Jordan Lawlar not only made his season debut for Tigres Del Licey in the Dominican Winter League on Tuesday, he started his first professional game as a center fielder.
Lawlar has speed to burn and is a great athlete, so the Arizona Diamondbacks will use winter ball to give him looks away from the infield in a competitive environment. If successful, the move could present more answers for Arizona’s roster makeup next spring.
The 23-year-old has only played shortstop, third base and second base since the Diamondbacks drafted him with the No. 6 overall pick in 2021.
Los azules en La Romana para esta noche… 😎👑#ElgLorioso 💙 pic.twitter.com/hx7IXHTV63
— Tigres del Licey (@TigresdelLicey) October 28, 2025
Geraldo Perdomo has locked down shortstop, Blaze Alexander outperformed Lawlar defensively at third base and the Diamondbacks could use help filling out their outfield. It is far too soon to pencil Alexander in at third base and Lawlar in center field on the Opening Day lineup card, but the willingness to try something new has become a development to watch this winter and entering spring training.
It is not unheard of for shortstops to step into outfield roles and succeed.
The San Diego Padres have been very effective in doing so with both Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jackson Merrill. Tatis never played outfield before the Padres tried him there in 2021, and he now owns a Gold Glove and a Platinum Glove.
The Diamondbacks attempted to utilize Ketel Marte as a center fielder and infielder from 2019-21 to mixed results, an experiment that led to his permanent return to second base.
Why does it matter for Jordan Lawlar to try playing center field?
If Lawlar can prove he can play a respectable center field (or any outfield spot, for that matter), that provides the Diamondbacks optionality.
There are not many positions set in stone for next year.
Perdomo and Marte make up the middle infield. Gabriel Moreno will catch.
Corbin Carroll will take one of the three outfield spots, but left fielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. will miss most of the year recovering from knee surgery.
Alek Thomas and Jake McCarthy struggled to get much going offensively in 2025 as a center field duo. They play good defense with tons of speed — plus McCarthy hit well in 2024 — but they amassed -0.5 bWAR combined in 2025. Jorge Barrosa is another speedy, stellar defensive outfielder, but he hit .141 in the majors this past year.
Lawlar has the higher upside offensively, albeit not without early-career struggles. Lawlar hit .308 with seven doubles and 12 strikeouts in 44 plate appearances in September, breaking his MLB hitless streak (0-for-36). The D-backs shied away from Lawlar as a defender down the stretch of their pennant chase after several hiccups, which limited his playing time.
He hit .313 with 11 home runs and 20 steals in 63 games with Triple-A Reno, as he has a career .910 OPS in the minor leagues. Injuries have impacted his career thus far.
More versatility opens trade routes for Arizona, as well, considering the Diamondbacks may need to wheel-and-deal for roster upgrades given the amount of payroll dedicated to injured players. The payroll is expected to be lower in 2026 than 2025 but remain “competitive.”
This is Lawlar’s second winter with Tigres Del Licey, as he played primarily shortstop a year ago.
He went 1-for-5 on Tuesday with a double, two RBIs and three strikeouts.
