David Hagaman Reflects on Hectic 2025 Season
The 2025 season will be a crazy one for Diamondbacks pitching prospect David Hagaman.
SCOTTSDALE – The 2025 season will be a crazy one for Diamondbacks pitching prospect David Hagaman. Elbow surgery delayed his pro debut until this June, then he was dealt in the waning hours of the trade deadline for Merrill Kelly.
Hagaman carries the highest ceiling of the nine players the D-backs sent to the Arizona Fall League. With a solid four-pitch mix and the ability to command them, he projects as a mid-rotation starter with a 2027 ETA.
Recovering From 2024 Elbow Surgery
Hagaman last threw for West Virginia on April 14, 2024. He underwent an internal brace procedure to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow from Dr. Keith Meister. Meister also performed Drey Jameson's Tommy John surgery in September 2023.
The internal brace procedure (12-13 months) has a faster recovery time than Tommy John (14-16 months).
"When the game's taken away from you for a while appreciate the little things like catch play," said Hagaman. "So when I was finally able to play catch, I really, really focused on commanding the fastball and catch play and trying to hit the face and trying to hit each shoulder."
Due to needing surgery, Hagaman dropped to the fourth round of the 2024 MLB Draft. Despite carrying two years of eligibility remaining as a red-shirt sophomore, he elected to sign with the Texas Rangers for $515k.
"If I would have went back to college, the process would have probably been a lot faster because I needed to be ready for the season. But coming to pro ball, they looked at me and said, 'Hey, no rush to get you in. You're not going to make the season this year. You're not going to make the season this year. You're probably not going to break camp. So let's take our time and take it slowly.'"
Hagaman returned to the mound on June 5th, nearly 14 months after his last appearance at West Virginia. After three starts at the complex, he was sent to Low-A Hickory, where he made five starts before the trade.
Being Dealt at the Trade Deadline
The D-backs sold hard at the trade deadline, acquiring nine players. Eight of them were pitchers. Of the players Arizona acquired in July, Hagaman carries the highest ceiling.
Getting traded for the first time can be a whirlwind for players. In Hagaman's case, it was barely over a year before joining the Rangers organization out of the draft.
"When it first happened, I was freaking out a little bit because I was like, I just got to meet these people. I just got to Low-A, just kind of getting a grasp on who everyone is in the org and everything."
At the time of the trade, Hickory was on the road playing the Fayetteville Woodpeckers (Astros Low-A affiliate). Hagaman had to quickly pack up his stuff, take an Uber ride back to Hickory, then fly out to Spokane to join the D-backs' High-A affiliate.
A week later, he made his organizational debut with Hillsboro against Vancouver. Hagaman was one of the best pitching prospects down the stretch, as he pitched to a 3.15 ERA, 35.5% strikeout rate, and a 5.3% walk rate in his final five starts of the season.
His parents didn't quite take the news too well. Hagaman is from Southern New Jersey, playing at Holy Spirit High School in Absecon for his senior year of high school. The trade meant most of his games were now on the west coast, which meant seeing him pitch less.
"I told them, hey, this is a good thing. A lot of good things can come from this. And they're all happy and very supportive."
Working with Kenny Castillo
Since the trade, Hagaman has worked with Kenny Castillo at both Hillsboro and the Arizona Fall League. Castillo caught two of Hagaman's first three starts since the trade before suffering a season-ending injury.
The pair has a chance to work together in the Arizona Fall League. Following Hagaman's first start in the AFL on Thursday, Castillo mentioned the strong connection the two had built in a short time. The D-backs pitching prospect further elaborated on that.
"We're on the same page all the time. If we're not, it's because there's two options to go with. Usually he picks the better one, and I'll shake him off and pick the worst one. He does a great job back there and it makes me doing my job a lot easier."
The two don't spend a lot of time game planning. They'll meet about five minutes before the game to review the opposing lineup, devise a plan, and adhere to it.
That played out in Hagaman's start in the AFL. After establishing the four-seamer early, he started aggressively shifting toward the breaking ball. It led to seven called strikes or whiffs in his final 15 pitches. He finished the day with three impressive innings, striking out five and allowing just one hit.
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Michael McDermott
Michael McDermott
