Former First Rounder Having Perfect Spring with Arizona Diamondbacks

In two games over two days, former first-round pick Tommy Troy out of Stanford has gone 2-for-2 for the Arizona Diamondbacks this spring. One hit came off left-handed non-roster invitee Kolby Allard, who has four years of MLB service time under his belt, while the other came off 23-year-old Antonio Jimenez of the San Francisco Giants, another NRI.

Troy has now collected more hits in two plate appearances this spring than he did last year when he went 1-for-7 with five strikeouts.

Last season was Troy's first full year in professional baseball, making his debut after the 2023 MLB Draft in High-A, then returning to the level for 65 games in 2024. He ended up hitting .227 with a .319 OBP and five home runs, while sprinkling in 16 steals.

He spent most of his time at shortstop in 2024, logging 44 games at the position, while notching another dozen at second base. Troy was also sent to play in the Arizona Fall League, where he actually received more playing time at second (14 games) than short (6). The expectation is that he will continue to see most of his playing time at second in 2025.

He hit .290 with a .380 across 108 plate appearances in the AFL, adding three more homers and four stolen bases to his total.

Despite being a former first rounder, selected No. 12 overall, Troy ranks as the Diamondbacks' No. 8 prospect on MLB Pipeline's new list. That said, he has above-average tools across the board, but he lacks one that truly stands out. They give him 50's nearly across the board, with the only exception being the 55 they gave him for his run skill.

FanGraphs on the other hand thinks he's an 80 speed guy with a couple of potential 50's in his bag, while his hit tool (30/35) and game power (30/45) are lagging behind. They write, "Troy's struggles with breaking balls prevent an everyday player forecast, and instead he should branch out on defense and be a speedy utility man who crushes fastballs."

To that point, Troy does have 100 games at both short and second between college and the minor leagues, and another 59 games at third base, all of which came at Stanford. He also roamed the outfield a little bit in college, playing 10 games in left field, and four in right.

After missing time from April 21 to June 18 last season with a hamstring injury, which came after needing foot surgery the previous offseason, he ended up struggling a bit in July when he returned to High-A, batting .177 with a .283 on-base.

He then went on to have his best month as a pro, batting .310 with a .369 OBP, logging three homers and seven stolen bases.

The key for Troy in 2025 will be to just stay healthy. If he can do that, then he can start showing people why he was selected in the first round by the D-Backs.