Ranked Arizona Diamondbacks #19 prospect after the 2017 season
Coming off an injury-riddled 2016, Brito was bit by the injury bug again in 2017 while he repeated the Pacific Coast League at Triple-A Reno. In 2016, he suffered a fractured toe while with the big league team, then he fractured the hamate in his wrist while getting ready for winter ball in November. In 2017, he needed yet another surgery after severely dislocating his left ring finger on a headfirst slide into home plate during a game early in spring training. The injury cost him two and a half months, impacting his standing on the organization's depth chart, and journeyman Jeremy Hazelbaker stepped into the fourth outfielder void. Brito, meanwhile, didn't play well enough at Reno to warrant even a September callup. Little has changed in terms of Brito's tools and upside, and he still gets high marks for his work ethic. Coaches say he might have become bogged down at the plate by mechanics, limiting his athleticism, and he still could use work on his approach. He runs well and can handle all three outfield positions, but he probably is best suited for a corner. Brito has handled righthanded pitchers better than lefthanders in his career, leading some scouts to view him as a potential platoon outfielder. Brito will have to show he can stay healthy in order to reach even that ceiling as he fights for a spot with the D-backs out of spring training.