Kody Hoese Stats & Scouting Report

AB	464
AVG	.287
OBP	.361
SLG	.474
HR	17

Full name Kody Michael Hoese
Born 07/13/1997 in Merrillville, IN
Profile Ht.: 6'4" / Wt.: 200 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Tulane
Drafted in the 1st round (25th overall) by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2019 (signed for $2,740,300).

View Draft Report

A 6-foot-4, 200-pound third baseman with Tulane, Hoese has broken out in his junior season in the American Athletic Conference. After hitting a combined five home runs over his freshman and sophomore seasons, Hoese has managed 19 homers as of April 16—more than any hitter in the country. In that 36-game stretch, Hoese has managed a .409/.500/.879 slash line with more walks (24) than strikeouts (16). However, teams will be plenty skeptical of Hoese on draft day considering his track record prior to this season, and the fact that he’s a fringe-average defender at third base. Most of his value is tied to his bat, and with a pair of mediocre wood-bat summer performances, a team taking him on Day 1 or early Day 2 will have to be confident his 2019 season is more indicative of his talent.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Track Record: Hoese finished tied for fifth in the nation with 23 home runs his junior season at Tulane and was drafted 26th overall by the Dodgers in 2019. He posted an .863 OPS in his pro debut and was the Dodgers’ best hitter at the alternate training site in 2020, but he struggled badly in his first full season in 2021. He hit just .188 with two home runs in 59 games at Double-A Tulsa and missed two months with an intercostal strain. He finished the year by hitting .200/.250/.327 in an underwhelming showing in the Arizona Fall League.

Scouting Report: Hoese is a divisive player who draws widely disparate opinions depending on when scouts saw him. At his best, he is a balanced hitter with a short, compact swing and drives balls to all fields with his natural strength and leverage. Other times he jumps out of his legs, gets around the ball with a long swing and his bat speed disappears. Hoese shows above-average hitting ability and power when his swing is right, but the latter swing shows up too frequently. Hoese is a below-average runner who gets what’s hit to him at third base but lacks range. His arm strength fluctuates from below-average to above-average due to his inconsistent arm slot.

The Future: Hoese has a lot to prove in 2022, including that he can consistently maintain his best swing against upper-level pitching. He may open the season back at Double-A.
Hitting: 60. Power: 50. Running: 45. Fielding: 55. Arm: 45.

TRACK RECORD: Hoese went from a 35th-round pick in 2018 to a first-round pick in 2019 after he finished fourth in the nation with 23 home runs at Tulane. He posted an .863 OPS in his pro debut and was the Dodgers’ top hitter at the alternate training site in 2020, but he was more pedestrian in instructional league as he battled fatigue and drew mixed reviews from opposing evaluators.

SCOUTING REPORT: Hoese is a well-rounded hitter with a balanced approach and compact swing. He is an adept fastball hitter who frequently finds the barrel and drives the ball to all fields, though he’s better against high fastballs than low ones because he gets out of his legs at times. He covers all pitch types and locations when he stays rooted in his lower half. His long levers, wiry strength and knack for the barrel give him 20-plus home run potential. Hoese has calm, reliable hands at third base and reads hops well, but he’s not a smooth mover and his arm strength fluctuates widely from below-average to above-average. He worked with Dodgers pitching coordinator Rob Hill at the alternate site to improve his velocity and be more consistent with his arm slot.

THE FUTURE: Hoese looks like a future standout at his best but needs to be more consistent with his swing and throwing stroke. He’ll see the upper minors in 2021.
TRACK RECORD: The Royals drafted Hoese in the 35th round in 2018 as a draft-eligible sophomore, but he returned to Tulane and became a first-rounder with a monster junior season. Hoese finished second in the nation with a .779 slugging percentage and tied for fifth with 23 home runs, leading the Dodgers to draft him 25th overall and sign him for $2,740,300. A tender right elbow limited Hoese after he signed, but he still posted an .863 OPS in 41 games and reached low Class A Great Lakes.

SCOUTING REPORT: Hoese is a mature hitter who has excellent pitch recognition and controls the strike zone. He rarely chases and forces pitchers to come to him. When they do, Hoese unloads on balls with his natural strength and leveraged swing to produce plus raw power. He can turn on balls for long home runs to left or drive them with authority the other way. With his approach, Hoese is a potential above-average hitter who should clear 20-25 home runs annually. Hoese is a fringe-average runner who ticks up to average underway. He reads balls of the bat well at third base and projects to be at least an average defender with plus hands and an above-average arm.

THE FUTURE: Hoese will rise as quickly as his bat takes him. He'll begin 2020 at high Class A Rancho Cucamonga as long as his elbow is healthy.

