David Hagaman Finishes 2025 Season Strong in the Arizona Fall League
The Diamondbacks pitching prospect discussed his experience, performance, and getting ready for a big offseason ahead of him.
SCOTTSDALE — The 2025 season was a hectic but successful season for Diamondbacks pitching prospect David Hagaman. He finished his recovery from an internal brace procedure in 2024, making his pro debut and experiencing his first major trade. The D-backs sent Hagaman to the Arizona Fall League to gain some extra reps going into the offseason.
“It’s been a lot of fun so far,” said Hagaman. “We got playoffs coming up now, so we’re pretty excited for that. It’s starting to warm up a little bit at the right time, so all these guys have been awesome, you know, building relationships with all of them, so it’s been a good time.”
In the fall, Hagaman worked with Kenny Castillo in his first start on October 9th. The two had worked together for a couple of games in Hillsboro before reuniting in the Fall League. He’s since worked with Red Sox catcher Johanfran “The Username” Garcia after his start days were moved to Fridays.
The numbers for Hagaman don’t jump off the page in five starts. The right-hander pitched to a 4.50 ERA, with 14 strikeouts and seven walks over 12 innings. In a previous interview, he lamented the fact that he walked seven hitters over three starts.
“It’s getting better each time, so I believe that on Friday, if we get there, it’ll be pretty good. Just got to stick with it, stick with the process, and see how things turn out from there.”
Hagaman could be in line for one more start if Salt River can make it to the Championship Game. That game is set for Friday afternoon at Salt River Fields, with a 1:30 P.M. first pitch. They’ll need to beat Mesa and Surprise, the No. 2 and 3 seeds, to get there. If that start ultimately does not come to pass, he still built a solid foundation for his first year.
Between the Arizona Fall League and the 2025 regular season, Hagaman recorded 54 innings. He’s coming into the offseason healthy for the first time in two years, where he can focus on honing his craft.
“Every offseason is the same. You’ve got to put in the work and try to earn a spot when you come back. Nothing’s granted, so I’m just going to put my head down and go to work and stay healthy and come back for next season and be ready to go.”
Arizona’s organizational pitching depth is in a curious situation, especially on the starting side. Hagaman was one of eight pitchers the organization added at the deadline, with him carrying the highest ceiling of them all.
The next couple of seasons will be critical for the team to develop its pitching prospects. Most of their high-impact prospects will be closer to the lower end of the minor league ladder. Along with Hagaman, the organization will look at developing Daniel Eagen, Daury Vasquez, Patrick Forbes, and Brian Curley. Their ability to develop these pitchers is essential for the sustained success general manager Mike Hazen is looking to build in Arizona.
Thoughts on ABS and Check Swing Challenge Systems
The biggest rule change for 2026 is Major League Baseball adopting a challenge system for balls and strikes. Umpires will still call game pitches, but hitters, pitchers, and catchers may challenge the call. That is done by any of the three eligible players tapping their helmets or caps.
“I’m for it. There are parts in the game that are a little bit better now. Some calls get missed, and you can always challenge it. There’s no more complaining about it. If you don’t agree with it, just challenge it. So, I’m all for it.”
It’s worth noting that teams will only receive two challenges, instead of the three each team typically receives in the Arizona Fall League. In the game against Surprise on Tuesday, one batter lost two challenges in one plate appearance. In the Fall Stars Game, home plate umpire Felix Neon turned in an impressive game. Of the seven pitches that were challenged, his call was confirmed on six of them.
Hagaman noted that there was no specific protocol on how Salt River would challenge. So pitchers did have the leeway to challenge calls if they saw fit. In the fall, he had one challenge, which was initiated by Castillo, that overturned a ball call into a strike call.
On the topic of check swings challenges, a fairly new feature, he didn’t offer much on that.
“I haven’t seen too much of the check swings. Not as common as the called pitch and stuff. But so far from what I’ve seen, it’s part of the game, and you just got to learn to adapt to it.”
The current standard of a swing is the barrel has to be 45° ahead of the knob. That essentially means the bat has to make a line parallel to the opposite baseline. Here’s an example of a failed check swing challenge.