2023 MLB Draft: Diamondbacks take 3 on first day; ASU, UA, GCU ...

The 2023 MLB Draft is underway. The Arizona Diamondbacks focused on position players while Arizona, Arizona State and Grand Canyon each saw a player taken on the first day.

Diamondbacks pick Stanford’s Tommy Troy at No. 12 

The Diamondbacks selected Stanford infielder Tommy Troy with the 12th overall pick as the club went with a position player at the top of the draft for the sixth time in the past seven years.

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.

Troy is said to have a compact right-handed swing that allows him to generate loads of loud contact and not much swing and miss. He is not prone to expanding the strike zone.

Defensively, he reportedly projects as a second baseman or third baseman who could fill in at shortstop. He has good enough speed that there has been some mention of him being able to handle center field. 

Troy is not particularly big — he is listed at 5-10, 197 pounds — which in a sense makes him a typical selection for the Diamondbacks, who are not afraid to take players who lack physicality. 

This is the latest position player the club has taken with its first pick since Mike Hazen took over as 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.

Diamondbacks select NC State's Gino Groover with second-round pick

The Diamondbacks took another position player with their second pick of the night, taking North Carolina State third baseman Gino Groover with the 48th overall selection.

Groover is considered a strong hitter, evidenced by his .332/.430/.546 line with 13 homers this season. Baseball America described him as “mostly a contact hitter” in college, but also as someone who might have the “strength and physical projection to tap into more power at the next level.”

The biggest question about him appears to be his defensive home. He has played third base, first base, second base and the outfield corners. Scouts consider him a below-average defender, according to Baseball America’s report.

D-Backs snag two-way player, Caden Grice, with comp-round pick

The Diamondbacks made an intriguing selection with their third and final pick on Sunday, taking Clemson two-way player Caden Grice, a slugger who draws Joey Gallo comparisons but who also had success on the mound as a left-handed pitcher.

Grice, who went 64th overall, was announced as a pitcher, which suggests the Diamondbacks plan to send him out on the mound.

Grice hit 18 homers this year but also struck out 74 times in 275 plate appearances at Clemson. On the mound, he posted a 3.35 ERA with 101 strikeouts in 78 innings.

As a pitcher, Grice has a fastball that sits in the low 90s, touching 95 mph, along with a slider and a change-up.

Athletics select Grand Canyon’s Jacob Wilson at No. 6 overall

Shortstop Jacob Wilson was taken with the sixth overall pick by the Oakland Athletics, becoming the highest draft player ever out of Grand Canyon University.

Wilson, the son of former big league shortstop Jack Wilson, hit .412/.461/.635 with six homers as a junior this year. He struck out only five times in 217 plate appearances. 

Published scouting reports say he has limited power but expected to be a contact-oriented hitter who should be able to be an above-average defender at shortstop.

Arizona’s Chase Davis lands with Cardinals at No. 21

The St. Louis Cardinals selected University of Arizona outfielder Chase Davis with their top pick at No. 21 overall.

Davis is coming off a junior year in which he hit .362/.489/.742 with 21 homers. He had 43 walks and 40 strikeouts in 278 plate appearances.

Davis is said to have a “chiseled, 6-foot-1, 216-pound” frame, according to Baseball America, which described him as having “big-time raw power” but also swing-and-miss concerns.

Twins take Arizona State’s Luke Keaschall in second round

Arizona State infielder Luke Keaschall was selected in the second round, at pick No. 49 overall, by the Minnesota Twins, making him the first Sun Devils player to come off the board in the draft on Sunday night.

Keaschall is coming off a big junior year in which he hit .353/.443/.725 with 18 homers and 18 steals in 254 plate appearances.

Despite his production this year, there are questions about his ultimate power potential, with some believing he might have only average power as a professional. Though he played some shortstop in college, he might fit best at second base.