Jansel Luis Adjusting Approach in Arizona Fall League
So far in the fall, Luis has started 12 of Salt River's 14 games. Following a 2-for-4 performance, he's batting .250 with two doubles and a .621 OPS in 55 plate appearances.
SCOTTSDALE – The Diamondbacks sent Jansel Luis to the Arizona Fall League to work on his approach. With three weeks missed due to a shoulder injury, the fall league is an opportunity to make up for those lost reps.
"I was a little bit out for three weeks on his shoulder, but with work and trusting, I got better and thanks to God I'm here now, healthy," said Luis, with Salt River Rafters Strength & Conditioning Coach Omar Aguilar serving as the interpreter.
The switch-hitting infielder is coming off a solid 2025 season with High-A Hillsboro, slashing .304/.342/.422 with five home runs. FanGraphs rated his offense to be about 6% better than the average player, with a 106 wRC+.
Full Interview Video
Jansel Luis' Arizona Fall League Progress Report
So far in the fall, Luis has started 12 of Salt River's 14 games. Following a 2-for-4 performance, he's batting .250 with two doubles and a .621 OPS in 55 plate appearances.
"I feel really good. Thanks to God, I'm feeling very well today. What matters is that we win today, so thanks to God."
He's played on the left side of the infield in all nine of his starts, after 51 of his 95 starts in the field were at second with Hillsboro. It's been a slow and steady progress, getting used to the different angles, at both short and third. He talked about that last time I caught up with him.
In the minor league season, Luis had a chase rate of 34% and a zone miss rate of 15%. In his first 12 games out in Arizona, they're right in line with his season numbers. He's sporting a 33.7% chase rate and a 14.1% in-zone miss rate.
The early concern is that Luis is sporting a 60.5% ground ball rate. The sample size is merely 38 batted balls, but he's been beating the ball into the ground. However, he appears to be fixing that already, as only four of his last 12 batted balls have been on the ground.
"I've been trying to focus more on the pitches that are up in the zone, trying to eliminate pitches that are down."
Experience with ABS and Check Swing Challenges
Major League Baseball is set to introduce the ABS Challenge System next season. That will be the biggest rule change coming up for the 2026 season.
Luis has spent the entire year in Hillsboro, away from the Automated Ball/Strike System. Normally, that's reserved for just the Triple-A level. Out in the Arizona Fall League, it's the first time he's experienced it in a game situation.
Luis said the system was good, noting, "It's a little bit tricky to get used to it, but with practice, it's been getting better."
Potential Areas of Improvement
Luis' evaluation going into 2026 will depend on his batted ball contact for the next three weeks. The key is avoiding rollover ground balls to the right side and driving the ball in the air. Through 12 games, 44.7% of his batted balls are pulled grounders and just 7.9% are pulled in the air.
As a switch hitter, there is an extra challenge to staying sharp at the plate. Luis is not fine-tuning just one swing, but two. He'll see 65-70% of his plate appearances from the left side of the plate, but needs to be prepared to bat right-handed in key situations.
As is the case in player development, progress might not be accurately measured solely on on-field results. There is a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes, with a player honing his skills on various drills. That's true for both at the plate and in the field.
For Luis, he's not Rule 5 eligible until after the 2026 season. Barring a complete disaster of a 2026 season, he's a virtual lock to be added to the 40-man roster. He projects as a utility infielder, emphasizing his work at shortstop and third base in Arizona.
I tentatively have him at a 45 future value grade, which puts him just outside the Top 10 of my upcoming 2026 prospect rankings.
Further Reading
Michael McDermott