Draft Prospects

A 6-foot-4, 200-pound third baseman with Tulane, Hoese has broken out in his junior season in the American Athletic Conference. After hitting a combined five home runs over his freshman and sophomore seasons, Hoese has managed 19 homers as of April 16--more than any hitter in the country. In that 36-game stretch, Hoese has managed a .409/.500/.879 slash line with more walks (24) than strikeouts (16). However, teams will be plenty skeptical of Hoese on draft day considering his track record prior to this season, and the fact that he's a fringe-average defender at third base. Most of his value is tied to his bat, and with a pair of mediocre wood-bat summer performances, a team taking him on Day 1 or early Day 2 will have to be confident his 2019 season is more indicative of his talent.

Minor League Top Prospects

It’s customary for the Dodgers to give their college draft picks a few games in the Arizona League before they head off to a higher level. But first-rounder Hoese stayed behind a few weeks longer to heal a tender elbow, thus getting enough playing time to qualify for the AZL prospect list. "He knows the game really well,” Dodgers Mota manager Jair Fernandez said. "He has a good feel for the game.” Hoese gets leverage in his swing and controls the zone well with advanced pitch recognition. While he hasn’t shown the same power as in his final year at Tulane, when he hit 23 home runs, Hoese has plus power potential that will develop with more wood-bat experience. A fringe-average runner, he won’t steal a lot of bases but also won’t be a base-clogger. Because of his elbow issue, Hoese spent most of his time at DH but projects to be a solid-average defender at the hot corner with a tick above-average arm.

Scouting Reports

Track Record: Hoese finished tied for fifth in the nation with 23 home runs his junior season at Tulane and was drafted 26th overall by the Dodgers in 2019. He posted an .863 OPS in his pro debut and was the Dodgers’ best hitter at the alternate training site in 2020, but he struggled badly in his first full season in 2021. He hit just .188 with two home runs in 59 games at Double-A Tulsa and missed two months with an intercostal strain. He finished the year by hitting .200/.250/.327 in an underwhelming showing in the Arizona Fall League.

Scouting Report: Hoese is a divisive player who draws widely disparate opinions depending on when scouts saw him. At his best, he is a balanced hitter with a short, compact swing and drives balls to all fields with his natural strength and leverage. Other times he jumps out of his legs, gets around the ball with a long swing and his bat speed disappears. Hoese shows above-average hitting ability and power when his swing is right, but the latter swing shows up too frequently. Hoese is a below-average runner who gets what’s hit to him at third base but lacks range. His arm strength fluctuates from below-average to above-average due to his inconsistent arm slot.

The Future: Hoese has a lot to prove in 2022, including that he can consistently maintain his best swing against upper-level pitching. He may open the season back at Double-A.
Hitting: 60. Power: 50. Running: 45. Fielding: 55. Arm: 45.

TRACK RECORD: Hoese went from a 35th-round pick in 2018 to a first-round pick in 2019 after he finished fourth in the nation with 23 home runs at Tulane. He posted an .863 OPS in his pro debut and was the Dodgers' top hitter at the alternate training site in 2020, but he was more pedestrian in instructional league as he battled fatigue and drew mixed reviews from opposing evaluators.

SCOUTING REPORT: Hoese is a well-rounded hitter with a balanced approach and compact swing. He is an adept fastball hitter who frequently finds the barrel and drives the ball to all fields, though he's better against high fastballs than low ones because he gets out of his legs at times. He covers all pitch types and locations when he stays rooted in his lower half. His long levers, wiry strength and knack for the barrel give him 20-plus home run potential. Hoese has calm, reliable hands at third base and reads hops well, but he's not a smooth mover and his arm strength fluctuates widely from below-average to above-average. He worked with Dodgers pitching coordinator Rob Hill at the alternate site to improve his velocity and be more consistent with his arm slot.

THE FUTURE: Hoese looks like a future standout at his best but needs to be more consistent with his swing and throwing stroke. He'll see the upper minors in 2021.
Hitting: 60. Power: 50. Running: 45. Fielding: 55. Arm: 45.

TRACK RECORD: Hoese went from a 35th-round pick in 2018 to a first-round pick in 2019 after he finished fourth in the nation with 23 home runs at Tulane. He posted an .863 OPS in his pro debut and was the Dodgers’ top hitter at the alternate training site in 2020, but he was more pedestrian in instructional league as he battled fatigue and drew mixed reviews from opposing evaluators.

SCOUTING REPORT: Hoese is a well-rounded hitter with a balanced approach and compact swing. He is an adept fastball hitter who frequently finds the barrel and drives the ball to all fields, though he’s better against high fastballs than low ones because he gets out of his legs at times. He covers all pitch types and locations when he stays rooted in his lower half. His long levers, wiry strength and knack for the barrel give him 20-plus home run potential. Hoese has calm, reliable hands at third base and reads hops well, but he’s not a smooth mover and his arm strength fluctuates widely from below-average to above-average. He worked with Dodgers pitching coordinator Rob Hill at the alternate site to improve his velocity and be more consistent with his arm slot.

THE FUTURE: Hoese looks like a future standout at his best but needs to be more consistent with his swing and throwing stroke. He’ll see the upper minors in 2021.
Hitting: 60. Power: 50. Running: 45. Fielding: 55. Arm: 45.

