Josh Hiatt
| IP | 76 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 3.671 |
| WHIP | 1.447 |
| BB/9 | 4.382 |
| SO/9 | 7.224 |
- Full name Joshua Landen Hiatt
- Born 03/27/1997 in Charlotte, NC
- Profile Ht.: 5'11" / Wt.: 195 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School North Carolina
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Drafted in the 16th round (476th overall) by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2018 (signed for $50,000).
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A 5-foot-11, 190-pound righthander with an upper-80s fastball, Hiatt didn't make UNC's team as a freshman in 2016, when the Tar Heels redshirted him and pushed him to improve. He returned a different pitcher the next fall, showcasing a slider he learned from former teammate Brendon Little to go along with what was already an outstanding changeup. Adopting an analytical approach that fall, UNC found that Hiatt's offspeed pitches both registered spin rates above big league averages and complemented each other with movement in near opposite directions. Hiatt's slider sweeps across the strike zone and he can throw it with bigger shape in the upper 70s or can feature a tighter, more cutter-like, low-80s version. His low-80s changeup is a weapon against both lefthanded and righthanded hitters with both horizontal and downward movement. Those two pitches, combined with an 88-91 mph fastball that occasionally reaches 93 mph, made Hiatt a first-team All-American closer in 2017 and he's replicated that success as UNC's go-to reliever once again in 2018. While not the traditional, mid-90s power closer, Hiatt has been dominant at the college level due to the excellent tunneling of all three pitches and his above-average command and confidence with each. Stretched out often for multiple-inning appearances, Hiatt has the arsenal and command to at least merit a look as a starter at the next level. But he's also shown he has the aptitude to thrive in high-leverage, late-inning situations.
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Draft Prospects
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A 5-foot-11, 190-pound righthander with an upper-80s fastball, Hiatt didn't make UNC's team as a freshman in 2016, when the Tar Heels redshirted him and pushed him to improve. He returned a different pitcher the next fall, showcasing a slider he learned from former teammate Brendon Little to go along with what was already an outstanding changeup. Adopting an analytical approach that fall, UNC found that Hiatt's offspeed pitches both registered spin rates above big league averages and complemented each other with movement in near opposite directions. Hiatt's slider sweeps across the strike zone and he can throw it with bigger shape in the upper 70s or can feature a tighter, more cutter-like, low-80s version. His low-80s changeup is a weapon against both lefthanded and righthanded hitters with both horizontal and downward movement. Those two pitches, combined with an 88-91 mph fastball that occasionally reaches 93 mph, made Hiatt a first-team All-American closer in 2017 and he's replicated that success as UNC's go-to reliever once again in 2018. While not the traditional, mid-90s power closer, Hiatt has been dominant at the college level due to the excellent tunneling of all three pitches and his above-average command and confidence with each. Stretched out often for multiple-inning appearances, Hiatt has the arsenal and command to at least merit a look as a starter at the next level. But he's also shown he has the aptitude to thrive in high-leverage, late-inning situations.
