The Diamondbacks had clear priorities here beyond just staying exclusively on the college side (except for unsigned twentieth rounder Dominic Voegele). For hitters, they prioritized batted ball data, looking for hitters that could hit the ball hard and get it on a line, and they didn't necessarily care for up the middle defenders. For pitchers, which they focused on later in the draft, they prioritized stuff over command, with few sure-thing starters but lots of guys who could be real impact arms if they took a step forward in that command department. Personally, I loved the Tommy Troy pick at the top, and I think Jack Hurley could be a real steal in the third round if they can clean up his approach against offspeed stuff.
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Note that the number before a player's name indicates their draft position. "2-50" would indicate that a player was drafted in the second round with the fiftieth overall pick.
1-12: 2B Tommy Troy, Stanford {video}
Slot value: $5.04 million. Signing bonus: $4.4 million ($643,800 below slot value).
My rank: #6. MLB Pipeline: #17. Baseball America: #12. Prospects Live: #8.
I'm a huge Tommy Troy fan, so getting an easy top ten talent in this class (in my opinion) at pick #12 and saving over $600,000 in the process is a huge win. Entering the 2023 season, Troy was coming off a big sophomore season (.339/.371/.568) and perhaps an even more impressive run through the Cape Cod League (.313/.385/.539), establishing himself as a likely first round pick. Then a more patient approach at the plate helped him to a massive junior season, slashing .394/.478/.699 with 17 home runs and a 42/35 strikeout to walk ratio over 58 games. Listed at just 5'10", he doesn't initially stand out on the field, but he does as soon as you see him play. Troy employs a quick right handed swing with exceptional feel for the barrel that helps him quietly post high exit velocities, so despite his size, he profiles for above average power in pro ball. He's never been one to swing and miss much, but he increased his walk rate from 4.6% as a sophomore to 11.9% as a junior as he became much more patient and now looks like a complete hitter. He's still fairly aggressive, but with his bat to ball ability and feel for making adjustments, he's not striking out much at all. The defense can get a methodical, so he fits best at second base in the long term with his average arm though he did see time at third base for Stanford this year. The San Jose-area native is an above average runner as well, so he can impact the game in a wide variety of ways. He's off to a nice start to his pro career, slashing .271/.374/.469 with four home runs and a 28/16 strikeout to walk ratio through 27 games between the Arizona Complex League and High A Hillsboro.
2-48: 3B Gino Groover, North Carolina State {video}
Slot value: $1.78 million. Signing bonus: $1.78 million.
My rank: #53. MLB Pipeline: #62. Baseball America: #52. Prospects Live: #42.
LuJames "Gino" Groover is a professional hitter through and through. Originally a Charlotte 49er, he transferred to NC State as a sophomore and has been an elite two year performer, slashing .348/.435/.557 with 23 home runs and a 70/64 strikeout to walk ratio over 114 games during his time in Raleigh. Like Tommy Troy, Groover has elite feel for the barrel even with a moderately aggressive approach, rarely ever swinging and missing and sending screaming line drives around the field with regularity. The exit velocities are certainly there, but because his flat swing is more geared towards line drives and hard ground balls, his in-game power has been more average to this point. Given limited production on the Cape, there are some questions as to how his power will translate to wood bats as well. At the minimum, though, his barrel ability will make him an extra base machine who could flirt with 40 doubles per season. He'll have to hit because his defense is a bit of a question mark. He's a well below average runner with limited range in both the infield and outfield, and he doesn't have much of an arm either so third base seems like a bit of a stretch. At 6'2", he's tall enough to handle first base, where he'll have to learn to elevate the ball a bit better and tap his power more consistently. So far, he's slashing .315/.358/.438 with one home run and an 8/4 strikeout to walk ratio over 20 games between the Arizona Complex League and High A Hillsboro.
CBB-64: LHP Caden Grice, Clemson {video}
Slot value: $1.21 million. Signing bonus: $1.25 million ($36,800 above slot value).
My rank: #82. MLB Pipeline: #118. Baseball America: #121. Prospects Live: #62.
