Should I Stash Jordan Lawlar In Redraft Leagues? Fantasy Baseball Prospect Outlook

Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Jordan Lawlar entered prospect status with a wealth of hype after being taken with the sixth-overall pick of the 2021 MLB Draft. The 21-year-old has largely made good on the hype, hitting .278 with 20 homers, 36 stolen bases, and an .874 OPS across 105 games between Double-A and Triple-A at just 20 years old in the 2023 season, even earning a 14-game cup of coffee at the big-league level.

While Lawlar somewhat predictably scuffled in his first taste of the majors, his 2024 season has yet to begin after a torn thumb ligament suffered in spring training has prevented him from playing any games outside of seven Complex League contests. The good news is he has hit .320 with five steals and just one strikeout across 32 trips to the plate in said action while Triple-A Reno plans to activate Lawlaw from the injured list before Tuesday's contest.

Now that he appears to be healthy, let's dive in and see what Lawlar's prospect status currently looks like while gauging when he could potentially provide value to fantasy managers this season.

How High Is Jordan Lawlar's Fantasy Potential?

The book on Lawlar involves his impressive raw power, excellent speed, and quality defense. The knock on the youngster is his overall hit tool, although he has largely laid that question to rest with his fantastic minor-league output. For what he may lack in batting average in the big leagues he can make up for with his power and speed while drawing walks at a healthy rate, including an 11.3% clip at Triple-A last season.

JORDAN LAWLAR DINGER ALERT pic.twitter.com/wvCRJkAquI

— PHNX Diamondbacks (@PHNX_Dbacks) February 26, 2024

As a result, Lawlar sports a high OBP combination, an excellent feature considering his blazing speed that has helped him swipe 81 bags across 214 minor-league contests. The D-backs value his defense and base-running considering they carried him on their roster throughout the postseason en route to a World Series appearance.

Hit tool be damned, Lawlar's power and speed upside are more than enough for redraft managers to hang on for the 2024 season with a call-up potentially not far down the road.

When Might Jordan Lawlar Get A Major-League Opportunity?

Lawlar's return to action with Reno on Tuesday is a sight for sore eyes among the fantasy community. A strong 2023 showing in the upper minors, along with a big-league promotion, had Lawlar sitting as a strong prospect/sleeper candidate in 2024 but the unfortunate thumb issue suffered in the spring put a significant halt on his progress.

Last #DBacks hitter is a young man named Jordan Lawlar. Only been in the ACL a short time. He seems pretty advanced for the level. pic.twitter.com/pBM1fZMm2t

— Josh Norris

(@jnorris427) June 9, 2024

If Lawlar could get back into action and hit out of the gate, a big-league opportunity should present itself, even with fellow infielder Geraldo Perdomo seemingly approaching a return from a meniscus tear. Veteran shortstop Nick Ahmed is now with the San Francisco Giants as Lawlar's readiness helped the club depart with the veteran over the offseason.

There won't be any reason for Lawlar to spend too much more time in the minors if he can come out swinging beginning on Tuesday.

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