D-backs Top 40 Prospects in 2024: No. 8 Tommy Troy

Troy overcame a slow start and injuries to finish strong in High-A and then the Arizona Fall League with high hopes for the future

Second baseman, Tommy Troy warms up for batting practice during the Arizona Fall League media day at Scottsdale Stadium on Oct. 4, 2024, in Scottsdale, Arizona. / Megan Mendoza/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

This article is part of a series reviewing the seasons of the top 40 prospects still in the Arizona Diamondbacks system as of the end of 2024.

Tommy Troy, RHB - Second Baseman, DOB: 01/17/2002, 5'9, 197

Acquired: Round 1 Pick, 12th Overall in 2023 MLB Draft

Tommy Troy was drafted out of Stanford with the 12th pick of the 2023 draft and the D-backs received plenty of praise for this selection. Upon signing with Arizona, he received a $4.4 million signing bonus.

He had a strong 2023 in a brief sample size at High-A and with the Arizona Complex League. Despite being an advanced college player, the D-backs decided to have him repeat High-A in 2024. Unfortunately, due to slumps and injuries, that is where he would spend the whole season.

Per Nick Piecoro, the injury troubles started in Spring Training when he felt something in his groin, however, he continued to play and try to protect his groin while going all-out.

His numbers were bad in his first 12 games of the season as he hit just .184 with a .517 OPS. Then, he pulled his hamstring and strained it.

On April 26, he was placed on the Injured List. He would stay there until two months later on June 18 when he joined the Complex League on a rehab assignment.

While there, he hit the ball quite well against inferior opponents as he had a .318 average across seven games. On July 1, the team decided he was ready and sent him back to the Hillsboro Hops.

Once again, he struggled at the plate badly over the month of July. Over those 20 games, he hit just .177 with an OPS of .510. He did have 10 walks against 22 strikeouts, but overall, it was an extremely tough month at the plate.

On August 1, something switched with Troy as he hit a home run on that day. From then to the end of the season, 33 games later, Troy hit like the top prospect he is.

Over those final 33 games, Troy slashed .276/.375/.447/.822 in a tough offensive environment and league. He had 12 extra-base hits including four home runs and 17 walks to 32 strikeouts as he continued to stay patient at the plate. His speed shined through with nine stolen bases.

What went wrong for Troy in High-A? He expanded the zone far too much which caused weak-hit balls and plenty of strikeouts with 64 in 65 games. Along with that, despite aggressive swings, the ball wasn't getting hit as hard as he had done in the past.

Plus, his glove proved to be a bad match at shortstop, which is why Arizona has now moved him to second base for the foreseeable future.

On the season with High-A, Troy hit .227 with an OPS of .666 and he had 13 doubles, a triple, and five home runs. He walked 30 times, good for a strong rate of 10.4% while his strikeout rate of 22.2% was far better than 2023.

His wRC+ was just 91, indicating he was nine percent worse than the league average bat in the Northwest League. Also noticeable was his extreme power drop off as his ISO went from .200 to .120.

Due to the lack of at-bats caused by his injury, the Diamondbacks decided to have Troy play for the Salt River Rafters in the Arizona Fall League.

It was tough at first for Troy as he struggled mightily to get a base-hit over his first few games. He started the Fall League 1-25 with 11 strikeouts. He would soon catch fire.

At one point in the season, Troy went 10-15, with a batting average of .667. Troy stayed hot at the plate as he was one of the driving forces of the Rafters offense that wound up becoming the Arizona Fall League Champions. He was named to the National League Fall Stars team.

Over 22 games in the Fall League, Troy slashed .290/.380/.484/.864 with seven doubles, a triple, and three homers to go with 12 RBI. He showcased his potential against other top prospects and reminded everyone how high his abilities can be when he's focused and healthy.

The Arizona Fall League was exactly what Troy needed to continue getting back on track and develop key skills that will help him in the future.

2025 Outlook

It's likely that the Arizona Diamondbacks will assign Troy to Double-A Amarillo next year to start the season. He's played nearly a season and a half in High-A and coupled with his performance in the Fall League should warrant a promotion.

It's not unheard of for a player like Troy to climb two levels and make his MLB debut in the same year, but it's unlikely.

More likely is that Troy will spend most of 2025 in Double-A and if he performs well, get promoted to Triple-A for the final third or so the season. This would set him up for a 2026 MLB debut at some point, likely at second base.

The goal for Troy will be to stay healthy and mentally sharp in his second full season while not pressing to hit the ball hard. The key is trusting himself. If he can do that, he's got plenty of potential to fulfill.

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