The Diamondbacks drafted Caden Grice as a pitcher, but he's a serious two-way prospect and he's actually exclusively been a hitter so far in his short pro career. He's been a three year starter as a position player for Clemson, really establishing himself as a freshman (.317/.427/.618) but taking a step back as a sophomore (.244/.360/.453). He bounced back fully in 2023, slashing .307/.411/.618 with 18 home runs and a 74/30 strikeout to walk ratio over 59 games, leading to confidence he can make his prodigious tools translate up to pro ball. Grice is huge, standing 6'6", 250 pounds, and he can wallop a baseball with the best of them. It's elite, plus-plus power with 90th percentile exit velocities up over 110 MPH, giving him the ability to obliterate baseballs (such as this mammoth grand slam in the ACC Tournament that should also be appreciated from the side view). That power, though, comes with a lot of swing and miss. Despite cutting his strikeout rate from a sky high 36.3% as a sophomore to a still high 26.9% as a junior, stemming from improvement against offspeed stuff, he still whiffs way too much with some of the lowest contact rates in the class. That will be a major barrier to his ability to tap his power in pro ball, even though he's trending in the right direction. Meanwhile, the Diamondbacks actually announced Grice as a pitcher, so none of this may even matter. He threw just sixteen innings over his first two seasons at Clemson, but stepped into the weekend rotation as a junior and posted a 3.35 ERA and a 101/33 strikeout to walk ratio over 78 innings. While the offensive profile is certainly an extreme one, he's actually a pretty straightforward prospect on the mound. The fastball sits in the low 90's, getting up to about 95 with some life, while his slider flashes above average with late bite and his changeup shows some promise as an average pitch. The South Carolina native shows solid command and repeats his delivery well with a durable frame, so it's a pretty clear #3/#4 starter profile if he can add a tick or two of velocity. Grice is a fringy runner like you'd expect, but he's a good athlete for his size and everything is trending in the right direction, so once he (if he ever) gives up hitting, he has a chance to really take another step forward on the mound. This will be an exciting talent to track. He hasn't pitched yet, but he went 3-11 with a home run and four strikeouts to three walks in four games in the Arizona Complex League.
3-80: OF Jack Hurley, Virginia Tech {video}
Slot value: $887,000. Signing bonus: $887,000.
My rank: #35. MLB Pipeline: #36. Baseball America: #38. Prospects Live: #35.
Long considered a fringe-first round talent, Jack Hurley surprisingly fell all the way to the Diamondbacks in the third round, where he signed for full slot value. A huge sophomore season at Virginia Tech (.375/.452/.664) had him hurdling towards the top ten picks, but he plateaued a bit in 2023 by slashing .320/.414/.713 with 17 home runs and a 40/20 strikeout to walk ratio over 45 games for the Hokies, missing some time with injury later in the season. Hurley employs a high energy style of play that sees him leaving it all on the field on both sides of the ball, which endeared him to area scouts that got to see it in action. Despite standing a skinny six feet tall, he generates massive torque from a lightning quick barrel with his left handed swing and shows off true plus raw power. He's tapped that power with 72 extra base hits in 103 games over the past two seasons, though there are questions about the hit tool. Hurley is an extremely aggressive hitter that feasts all over quality fastballs, but he can look hopeless at times against breaking balls, frequently chasing them below the zone. That's my chief concern with his profile, and how he manages the heavy dose of breaking balls he'll see in pro ball will determine how far he goes. The central Pennsylvania native is an above average runner that could stick in center field if he can refine his routes a bit, where he'll run into a wall for you if you need him to. Sticking in center field will really benefit the profile and buy his hit tool time to come along, and he has enough arm to make right field work as well. Results have been mixed so far, slashing .262/.367/.388 with two home runs and a 36/14 strikeout to walk ratio through 27 games between the Arizona Complex League, Low A Visalia, and High A Hillsboro.
4-112: LHP Grayson Hitt, Alabama {video}
Slot value: $597,500. Signing bonus: $1.2 million ($602,500 above slot value).
My rank: #108. MLB Pipeline: #88. Baseball America: #96. Prospects Live: #213.
