Gage Hinsz
| IP | 221 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 4.195 |
| WHIP | 1.339 |
| BB/9 | 2.729 |
| SO/9 | 6.068 |
- Full name Gage Michael Hinsz
- Born 04/20/1996 in Billings, MT
- Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 222 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Billings West
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Drafted in the 11th round (341st overall) by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2014 (signed for $580,000).
View Draft Report
Hinsz is one of the most talented pitchers to come out of the Montana prep ranks in recent memory. The state does not have high school baseball, so he played for the Langley Blaze, a British Columbia-based club team, early in the spring before American Legion baseball started in May. His improving stuff, body and projection give him the makings of a mid-rotation starter. The athletic 6-foot-5, 210-pound Hinsz has an ideal pitcher's build with broad shoulders, a high waist and long levers. His velocity was 88-90 mph, touching 92 early in the spring, but he sustained 90-93 as the weather warmed. Hinsz also has a quick arm and easy delivery that generates downhill plane from a high three-quarters arm slot. Both his curveball and changeup show average potential, and his changeup has improved significantly over the last year. He uses his curveball more often, and the offering has solid shape and spin. The ease of his delivery should allow him to throw strikes to remain as a starter. Given his locale and physical projection, Hinsz has the chance to improve significantly in three years at Oregon State. If he goes in the top half-dozen rounds he would become the highest-drafted Montana prep pitcher in state history.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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Track Record: Hinsz's 2018 season was ended thanks to the terrifying news that his aortic valve had narrowed to the point that he needed open-heart surgery. He missed the entire 2018 season as a result but was back on the mound in the fall for instructional league in the Dominican Republic.
Scouting Report: In the fall, Hinsz was once again showing signs of being the player the Pirates drafted and convinced to pass on a scholarship to Oregon State. He has a fastball that touches 96 mph with sink and a hard-diving curveball as well as a changeup. His problem so far in the minor leagues has been leaving too many pitches up in the zone. Florida State Leaguers hit .296 against him at high Class A Bradenton in 2017.
The Future: Just getting back on the field is good news for Hinsz. It's possible that Hinsz will have to repeat the FSL in 2019 and prove he can get such hitters out before the Pirates are willing to move him up to Double-A Altoona. -
Hinsz was hard to scout because Montana doesn't have high school baseball, but the Pirates signed him based on what they saw from him playing American Legion baseball and with the Langley Blaze, a youth travel team based in British Columbia. Hinsz's 2017 season at high Class A Bradenton provided the most obvious evidence so far that he's a project, as opponents hit just south of .300 against him. He continues to show flashes of elite stuff, including a fastball that can touch 97 mph and sits at 94-95, a sharp breaking ball with a three-quarters type break and a developing changeup. However, the Pirates minor league coaching staff is constantly working with Hinsz's mechanics, and he has issues with command. He doesn't have a problem throwing strikes, but he too often leaves pitches in problematic parts of the zone, which is a big part of the reason why his WHIP has been over 1.50 in three of his four minor league seasons. The Pirates hope Hinsz can begin 2018 at Double-A Altoona, but he might have to stay behind in the Florida State League for more seasoning. -
Hinsz didn't get as much exposure to scouts as most teenage prospects because Montana does not have high school baseball. Thus scouts got most of their looks at Hinsz while he was playing American Legion ball or with the Langley (B.C.) Blaze travel program. With no high school baseball, Hinsz spent his springs working on his prized 1967 Dodge Coronet and winters working the shot clock at Rocky Mountain College basketball games in Billings. There is more projection needed in evaluating Hinsz than most prospects his age because of his lack of experience. Regardless, his plus fastball now reaches 95 mph as he has learned to repeat his delivery more consistently since entering pro ball. His command also improved drastically as a result. His curveball and changeup both have the possibility of becoming above-average pitches but are a ways off. Hinsz is a good athlete and a willing learner. The Pirates knew he was a project when they drafted him, but he impressed by successfully making the jump to low Class A West Virginia in 2016 and is right on par with other prospects his age. Hinsz continues to make steady progress and should begin 2017 in the rotation at high Class A Bradenton. -
Hinsz was more raw than most high school draftees because he hails from Montana, a state that does not offer high school baseball. Instead, he would pitch for the Langley (B.C.) Blaze in the spring and play American Legion ball in the summers. His live arm did not escape notice, though. It was intriguing enough for Oregon State to sign him to a scholarship and for the Pirates to go over slot to sign him. They Pirates spent basically all of their extra bonus-pool money a month after the 2014 draft when they signed Hinsz for $580,000. His fastball sits at 90-92 mph and touches 94 with good sink. He has good deception and projection remaining because his body hasn't filled out. He also has the makings of two other potentially plus pitches in his curveball and changeup. There is still a ton of development time ahead for Hinsz, who walked 5.5 batters per nine innings at Rookie-level Bristol in 2015, but he is athletic enough to eventually repeat his delivery. He should move up to short-season West Virginia in 2016. Year Club (League)Class W L ERA G GS CG SV IP H HR BB SO K/9 WHIP AVG -
The Pirates took a shot on Hinsz in the 11th round of the 2014 draft, then took what they had left of their bonus pool money and signed the Oregon State recruit for $580,000. It's a risk because he is the kind of all-projection pitcher who often gets nabbed after three years of college development. Hinsz is intriguing because of his size and 91-93 mph fastball that looks even quicker to hitters because he throws it downhill from a three-quarters arm slot. His curveball and changeup need refinement but he is able to repeat his mechanics consistently. Hinsz is more about projection than results at this stage after logging just eight innings in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League. The Pirates figure to take it slow with him and might even assign him to Rookie-level Bristol in 2015 following a stint in extended spring training.
Draft Prospects
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Hinsz is one of the most talented pitchers to come out of the Montana prep ranks in recent memory. The state does not have high school baseball, so he played for the Langley Blaze, a British Columbia-based club team, early in the spring before American Legion baseball started in May. His improving stuff, body and projection give him the makings of a mid-rotation starter. The athletic 6-foot-5, 210-pound Hinsz has an ideal pitcher's build with broad shoulders, a high waist and long levers. His velocity was 88-90 mph, touching 92 early in the spring, but he sustained 90-93 as the weather warmed. Hinsz also has a quick arm and easy delivery that generates downhill plane from a high three-quarters arm slot. Both his curveball and changeup show average potential, and his changeup has improved significantly over the last year. He uses his curveball more often, and the offering has solid shape and spin. The ease of his delivery should allow him to throw strikes to remain as a starter. Given his locale and physical projection, Hinsz has the chance to improve significantly in three years at Oregon State. If he goes in the top half-dozen rounds he would become the highest-drafted Montana prep pitcher in state history.
Minor League Top Prospects
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Few teams have done a better job of developing late-round, projectable arms into quality pitching prospects than the Pirates. They did it with righthanders Tyler Glasnow (fifth round) and Chad Kuhl (ninth round), and now they are doing it with Hinsz, a Montana prep taken in the 11th round and signed for $580,000. The Pirates envision velocity gains when they draft projectable young arms, and Hinsz is no exception. He now sits 91-94 mph with a changeup he turned into an above-average weapon this year. He also throws a developing, high-70s curveball that flashes plus when he stays on top of it. Held back in extended spring training until June after walking more than five batters per nine innings last year at Rookie-level Bristol, Hinsz cut his walk rate in half this year. Hinsz doesn't get to his velocity as easy as teammate Mitch Keller, but then few do. He also isn't as consistent from start to start, but he proved to be a worthy wingman to the West Virginia ace.
