Jesse Hoover Stats & Scouting Report

Full name Jesse A. Hoover
Born 01/08/1982 in Wakarusa, IN
Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 210 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Indiana Tech
Drafted in the 5th round (159th overall) by the New York Yankees in 2004 (signed for $90,000).

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Hoover has been one of the surprise names in Indiana this spring, as he's progressed from a junior-varsity pitcher on an NAIA team, to going undrafted as a junior, to becoming a possible fourth- to sixth-round pick as a senior. The 6-foot-3, 210-pounder has gained 10 mph on his fastball in his college career and topped out at 97 this spring. He normally works at 94-95, but the pitch gets on hitters quickly and has explosive life. It was his primary weapon as he set a school record this year by striking out 137 batters in 84 innings--14.7 strikeouts per nine--while going 7-2, 2.47. His curve was a tighter, more consistent pitch this year, but the rest of his stuff was below-average. He projects as a closer in pro ball, his role as a sophomore and junior at Indiana Tech before he moved into the rotation this year.

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The Yankees had a potentially impressive haul of arms from the 2004 draft, and none made an immediate impact like Hoover, who was a junior-varsity pitcher/outfielder as a freshman at Indiana Tech and worked just 57 innings in his first three seasons. He emerged as the team's ace in 2004, leading NAIA pitchers with 14.7 strikeouts per nine innings. His velocity increased from the high 80s to 93-95 mph during the spring, and he touched 96-97 out of the bullpen after signing for $90,000. He ranked second in the short-season New York-Penn League with 90 strikeouts in just 55 innings, relying mostly on his fastball and a hard curveball. Hoover's curve can be a plus pitch, but he needs better command of it. He has toyed with a changeup and a splitter, focusing more on the latter with some success late in the summer. The development of the splitter could be the key to whether Hoover is relegated to the bullpen or is given a chance to start. Some in the organization want to see him smooth out his delivery, which has some deception in the way he brings the ball out of his glove. He attended the organization's fall minicamp and impressed the Yankees with his work ethic. Ticketed for low Class A, he could advance quickly as a power reliever.

Hoover began his college career at Indiana Tech on the junior varsity and went undrafted as a junior in 2003 before exploding this year. He led the NAIA with 14.7 strikeouts per nine innings during the spring, went in the fifth round to the Yankees and continued to overmatch hitters in the NY-P. He averaged 14.6 strikeouts per nine innings (but just missed qualifying for the league lead). Used as a starter in the second half of the summer, Hoover projects more as a closer. His fastball sat in the mid-90s when he came out of the bullpen, reaching as high as 97 mph. "Hoover's got a power arm," Howard said. "He can really run it up there. He's got a power breaking pitch that's really consistent, and one of these days it's all going to click. He can be dominating." Hoover is still more of a thrower than a pitcher, and his arm action scared some observers. But Staten Island manager Tommy John worked with Hoover on polishing his mechanics as well as his curveball and changeup, which is still in its elementary stages.