Jeremy Hill Stats & Scouting Report

AB	865
AVG	.229
OBP	.303
SLG	.323
HR	10

Full name Jeremy Dee Hill
Born 08/08/1977 in Dallas, TX
Profile Ht.: 5'11" / Wt.: 200 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School W.T. White
Debut 09/07/2002
Drafted in the 5th round (139th overall) by the Kansas City Royals in 1996.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

After hitting .229 in five seasons as a catcher, Hill and his live arm moved to the other end of the battery in instructional league following the 2000 season. When he hit 95 mph, the conversion became permanent. He has drawn comparisons to Troy Percival, another catcher-turned-closer. Hill has unconventional mechanics--he leans backward before delivering pitches to generate more velocity--but he has no trouble repeating his delivery and it's tough for hitters to pick up. His quick arm action allows his explosive fastball to peak at 98-99 mph. He's aggressive in going after hitters, but his background as a catcher reminds him that changing speeds also can be effective. Hill's curveball was scrapped for a slider. His progress with that pitch will determine whether he pitches the seventh or ninth inning. He still needs to throw the slider with more conviction and velocity, and he needs to throw strikes more consistently. After pitching in the Dominican League over the winter, Hill should make the Royals' bullpen out of spring training.
A fifth-round pick as a high school catcher, Hill couldn't solve professional pitchers. He batted .229 with 14 homers in five years before moving to the mound in instructional league after the 2000 season. Hill touched 92 mph in high school and 95 in instructional league, then threw explosive 94-96 heaters throughout last year, when managers rated his fastball the best in the low Class A Midwest League. Opponents hit just .158 against him in his first season on the mound. Hill is working on a hard curveball, though it looks better in the bullpen than in games, when he gets overexcited and tries to power rather than finesse it. He fiddles around with a changeup but for the most part attacks hitters low in the zone with his fastball. If he can refine a second pitch and improve his command, he'll give the Royals another potential closer.

Minor League Top Prospects

Royals fans looking for reasons to have hope for the future turned to Wichita, where Hill joined Hernandez and Gomez before all three finished the season in Kansas City. That's a surprise after Hill washed out as a catcher and the Royals tried him as a pitcher, starting with instructional league in 2000. Just like when he was a hitter, Hill misses a lot of bats. He does it now almost exclusively with his fastball, which peaks ranges anywhere from 95-99 mph. With a catcher's build, he's a horse on the mound who just rears back and throws the ball. To continue his progress, Hill needs to refine his breaking ball. After working on a curve, he turned to a slider this year and still needs to work on it to effectively attack big league hitters.