Kyle Hudson Stats & Scouting Report

AB	28
AVG	.143
OBP	.143
SLG	.143
HR	0

Full name Kyle Jordan Hudson
Born 01/07/1987 in Mattoon, IL
Profile Ht.: 5'11" / Wt.: 175 / Bats: L / Throws: L
School Illinois
Debut 09/04/2011
Drafted in the 4th round (116th overall) by the Baltimore Orioles in 2008 (signed for $287,000).

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Hudson was better known for his exploits as a wide receiver in his first two years at Illinois, leading the football team in receptions as a freshman and again as a sophomore. Relegated to a supporting role on the gridiron last fall, he has taken out his frustrations on opposing pitchers this spring. He ended the regular season among the NCAA Division I leaders in batting (.411), on-base percentage (.511), runs (60) and steals (39). He also set Big 10 Conference records for runs (40) and steals (25) in league games, and tied a school mark when he swiped his 40th base in the opening round of the league tournament. Hudson is a 5-foot-11, 165-pound burner whose games revolves around his top-of-the-line speed. He has run the 40-yard dash in 4.4 seconds and uses his quickness well on the bases and in center field. He's an outstanding athlete who once won the Illinois state high school high jump title with a mark of 6-foot-10 and earned 15 letters in four sports. Hudson offers little power, but he understands his limitations and concentrates on getting on base. He uses a slap approach at the plate and is a good bunter. His arm is well-below-average, though he compensates by getting to balls quickly. A team that loves speed and values athletes at a premium position could take Hudson as early as the third round.

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It has been a long, slow climb for Hudson--and by no means is his development complete--but he reached a significant milestone when he made his big league debut last September. Hudson opened 2011 with his third stint in high Class A but played well enough to earn three promotions. Most significant, he was added to the 40-man roster, a tangible signal that the Orioles see something in him. Hudson is a premium athlete, a four-sport standout as an Illinois high schooler who went on to play three years as a wide receiver on the University of Illinois football team. As his football playing time diminished, he turned his focus to the diamond, where he first drew notice with his blazing speed. Hudson still is refining his baseball skills, in particular his swing and his instincts on the basepaths and in the outfield. He made huge strides with the bat last season, hitting for average at all three of his stops, but questions remain about whether his stroke will play in the big leagues. He offers no power and realizes that his job is to get on base. He has improved his baserunning but still gets caught stealing more often than someone with his speed should. Despite his wheels, Hudson isn't quite as good defensively as Matt Angle and has seen more time in left field than in his center. He does cover a lot of ground but has a fringy arm. Hudson's bat probably limits him to a reserve outfield role in the majors.
Hudson hails from Mattoon, a small town in central Illinois that's a hotbed for youth baseball, having hosted numerous regional tournaments as well as the Cal Ripken World Series for 11- and 12-year-olds. Hudson was a four-sport standout in high school: football, basketball, baseball and track, where he won the 2004 state high jump. He first drew attention in college as a wide receiver at Illinois. He led the Illini in receiving yards as a freshman and sophomore, but as his role on the football team diminished, he focused more on baseball, breaking out in 2008 with a .398/.498/.482 season that put him among the national leaders in several offensive categories. The Orioles took him in the fourth round that June and signed him for $287,000, but he played in just 11 games because of a broken finger. Hudson is faster than any player in the organization besides Xavier Avery, the kind of player who can hit a ball four steps to the side of an outfielder and have a double. He's an above-average defender in center field with a slightly below-average arm. Hudson looked much stronger at the plate last season, and the ball started to jump off his bat. He has become a good bunter and stays inside the ball well with a short, line-drive swing. He just needs to cut down on his strikeouts so he can let his speed put so much pressure on defenses. If he continues to make strides at the plate, he clearly has all the tools to be an everyday center fielder. He'll advance to high Class A this year.