David Hagaman Reflects on Endless Opportunities in Arizona Fall League
D-backs pitching prospect David Hagaman is using his Arizona Fall League opportunity to refine his command, regain velocity, and build confidence going into 2026.
SCOTTSDALE — Diamondbacks pitching prospect David Hagaman has made four starts in the Arizona Fall League. It’s given the right-hander a chance to gain additional reps and develop new connections.
“The opportunities are endless here,” said Hagaman. “You get to face a bunch of really good hitters. You get to talk to a bunch of really good guys on the pitching side and on the offensive side. You get to kind of learn from them and see how you can adjust your game.”
After ripping off a dominant, three-inning masterpiece his first time out, he’s struggled to find the same consistency in his next three starts.
“I came out here the first week, and it was right where I wanted to be. And then ever since then, it’s kind of been a little bit of an uphill battle.”
These are the stat lines for each of them. All three starts have come at Salt River Fields, the D-backs’ Spring Training facility.
October 17th: 2.2 IP, 3 R (3 ER), 4 H, 1 BB, 2 K, 52 pitches
October 24th: 0.2 IP, 1 R (1 ER), 1 H, 3 BB, 2 K, 31 pitches
October 31st: 2.2 IP, 3 R (3 ER), 3 H, 3 BB, 3 K, 51 pitches
In addition to the walks, there have been noted velocity problems. It’s not too uncommon at this stage for Hagaman. He just returned to pro ball in June after recovering from an internal brace procedure, pitched 42.1 innings, and then ramping back up again after a one-month layoff.
Between the regular season and the fall, Hagaman is at 50.1 innings pitched on the mound.
Velocity Bump in Recent Arizona Fall League Start
In his start against Mesa on the 31st, there were notable changes. Hagaman started pitching out of the windup, and his velocity was up from the windup. There were a lot more 95 and 96 MPH readings on the Salt River Fields scoreboard in left field. His four-seamer topped at 96.9 MPH in the first inning. He finished the game averaging 94.0 MPH on his four-seamer, his highest in his four AFL starts.
“I felt like today was a little bit better. Still not where I want to be, but getting there slowly.”
While encouraged by the velocity ticking up, the D-backs prospect is more focused on his execution. He issued three walks in each of his past two starts, and seven in his last three.
“Today was definitely a lot better in terms of velocity. I feel that the past couple days have been a little rough in velocity, but it’s not my main concern. My main concern is not walking people at this point. A little bit more walks than usual, so just trying to minimize that.”
Assuming two more starts for Hagaman, he’ll likely add six more innings and 100 more pitches to his season. The D-backs are aiming to build up his innings workload as he gets closer to the big leagues.
Catching Up Mountaineers Teammates in the Pros
David Hagaman played on a West Virginia team that featured Carlson Reed, Victor Scott II, and JJ Wetherholt. Reed and Hagaman reunited in the Arizona Fall League this yearboth pitching for the Salt River Rafters. Scott and Wetherholt figure to play key roles on the 2026 St. Louis Cardinals, the latter ranked as the No. 5 overall prospect by MLB Pipeline.
“They’re ballers. All of them are, especially JJ. I mean, he’s on a national stage at this point now. They’re all good guys. They all play with a ton of heart and still talk to a lot of them to this day. So it’s always cool to have some Mountaineers in the pro ball.”
While it will be a couple years before Hagaman has a chance to face Wetherholt, he has some personal bragging rights. In a 2024 scrimmage, the D-backs’ pitching prospect won the battle with a strikeout. It’s a feat that Hagaman was very proud to share and he’s looking forward to their next battle, which will likely come in the major leagues.
Wetherholt and Hagaman went No. 7 and No. 133 overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, respectively. The former is on a short list of potential 2026 National League Rookie of the Year candidates, while the latter is looking at a 2028 ETA.