Who Broke Out This Season for the Hillsboro Hops?

A closer look at some standout performers for the High-A Hillsboro Hops after they saw numerous breakout seasons

Diamondbacks prospect Tommy Troy practices at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale on July 28, 2023. / Olivia Gyapong/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

The High-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Hillsboro Hops, had a season to remember as they saw plenty of breakout years from prospects and had multiple high-rising prospects get promoted to their team or leave their team for the next level.

The Hops had an uneven season despite having a first half and second half record both over .500. They finished second in their division with a record 35-30 in the first half. In the second half, they finished third in the Northwest League with a record of 34-32.

Due to their not winning either half, they failed to reach the playoffs and extend their season. Overall on the season, they were 69-62, a solid season due to the record being far above .500.

There were numerous breakout players on both the offensive side and pitching side. That included breakout years from players who were promoted to Double-A such as Gino Groover, Gavin Conticello, Spencer Giesting, and Joe Elbis among others.

Tommy Troy ended the season on a high note and was healthy for much of the second half while Jack Hurley, Landon Sims, and others all impressed and showcased their potential. There's plenty to write about for a roster loaded with potential future Diamondbacks players.

Offensive Standouts

Despite being in a ballpark and league that is tough to generate offense in, there were many players who set a high bar with their performance at the plate this year. One of them was Gavin Conticello who got promoted to Double-A once Hillsboro's season was over.

The left-handed hitting multi-position player led the Hops in doubles (31), triples (7), RBI (65), and he had 20 stolen bases, nine home runs, 46 walks, 115 strikeouts, a .282 average, and .775 OPS in 126 games.

Another left-handed hitting outfielder in Jack Hurley also had somewhat of a power breakout year. He led the Hops in homers with 12, and runs (67). The year before he hit just two homers across two levels, so that was a marked improvement. He also led the team in strikeouts (136) in just 117 games however. His well rounded game included 14 stolen bases, 29 doubles, 61 RBI, and 36 walks.

Gino Groover dealt with multiple injuries but once he was healthy, he shined bright. He did so well that he was promoted to Double-A a few weeks ago and has continued to hit the ball well. Over 40 games with the Hops, he had 41 hits, seven doubles, seven homers, 25 RBI, 20 walks, and just 24 strikeouts. That resulted in a .272/..360/.457 triples slash, good for a 129 wRC+

Christian Cerda was promoted to Double-A a while ago but he still led the Hops in walks with 55 over just 88 games. That speaks to just how patient an approach he has at the plate and that he has a good eye for the strike zone.

One of the top D-backs prospects, Tommy Troy, dealt with multiple injuries this year that overall tanked his season. However, he was healthy for the last month or so of the season and showed his strong potential.

Over his last 33 games, he hit .276 and had a .822 OPS, both excellent numbers for the offensively challenged Northwest League. He walked 17 times to just 32 strikeouts and had 12 extra-base hits. He'll look to carry this performance into next year. Troy was moved from shortstop to second base for the final 12 games of his season.

Pitching Standouts

Some pitchers that had strong years or impressed over multiple levels but didn't make the cut here were Jacob Steinmetz, Listher Sosa, Yordin Chalas, and Billy Corcoran.

The reigning Pitcher of the Month for the D-backs, Jose Cabrera, had a strong year in High-A. Over 66 innings with Hillsboro, he had 18 walks, 62 strikeouts, a 2.32 ERA, 44 hits allowed, and opponents hit just .187 against him.

Spencer Giesting put himself firmly on the top-30 prospect map and earned himself a mid-season promotion to Double-A thanks to his performance with the Hops. Over 60 innings and 10 starts, he had a 1.50 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, 39 hits given up, 13 walks, and struck out 67.

Roman Angelo reached Hillsboro midway through the season but all he did was execute strongly with the Hops. He had a 3.46 ERA over 96.1 innings with 33 walks, 111 strikeouts, and just 75 hits given up.

Avery Short pitched the entire season in Hillsboro and set himself up well with a 3.51 ERA over 24 games and 128.1 innings. He struck out 112, walked 36, allowed 113 hits, and threw a complete game.

Joe Elbis stood out before getting promoted to Double-A. Over 16 starts and 90.1 innings, he had a 2.79 ERA, 75 strikeouts, 29 walks, and 74 hits given up. Opponents hit just .218 against him.

The Hops star reliever and rising prospect Landon Sims climbed two levels this year from Single-A to High-A. Over 34 innings and 25 games with Hillsboro, Sims had just a 2.12 ERA, 45 strikeouts, and walked only 14. He allowed just 33 hits and eight earned runs.

The Hillsboro Hops had plenty of highlight moments for their players and their team. They saw a lot of breakout years from prospects that have started the climb towards other levels. It remains to be seen who the Arizona Diamondbacks will have return here next year but that just means there's more room for more breakouts to happen for D-backs prospects next year.

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