Future ace? Diamondbacks call up minor league star Jon Duplantier

For the Arizona Diamondbacks, the future might have arrived a bit ahead of schedule.

Just four games into the 2019 regular season, the D-backs called up star minor-league pitcher Jon Duplantier on Monday, while sending infielder Ildemaro Vargas to Triple-A Reno. The 24-year-old Duplantier (pronounced doo-PLON-tee-AY) is the No. 2 prospect in the D-backs' system and the No. 72 prospect in all of Major League Baseball.

Duplantier, who was selected by the D-backs in the third round of the 2016 MLB Draft, has racked up accolades during his time in the minors. He was the D-backs' Minor League Pitcher of the Year, MLB Pipeline's Pitcher of the Year and a Baseball America First-Team Minor League All-Star selection in 2017. His 1.39 ERA for the D-backs' Single-A clubs that year was the second-lowest for a minor-league player in the last 25 years, behind only future Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander.

Duplantier has a 17-4 record with a 1.79 ERA in 42 games in the D-backs' farm system dating back to 2016. He went 5-1 with a 2.69 ERA and 68 strikeouts in 14 games for Double-A Jackson last season.