Demetrio Crisantes played soccer and baseball until he was 11, when his father and assistant coach, Miguel, told him he had to pick one sport. When they settled on baseball, Miguel decided to go “all-in” for his son.
The family owned a produce warehouse consisting of tomatoes, cucumbers and bell peppers in Nogales, the historic border city in Southern Arizona. Miguel decided to split the warehouse in half with a blue tarp and transform the other side into a baseball training gym for the community to share.
That warehouse has produced a bountiful crop.
After the Arizona Diamondbacks elevated center fielder Ryan Waldschmidt to the roster in May, the 22-year-old Crisantes found himself unquestionably atop the Diamondbacks’ prospect farm system and at the doorstep of the major leagues. The Diamondbacks selected the Arizona native in the seventh round of the 2022 MLB Draft, and he overcame formidable odds to get to where he is today.
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“It means a lot, especially for my family,” Crisantes said about being drafted locally four years ago. “They were really happy about (it), we weren’t sure if I was going to be here or even on the East Coast, but it’s just a three-hour drive (from Nogales) and they can come watch me play whenever.”
Meanwhile, the warehouse-gym hybrid has sent 85 local athletes to colleges with scholarships.
“God gave me the opportunity to give my son the chance to have that place where he can do his workouts,” Miguel said. “I felt it was the right thing to offer it to kids who wanted to do good in sports.”
Crisantes was born in Tucson on Sept. 5, 2004, but grew up about an hour south in Nogales, where he began playing baseball when he was 4.
Arizona Diamondbacks top prospect Demetrio Crisantes poses for a photo at the Arizona Fall League’s media day on Sept. 30, 2026, at Scottsdale Stadium.
“I had a little elbow problem back in high school, so during the draft process a lot of teams were not sure if I was going be able to play or be ready,” Crisantes said. “Luckily, the Diamondbacks believed in me and gave me that opportunity.”
Miguel said the Astros, Yankees and Blue Jays were most interested in his son but were unsure if he’d be ready to play following his pre-draft injury diagnosis.
That “little elbow problem” was actually one of baseball’s most infamous medical procedures.
After having his sophomore year wiped out by COVID-19, Crisantes underwent his first of two Tommy John surgeries, a reconstructive operation of the elbow’s ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) at just 15 years old.
“It was tough, especially during COVID,” Crisantes said. “We got the surgery done (with) whatever insurance could cover at the time and had to get it repaired again when I got drafted. Luckily, my elbow is feeling amazing now, and (I’ll) just go from there.”
Crisantes had to get the procedure redone because the first doctor did the surgery incorrectly, Miguel said. Regardless, both surgeries proved to be nothing but a minor delay for Crisantes, who posted .507 and .485 batting averages in his junior and senior seasons respectively, while currently holding a .312 average and .872 OPS over his four years in the minor leagues.
Once Crisantes graduated from Nogales High, his father donated nearly all of their equipment to friends and the Nogales community who helped along the way, kickstarting the opening of a new facility called Trained 2 Go.
Now Crisantes looks ahead to the six-week Arizona Fall League season as he proudly claims to be “100% healthy and playing harder.” He will collaborate with three other teams’ staffs under the Salt River Rafters to elevate his potential to its apex and make the major league push.
D-backs infielder Demetrio Crisantes tracks a pop-up against the Seattle Mariners at Salt River Fields on March 9, 2026.
Miguel said he feels like the luckiest man in the world watching his son fulfill his dream, and his work ethic as a teenager made it obvious that he’d get to where he is today.
He said his son never went to bed any later than 10:30 p.m., or 11 p.m. on the weekends, and he never drank alcohol during his high school years.
“When he signed, he said ‘Remember how my friends used to make fun of me at parties? Look where I am and look where they are,’ ” Miguel said. “He used to work out after school, before practice, after practice, and he never complained. It’s something that he had inside.
“It’s been the highlight of my life. The memories we’ve made and moments together with him are going to stay with me forever. It’s more than you can imagine.”
Coaches Scott Nestor and Ronald Ramirez of the River Rafters agreed that keeping Crisantes healthy throughout the Fall League season is a top priority.
“We looked at his season and talked with his (Diamondbacks) hitting department, what he wants to work on over the next six weeks and make sure he gets out of here healthy and headed in the right direction,” Nestor said.
As Crisantes looks toward the next step, the uncertainty that followed him into the draft feels increasingly distant. The Diamondbacks took a chance on him when other teams hesitated, and Crisantes has spent the years since giving them reason to believe they made the right choice.
“As a kid getting drafted, I didn’t realize what pro ball really is,” Crisantes said. “I didn’t realize how much competition there is all across. You’re basically playing for all 30 teams. Having a better, mature mindset and learning from others is a blessing.”