Grayson Hitt was a well-known prep prospect that made it to campus at Alabama, where he took some time to find his footing but built himself into a solid prospect. A solid run through the Cape Cod League (4.35 ERA, 25/10 K/BB in 20.2 IP) and a loud showing in fall practice had him shooting up boards, and he entered the spring a potential top fifty pick with eyes on the first round. Through eight starts, he was more good than great, posting a 4.19 ERA and a 49/25 strikeout to walk ratio over 38.2 innings, then unfortunately went down with Tommy John surgery in April. Still, the Diamondbacks liked what they saw late in 2022 and early in 2023, giving him close to the slot value for Caden Grice's spot a round and a half earlier to go pro and finish his rehab in the desert. At his best, Hitt shows a deep arsenal headlined by a few true out pitches. His fastball can sit in the low to mid 90's and touched 97 in the fall, with improving riding action from a higher slot. He can work that fastball into a cutter which can be extremely difficult to square up at its best, while his true slider flashes plus in its own right. His curveball and changeup are less impressive but he'll still flip them in to give hitters another look, and together it makes for an extremely uncomfortable at bat for lefties. Hitt struggled with command early in his Alabama career and has steadily improved in that regard as he's learned to repeat his delivery, though it's still fringy and he walked almost 15% of his opponents in 2023. In order to remain a starter, the Memphis-area native will need to continue ironing out his delivery while learning to more effectively incorporate softer stuff into his arsenal and keep hitters off balance. Surgery aside, he has a big, durable frame at 6'3" and comes with mid rotation upside.
5-148: 3B Kevin Sim, San Diego {video}
Slot value: $421,100. Signing bonus: $375,000 ($46,100 below slot value).
My rank: #140. MLB Pipeline: #180. Baseball America: #222. Prospects Live: #202.
I like Kevin Sim and I find him to be an interesting prospect. The son of former KBO star Jeong-Soo "Hercules" Shim, Kevin has a nice all-around offensive profile that's hard to find for a discount in the fifth round. He showed well in the Cape Cod League last summer (.239/.349/.424) then put up his best season yet this past spring, slashing .298/.401/.624 with 13 home runs and a 26/24 strikeout to walk ratio over 38 games, missing the last month of the season with injury. Sim has plus raw power like his dad, with strong batted ball data from a lean, muscular 6'2" frame. He's an aggressive hitter that can be prone to chasing, but he makes a lot of contact as well to balance it out, also making adjustments and drawing his walks where available. He struck out at a 27.5% clip on the Cape, which is a little concerning even if he did tap his power, and overall it may be a little bit of a jump for him going from WCC pitching to the minors. The bat is going to have to make that jump because even though he's shown natural feel for third base, his below average speed and athleticism, plus his average arm, may push him to first base or left field in the long run. I think he has what it takes to be an above average defender at first base, but unless you're Tre' Morgan over there, first base puts a ton of pressure on your bat no matter how good you are defensively. So far, he's slashing .275/.318/.392 with two home runs and a 27/4 strikeout to walk ratio over 26 games between the Arizona Complex League and Low A Visalia.
6-175: LHP Philip Abner, Florida {video}
Slot value: $328,300. Signing bonus: $300,000 ($28,300 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: unranked. Prospects Live: #401.
Philip Abner was a well-known prep prospect out of his Charlotte-area high school, but made it to campus at Florida and struggled as a freshman. Eligible as a sophomore because he turned 21 back in May, he turned in a strong second campaign with a 3.16 ERA and a 51/19 strikeout to walk ratio over 31.1 innings, reestablishing himself as a solid prospect. He sits in the low 90's with his fastball, topping out around 95 while spinning a pair of big breaking balls that he has tightened up this spring. The fastball has nice riding action while the breaking balls dive across the plate, and together everything plays up because he hides the ball well with and creates tough angle with a crossfire delivery. The command has improved, but remains fringy. He made just one start in his two years in Gainesville and looks like a pure reliever going forward, with an arsenal that will really make life tough on left handed hitters. If he can hold his command together, he profiles as a matchup lefty who can pitch in high leverage roles. In his first appearance at Low A Visalia, he tossed one inning and allowed one walk but nothing more.
7-205: LHP Ryan Bruno, Stanford {video}
Slot value: $256,700. Signing bonus: $140,000 ($116,700 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: #233. Baseball America: #225. Prospects Live: #301.
Ryan Bruno is a fairly similar pick to Philip Abner, one round later and for half the money. Also a nationally known prep prospect out of his South Florida high school, he made it to campus at Stanford and struggled immensely as a freshman, walking 14 of the 29 batters he faced. He took a step forward as a sophomore (2.72 ERA, 71/35 K/BB in 39.2 IP) but plateaued a bit as a junior, where he had a 5.29 ERA and a 56/36 strikeout to walk ratio over 34 innings. Bruno has huge stuff, led by a mid 90's fastball that can approach triple digits that he leans on heavily. His changeup is a nasty, plus-plus offering with exceptional late fade, and together the two pitches help him miss a ton of bats. However, his command is close to the bottom of the scale, as he struggles immensely to repeat his delivery coming around a firm plant leg. His arm can get left behind and he can cast the ball, he can overcorrect and spike it, and everything in between, and after improving from 20 to 30 grade command between 2021 and 2022, he did not take a similar step forward in 2023. The fastball/changeup combination could make him lethal if he can get to even 40 grade (below average) command, but to this point we're just not there yet. Bruno also throws a fringy slider with loopy break. It's a pure relief outlook right now.
