PHOENIX -- Tommy Troy collected 288 hits in the Minor Leagues. He racked up 197 in college. He totaled countless others on summer and fall circuits, during travel ball and on Little League fields in his native California. But he’ll remember this one.
The D-backs’ No. 4 prospect laced his first Major League hit Sunday at Chase Field in a 9-1 win over the Rockies, ripping a double off left-hander Jose Quintana that just got under the glove of center fielder Jake McCarthy. It was the capstone moment of a whirlwind 48 hours that began when Troy got news that his dream of being a big leaguer was about to come true.
Beyond having to get ready for a Major League game, Troy knew both his family and his girlfriend’s family had to be there. When the ball found the turf in the bottom of the second, his parents, Tommy Sr. and Temple, were watching from down the third-base line.
“I’m still shaking, I’m so happy for him,” Temple told D-backs television reporter Jody Jackson. “I could feel the air vibrating when he was up there.”
“It was an amazing experience,” Tommy Sr. said. “You know how hard and how much work he put in to get to this point. And to see him do something that he loves, it was a surreal experience.”
That first-hit ball will be staying in the Troy family, likely in the elder Tommy’s possession.
“It means everything,” Troy said of having his family at the ballpark, beaming from ear to ear. “They've put in just as much effort as me – supporting me, dealing with me – so I was glad to be able to show up for them. It was awesome.”
Four innings later, Troy doubled again, this one to the right-center gap at 106.8 mph off the bat. In the blink of an eye, he went from dreaming about wearing a D-backs uniform to being one of the guys.
Troy, the club’s first-round pick in the 2023 Draft (12th overall), was summoned to the big league roster Saturday after left fielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. was placed on the 10-day injured list with left hamstring tightness. Troy didn’t appear in the game, but it was a valuable chance to take in the sights and sounds.
“All the guys are so supportive, loosening me up, because I was a little nervous at first,” Troy said. “But it was such a great moment. So happy.”
The 24-year-old ranked second in the D-backs’ Minor League system with 54 hits at the time of his promotion. In addition to being on pace for a career high in batting average (.307), he also hit .353 with runners in scoring position and posted an average sprint speed of 29.7 ft/sec – very near the “elite” 30 ft/sec threshold.
For context, fellow rookie Jose Fernandez has posted a 29.6 ft/sec mark at the big league level this year, and he ranks in the 96th percentile among all MLB players.
Troy, who played all over the infield at Stanford and in the Cape Cod Baseball League, drew the start Sunday in left field, a position he had never played professionally prior to this season. In addition to work with Minor League outfield and baserunning coordinator Peter Bourjos, Troy played 18 games at the position for Triple-A Reno, while also making 18 starts at second base.
But manager Torey Lovullo said pregame that he wants to simplify things for Troy with a “one spot at a time” approach defensively.
By being himself and playing his style, the 24-year-old – along with fellow prospect and close friend Ryan Waldschmidt (D-backs No. 1/MLB No. 33) – has provided a needed spark of youthful vigor. Lovullo likened their arrival to how last year’s club took off after dealing Eugenio Suárez, Josh Naylor and Merrill Kelly at the Trade Deadline.
“It's just really cool to have that core young group of guys coming up together because hopefully we're going to be playing together for a long time, and that really helps when it comes down to winning championships and winning a World Series,” Waldschmidt said last month of playing with Troy.
“Everyone's got a great skill level, that's part of it, that's why you're a professional baseball player. But I think the real thing that separates us is kind of that bond and that trust that you build with each other, and I think that's what's going to be huge here in the future for us.”