After a Grueling Season, Jack Hurley’s Reset in Arizona Is Starting to Pay Off
After a difficult 2025 season, Diamondbacks outfield prospect Jack Hurley used the Arizona Fall League as a mental and mechanical reset.
SCOTTSDALE — Diamondbacks outfield prospect Jack Hurley sought to use the Arizona Fall League for a mental reset and put a challenging 2025 season behind him. Hurley saw plenty of failure and struggles, leading to bigger adjustments with his swing and approach.
Entering the final week of the fall, Hurley spoke about his experience out here.
“I mean, it’s been awesome. The guys around here are great, a lot of good players in this league. I know a ton of guys that are in the league right now, and it’s fun to play against the guys because, you know, I’ve been playing against the same guys in high school, college.
“You see them in pro ball now, so you start to make a lot of friends. We’re playing against Scottsdale tonight, I probably knew second baseman, I knew this outfielder. So every day it seems like we’re playing against some of our friends that are really good, pick up stuff on guys on our squad, great coaches here. Every coach here is awesome. They’ve been really, really good for me, and it’s been a great experience, cannot complain.”
In Arizona, those adjustments have shown positive signs. While playing time has been sparse, splitting time with Jared Thomas and Will Taylor in left field, he’s made the most of his opportunities. In 14 games, he’s slashing .260/.356/.480 with three doubles, a triple, and two home runs.
“I’ve really tried to develop a better approach, and that starts with scouting reports and stuff,” said Hurley. “So whenever I’m doing my on-deck scouting on the pitcher, I’ve kind of changed it up on how I do it. I’m looking at a little bit more specifics instead of just a vague, here’s what this guy has. If there’s any edge that you can gain, you try to do it, and I feel like I’ve picked up some stuff from other guys about scouting.”
While most of the extra-base hit damage came on October 24th, he’s been consistently hitting the ball hard throughout the circuit. 21 of the 34 balls (61.8%) he’s put into play registered an exit velocity of at least 95 MPH, with 10 of them exceeding 100 MPH.
“I think for my game, it’s important to make contact as consistently as I can because typically whenever I hit the ball, I’m going to hit it decently hard. So, the whole goal for me is just to put the ball in the air, and it’s going to be hit hard, so just continuing to do that.
The key will be reducing the amount of swing-and-miss in his game. In the regular season, Hurley had a 35% in-zone whiff rate. That’s a huge risk, especially for a hitter who doesn’t have 30+ home run upside.
Focusing on his Arizona Fall League batted ball sample, it’s important to take it with a grain of salt due to the small sample size. But there are still some big positives to take away from it. Hurley has an average exit velocity of 96.0 MPH, but on line drive and fly ball contact, it jumps to 100.2 MPH. While it hasn’t resulted in a home run barrage, the contact quality is still leading to productive nights at the plate.
It’s consistent with his regular-season data. His hard-hit rate was at 42% with a 90th percentile exit velocity of 105.0 MPH. That is higher than the major league average of 103.7 MPH in that metric. In Arizona, that number has jumped to 106.7 MPH.
Since his four-hit game on October 24th, Hurley has recorded a hit in five straight and seven of his last eight AFL games. Over that stretch, he’s 12-for-31 (.387) at the plate.
“I feel confident right now. Baseball’s such a mental game where that confidence means a lot, so whenever you get in there, you better feel confident. Even if you don’t feel great, it’s important to carry yourself like you are, feeling good, confidently. Because once you get in the box, the pitcher notices more than what everybody else is noticing. They’re seeing how you stand in the box, how you grip the bat, all that stuff, so it’s important to get in there with a big chest and try to compete.”
In addition to the swing and approach changes he’s made this season, Hurley has started wearing glasses.
“I felt like I was struggling to see the ball at night a little bit. I have astigmatism in both eyes, and I’m a little farsighted, so this helps [me] see the ball better at night.”
The next 12 calendar months will arguably be the most important of his career. The hope is that Hurley can take what he learned in the Arizona Fall League and springboard into a productive 2026 season.
“I feel like I’ve figured out what I have to do. Now it’s about doing it consistently, and I’m still trying to do it, and I’m glad out here I’ve been able to put better team at-bats together.”
He’ll likely repeat Double-A Amarillo to begin the year, to show progress compared to last season. Unless he completely flops, he should be in Reno by the All-Star break.
With the organization lacking capable left-handed bats in their outfield, there’s still a potential role up for grabs. A strong season could have Hurley knocking on the door for a big league opportunity late in the season, especially if the team moves on from Alek Thomas or Jake McCarthy in the offseason. If he can seize on that opportunity, he’s looking at a September debut.