Prospect Graduation: INF/OF Brandon Drury

Drury started the 2016 season as the organization's top prospect and flashed the type of talent he had in spurts over the season. Drury is described as a baseball junkie and has a strong work ethic to get better. The only issue for him is where he plays long term. His natural position is 3B, but he is blocked by a superior player with 4 years of control. 2B or LF may be where he winds up long term as a result, depending on if the Diamondbacks elect to sell high on Jean Segura's All-Star caliber season. This season, they just need to leave him at one spot and not move him around the field so much.

Tools (20-80 scale)

Hit: 50/55. Drury in the early part of the season was very much a pull-happy hitter like Aaron Hill. Mistakes on the inside half of the plate were crushed and he struggled against good breaking balls away. Drury has a nice and smooth line drive swing that supplies plenty of power to all fields, and is a 40 doubles, 20 homer threat over the course of the season. Drury's swing generates a ton of backspin, which is why the ball carries off his bat. At the end of the season, Drury was able to make adjustments to fastballs and breaking balls away with a strong month of September where he stung balls out over the plate to the right-center gap.

Power: 55/60. There is more pop in that bat, although he's not liable to hit more than 25 homers in a single season. Drury's power comes more from XBHs in the gaps, especially playing in a ballpark that rewards those type of hitters. I was little bit worried that the power had waned going into 2016, but Spring Training and a solid rookie season removed that doubt. Over the course of a full season, he projects for 20-25 HR and 35-40 doubles but could see more power as his understanding of the strike zone improves. Drury is a future #3 hitter in the making.

Defense: LF 30/40, 2B 40/45, 3B 55/55. If you have Drury playing 2B or LF, you're acknowledging that he will not be a plus defender and at best is a break-even defender. However, the Diamondbacks need to find a position and have him stick with it, even if it's a position where he fits like a square peg in a round hole in LF. Drury is an average runner at best and has slightly below average range in the OF although he might make more plays there when more comfortable there. 2B is most likely where he's playing long term.

Baserunning: 35/45. I don't expect Drury to steal bases or run the bases aggressively like his teammates like to do. Drury is very much a station to station guy with very little baserunning instincts. It will be interesting to see if Dave McKay sticks around because despite the team being bad record wise with him here, he's been very good at his particular job. Drury in his best season won't steal double digit bags and score 100 runs in a season.

Future Value: 60. Drury is going to be a significant piece for the team for the next five seasons. The only question is where he plays defensively as his bat belongs in the starting lineup. The team may opt to trade an All-Star caliber 2B in Jean Segura before his value might crater to his pre-2016 level or just stick him in LF and work with him there. Drury's best position is 3B, but with Jake Lamb occupying that position through 2019, there's no reason to try to force a platoon. Drury might not develop into an All-Star caliber player, but is a safe bet to be an above average starter.