Shooter Hunt Stats & Scouting Report

Full name Steven Daniel Hunt
Born 08/16/1986 in Westwood, NJ
Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 200 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Tulane
Drafted in the C-A round (31st overall) by the Minnesota Twins in 2008 (signed for $1,080,000).

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Hunt has been impossible to hit all spring for Tulane in trying to lead the Green Wave back to regionals, limiting opponents to a .144 average while averaging 12.2 strikeouts per nine innings through 12 starts. Batters just can't put the barrel on his lively fastball, which sits at 91-92 mph and tops out at 94, or his hard breaking ball, which features curveball break and slider velocity. A full-time catcher until his junior year in high school, Hunt still is learning the nuances of pitching. He nibbles at the corners and often pitches away from contact rather than attacking hitters. As a result, he had allowed more walks (42) than hits (38) this spring. A sturdy 6-foot-3, 200-pounder, Hunt should be more than capable of handling the demands of starting in pro ball. His biggest adjustment will be learning to trust his stuff so he can keep his pitch counts down. He flashes a plus changeup in the bullpen, though he doesn't use it much in games. He led the Cape Cod League in strikeouts after his freshman season, which he spent at Virginia. Hunt could go as high as No. 7 to the Reds, but more likely fits in the middle of the first round.

Top Rankings

As a New Jersey high schooler, Hunt played catcher and pitched on a scout team coached by Twins area scout John Wilson. After transferring from Virginia, he ranked among the NCAA Division I leaders in ERA and strikeouts in both his seasons at Tulane. He faded down the stretch and fell out of the first round in 2008, but Minnesota happily scooped him up with the first pick of the sandwich round and signed him for $1.08 million. Hunt has premium stuff and reminds Twins scouts of Scott Baker. His fastball sits at 91-94 mph, and his curveball already ranks as the best in the system. It's a two-plane breaker with depth and power that he throws with conviction. Command has vexed Hunt since he became a full-time pitcher as a high school senior. He improved his strike-throwing ability in instructional league by moving his feet closer together, which aided in maintaining his load in his delivery and providing better balance. He lacks confidence and consistency with his changeup, but it does have potential. To start 2009, Hunt will return to low Class A, where he struggled when he tired late in his pro debut. If his improvements from instructional league take hold, he could move rapidly and challenge for a big league rotation spot late in 2010.