TRACK RECORD: Hoese went from a 35th-round pick in 2018 to a first-round pick in 2019 after he finished fourth in the nation with 23 home runs at Tulane. He posted an .863 OPS in his pro debut and was the Dodgers’ top hitter at the alternate training site in 2020, but he was more pedestrian in instructional league as he battled fatigue and drew mixed reviews from opposing evaluators.

SCOUTING REPORT: Hoese is a well-rounded hitter with a balanced approach and compact swing. He is an adept fastball hitter who frequently finds the barrel and drives the ball to all fields, though he’s better against high fastballs than low ones because he gets out of his legs at times. He covers all pitch types and locations when he stays rooted in his lower half. His long levers, wiry strength and knack for the barrel give him 20-plus home run potential. Hoese has calm, reliable hands at third base and reads hops well, but he’s not a smooth mover and his arm strength fluctuates widely from below-average to above-average. He worked with Dodgers pitching coordinator Rob Hill at the alternate site to improve his velocity and be more consistent with his arm slot.

THE FUTURE: Hoese looks like a future standout at his best but needs to be more consistent with his swing and throwing stroke. He’ll see the upper minors in 2021.
TRACK RECORD: The Royals drafted Hoese in the 35th round in 2018 as a draft-eligible sophomore, but he returned to Tulane and became a firstrounder with a monster junior season. Hoese finished second in the nation with a .779 slugging percentage and tied for fifth with 23 home runs, leading the Dodgers to draft him 25th overall and sign him for $2,740,300. A tender right elbow limited Hoese after he signed, but he still posted an .863 OPS in 41 games and reached low Class A Great Lakes.

SCOUTING REPORT: Hoese is a mature hitter who has excellent pitch recognition and controls the strike zone. He rarely chases and forces pitchers to come to him. When they do, Hoese unloads on balls with his natural strength and leveraged swing to produce plus raw power. He can turn on balls for long home runs to left or drive them with authority the other way. With his approach, Hoese is a potential above-average hitter who should clear 20-25 home runs annually. Hoese is a fringe-average runner who ticks up to average underway. He reads balls of the bat well at third base and projects to be at least an average defender with plus hands and an above-average arm.

THE FUTURE: Hoese will rise as quickly as his bat takes him. He’ll begin 2020 at high Class A Rancho Cucamonga as long as his elbow is healthy.
TRACK RECORD: The Royals drafted Hoese in the 35th round in 2018 as a draft-eligible sophomore, but he returned to Tulane and became a first-rounder with a monster junior season. Hoese finished second in the nation with a .779 slugging percentage and tied for fifth with 23 home runs, leading the Dodgers to draft him 25th overall and sign him for $2,740,300. A tender right elbow limited Hoese after he signed, but he still posted an .863 OPS in 41 games and reached low Class A Great Lakes.

SCOUTING REPORT: Hoese is a mature hitter who has excellent pitch recognition and controls the strike zone. He rarely chases and forces pitchers to come to him. When they do, Hoese unloads on balls with his natural strength and leveraged swing to produce plus raw power. He can turn on balls for long home runs to left or drive them with authority the other way. With his approach, Hoese is a potential above-average hitter who should clear 20-25 home runs annually. Hoese is a fringe-average runner who ticks up to average underway. He reads balls of the bat well at third base and projects to be at least an average defender with plus hands and an above-average arm.

THE FUTURE: Hoese will rise as quickly as his bat takes him. He'll begin 2020 at high Class A Rancho Cucamonga as long as his elbow is healthy.
A 6-foot-4, 200-pound third baseman with Tulane, Hoese has broken out in his junior season in the American Athletic Conference. After hitting a combined five home runs over his freshman and sophomore seasons, Hoese has managed 19 homers as of April 16--more than any hitter in the country. In that 36-game stretch, Hoese has managed a .409/.500/.879 slash line with more walks (24) than strikeouts (16). However, teams will be plenty skeptical of Hoese on draft day considering his track record prior to this season, and the fact that he's a fringe-average defender at third base. Most of his value is tied to his bat, and with a pair of mediocre wood-bat summer performances, a team taking him on Day 1 or early Day 2 will have to be confident his 2019 season is more indicative of his talent.
It’s customary for the Dodgers to give their college draft picks a few games in the Arizona League before they head off to a higher level. But first-rounder Hoese stayed behind a few weeks longer to heal a tender elbow, thus getting enough playing time to qualify for the AZL prospect list. "He knows the game really well,” Dodgers Mota manager Jair Fernandez said. "He has a good feel for the game.” Hoese gets leverage in his swing and controls the zone well with advanced pitch recognition. While he hasn’t shown the same power as in his final year at Tulane, when he hit 23 home runs, Hoese has plus power potential that will develop with more wood-bat experience. A fringe-average runner, he won’t steal a lot of bases but also won’t be a base-clogger. Because of his elbow issue, Hoese spent most of his time at DH but projects to be a solid-average defender at the hot corner with a tick above-average arm.