Arizona Diamondbacks continue focus on position players at top of 2023 MLB Draft
Known for having success with not just position players, but up-the-middle position players, at the top of the draft, the Diamondbacks stuck with what has worked on Sunday, selecting Stanford infielder Tommy Troy with the 12th overall pick.
The Diamondbacks see Troy as an athletic, speedy player who can not only hit for average and power but who also can handle shortstop.
“There was just a lot of conviction from both our scouting group and our analyst group about the bat,” Diamondbacks scouting director Ian Rebhan said. “We’re really excited to get him with that first pick.”
The Diamondbacks made two more selections on Day 1 of the draft, taking North Carolina State third baseman Gino Groover with their second-round pick at No. 48 overall followed by Clemson left-hander Caden Grice at pick No. 64 in compensation round B.
Speaking to reporters on a video call, Troy said he had a feeling the Diamondbacks might be the team that takes him, adding that he was actually hoping they would.
“I grew up playing in a bunch of tournaments in Arizona,” Troy said. “I would always love going to Diamondbacks games and watching them play, and they’re obviously having an awesome season this year. I really love the program and I’m so excited to be a part of it.”
Troy hit .394/.478/.699 with 17 homers and 17 steals in 293 plate appearances as he helped Stanford advance to the College World Series for the third consecutive year. He also performed well on the prestigious Cape Cod League last summer.
Moreover, Rebhan said the club’s amateur scouts have watched Troy, a right-handed hitter, perform well dating back to high school, including in the Area Code Games.
“As we always say, hitters hit,” Rebhan said, adding, “I think all those things — the history, the way he controls the zone, the way the ball comes off his bat, there’s a lot of pluses there to love that bat.”
Troy improved both his walk rate and his power output significantly from his sophomore to junior years.
“I studied the game a lot and I knew I needed to make some adjustments with my approach and a couple of mechanical things,” he said. “It kind of boiled down to knowing where in the zone I do the most damage in. So being a little bit more selective going into the season allowed me to walk a little bit more and take advantage of pitches that I know I can do damage on.”
Troy, who is listed at 5-foot-10, 197 pounds, also has a reputation for hitting fastballs well; on MLB Network’s draft coverage, analyst Dan O’Dowd cited a stat that Troy did not swing and miss at any of the 48 fastballs he saw this year that were clocked at 95 mph or harder.
“I think it tells you a lot about the hitter he is,” Rebhan said. “The way his swing works, he’s so short to the ball. He’s always been a guy that has top-of-the-scale contact skills. And it’s just so fast.”
Though most published reports on him anticipate a move to second base, the Diamondbacks see him as a shortstop.
“Couldn’t tell you,” Rebhan said, when asked why there might be questions about Troy’s position. “He’s athletic, he’s super twitchy, his feet work and if you spend time digging in and watching him like we have dating back four or five years now, I don’t think the questions would be there.”
Troy came across as confident, intelligent and well-spoken on his call with reporters. He also won over believers with the Diamondbacks during a pre-draft meeting that included Rebhan and Assistant General Manager Amiel Sawdaye.
“We’re trying to draft really good players but we’re trying to draft really good people, as well, and players who are not only going to produce on the field but be leaders,” Rebhan said. “He just checked a lot of those boxes.”
Said Troy: “I have really high goals for myself on impacting the game super fast and having a really long big league career. I want to be an MLB All-Star and I want to be a Hall of Famer.”
Troy said he does not expect it to take long to reach an agreement on a contract.
“I’m hungry and I’m ready to go start playing baseball as soon as possible,” he said. “As soon I can get the deal done and start getting ready for the short season, I’m going to do it.”
Troy became the sixth position player the Diamondbacks have taken with their first pick in seven drafts since Mike Hazen became GM prior to the 2017 season. Their top picks over the years have been first baseman/outfielder Pavin Smith, infielder Matt McLain (who did not sign), outfielder Corbin Carroll, right-hander Bryce Jarvis, shortstop Jordan Lawlar and center fielder Druw Jones.
Rebhan said the club also had strong conviction in Groover’s bat, describing his swing as “simple” and “low-maintenance” and seeing in him the potential for more power than he showed at NC State, where he hit .332/.430/.546 line with 13 homers this season. The Diamondbacks also believe he has all the tools to handle third base, Rebhan said.
Grice was a two-way player at Clemson but the club sees him as a future left-handed starter in the majors, with Rebhan citing his three-pitch mix, his strike-throwing ability and his feel to pitch. Offensively, Grice drew comparisons to Joey Gallo for both his huge power and his propensity to swing and miss.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona Diamondbacks continue focus on position players at top of 2023 MLB Draft
