PHOENIX — Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo took batting practice on Friday to determine the fantasy football draft order for his clubhouse.
As was the case last year, each ball was numbered, and the draft order was determined by the distance he hit each pitch. The participating players watched from behind the screen and hung onto every ball hit.
Torey Lovullo took BP to determine the D-backs’ fantasy football draft order 😂
🎥 via @Mastercard #BallparkCam pic.twitter.com/MUpdfcNVSV
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) August 23, 2025
The duo of Ryan Thompson and Pavin Smith secured the No. 1 overall pick in the draft.
“ Corbin (Carroll) came to me and said, ‘Thanks, I’m drafting 12th,’ so I didn’t know whose ball was who,” Lovullo said. “I got Thompson and Pavin the first pick with 354 feet, something like that.
“It’s fun to get out there and spend some time with those guys in a little bit different light. They see me a little bit differently. I’m traditionally not their friend, I’m their manager. But when I get a chance to get on the other side of it and participate and do something like that with them so they can see a different side of me, it’s a lot of fun. … I’m glad I was able to do it and not embarrass myself.”
Lovullo did not clear the wall, but he got close.
Last year, Lovullo hit right-handed at Fenway Park with the Green Monster as a target. The former switch-hitting infielder took a whirl left-handed this time, which he called his power side.
The NFL season kicks off on Sept. 4 with the Dallas Cowboys taking on the Philadelphia Eagles.
Thompson and Smith are on the clock.