8-235: 1B Jackson Feltner, Morehead State {video}
Slot value: $204,900. Signing bonus: $175,000 ($29,900 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: unranked. Prospects Live: unranked.
This pick may be a bit under the radar, as Jackson Feltner did not rank on any major draft lists, but there's no question he can hit. Over three years at Morehead State, Feltner is a career .376/.371/.672 hitter with 45 home runs and a 127/92 strikeout to walk ratio over 154 games, and in 2023 he ran a higher walk rate (18.4%) than strikeout rate (16.9%) for the first time. At 6'3", 220 pounds, he is country strong and can send baseballs a long way, with plus raw power based more on that strength than on bat speed. His ability to lace the ball around the field with authority, giving him 87 extra base hits in his three seasons, has helped him torment Ohio Valley Conference defenses with extreme consistency when he's not putting the ball over the fence. A very patient hitter, he may get into a little bit of trouble against more advanced pitching as he works into those deep counts, and as a first baseman (potentially competing with Gino Groover, Caden Grice, and Kevin Sim from this draft class alone), his bat can't really afford many missteps. A right handed hitter, the Eastern Kentucky native likely profiles as a platoon or bench bat going forward given that lack of positional flexibility. So far, he's slashing .212/.280/.318 with one home run and a 25/7 strikeout to walk ratio over 19 games between the Arizona Complex League and Low A Visalia.
13-385: RHP Hayden Durke, Rice {video}
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $350,000 ($200,000 against bonus pool).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: unranked. Prospects Live: #188.
Hayden Durke has been on a bit of a circuitous ride so far. A native of the small town of Abbeville, Louisiana along Bayou Vermilion, he began his career at the University of Louisiana Lafayette near his hometown, then transferred to Rice this spring but a failed drug test kept him out of action. Making up for lost time in the Cape Cod League right before the draft, he struggled from a performance perspective (10.80 ERA, 14/16 K/BB in 13.1 IP) but opened eyes with explosive stuff and signed for early sixth round money here in the thirteenth. His fastball sat in the mid 90's and touched 99 with some hop, while he showed two vicious breaking balls in a curve and a slider in addition to a changeup. He has an uptempo delivery and struggles to repeat his arm slot, but you can't ignore that kind of electric stuff. The Diamondbacks are likely writing off his command struggles to rust from not pitching this season, and they see him missing bats in bunches up in pro ball. Durke is likely a reliever long term but again, since he hasn't been seen much, anything can happen. Command has continued to elude him in the Arizona Complex League, where he had a 9.72 ERA and a 10/10 strikeout to walk ratio over 8.1 innings.
19-565: 2B Wyatt Crenshaw, Arizona State {video}
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $5,000.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: unranked. Prospects Live: unranked.
The Diamondbacks just about wrapped it up with a hometown pick. Wyatt Crenshaw grew up in the far southeastern Phoenix suburb of Chandler, Arizona, attending Perry High School in nearby Gilbert. He began his career at Colorado Christian in the Denver area, then transferred back home to Arizona State for his super senior season. In his one year in Tempe, he slashed .264/.308/.481 with nine home runs and a 50/13 strikeout to walk ratio over 53 games, then caught on with the Billings Mustangs in the independent Pioneer League and slashed .314/.429/.627 with four home runs in 15 games. His performance caught the attention of his hometown Diamondbacks, and now he'll get to stay in the desert. Crenshaw doesn't have a standout tool, showing some sneaky pull side power from the left side and looking like a more patient hitter in the Pioneer League (17.2% walk rate) than he was at ASU (5.7%). He does have a tendency to swing and mis and his approach has been aggressive more often than not, so he'll have to find some balance there if he wants to catch up to pro pitching. He has a chance to work his way up as a potential utility infielder. So far, he's hitting .235/.344/.353 with one home run and a 16/8 strikeout to walk ratio over 18 games in the Arizona Complex League.
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