Waldschmidt homers in Reno return, keeps surging for Aces
Waldschmidt homered off Germán Márquez in his first Triple-A game back, then kept rolling with a 1.207 OPS since returning to Reno.
Ryan Waldschmidt wasted no time making Reno feel like home again, hammering a two-run homer off rehabbing Colorado right-hander Germán Márquez in his first Triple-A game back on June 17. The swing gave the Aces an immediate reminder of why Arizona has pushed the 23-year-old so aggressively, and it opened a stretch in which Waldschmidt posted a 1.207 OPS after rejoining Reno.
The homer mattered because it came after a month in the majors, where Waldschmidt had little time to settle in before returning to the Pacific Coast League. Back in Reno, he looked sharper from the first game, and the underlying numbers matched the eye test. Before his promotion, Arizona’s No. 1 prospect had hit .289/.400/.477 with three home runs and six stolen bases in 34 games for the Aces, and his 15 extra-base hits ranked him tied for seventh in the Pacific Coast League.
Waldschmidt’s production did not stop with that return opener. He later launched his sixth Triple-A home run of the season on June 25, another two-run shot that underscored how quickly he resumed punishing pitching at this level. For a player whose bat was already tracking toward the big leagues, the reset in Reno has only sharpened the case that he is moving closer to becoming a real factor in Arizona’s plans.
The Diamondbacks selected Waldschmidt in 2024 as a Prospect Promotion Incentive pick with the 31st overall choice, and the organization has watched him validate that investment fast. MLB Pipeline ranked him the No. 48 overall prospect and Arizona’s top prospect, and the club named him its Minor League Player of the Year after the 2025 season. He earned that honor by hitting .289 with 18 home runs and 96 walks across 134 games between High-A Hillsboro and Double-A Amarillo.
Waldschmidt made his major league debut on May 8, and the Aces’ latest look at him has added another layer to the promotion conversation. The swing speed, the patience and the power have all traveled with him from stop to stop, and Reno’s brief reunion with its best hitter has only made Arizona’s next decision feel more significant.
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