition he faces, but long term it's unlikely he can maintain the pace.

Projection: Given the combination of three solid but not plus pitches, ideal size, and athleticism to spare, he has the ceiling of a No. 4 starter. He'll need to stay healthy in order to continue his development and hitting will definitely add an extra risk factor for injuries. It's unclear if the bat is good enough to be a legitimate two-way player, but the chances of him being successful at it increases if Grice sticks as a starter. The swing and miss concerns put his ceiling as a hitter close to the level of production of Joey Gallo, a career .197/.323/.466 hitter.