Zack Hess

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #76 prospect in 2019 draft
  Hess knows what it's like to hear his name called on draft day, as this June will be the third time he has been selected. He was a 35th-round pick of the Braves out of high school and a 36th-round pick of the Yankees last year as a draft-eligible sophomore. He'll be taken much higher this year, even after a year that has been a little disappointing. Hess impressed last summer with USA Baseball's Collegiate National Team, as he developed his rarely used changeup into a potentially fringe-average pitch. But heading into his junior season. Hess pulled a groin muscle, then suffered a second, different groin injury that forced him to exit an April 12 start against Missouri after only 13 ineffective pitches. After his second injury, the Tigers moved Hess back to the bullpen, where he had been extremely effective as a freshman. Following an impressive relief appearance against Florida, that was expected to be his new role, but an injury to freshman Cole Henry forced LSU to return Hess to starting on Friday night. Switching back and forth just reinforced the belief among many scouts that Hess is best suited for a relief role. He's battled control problems over longer stints, has a head whack in his delivery and his high-intensity approach seems to help him thrive in pressure-packed relief appearances. A slight cross-fire in his delivery also helps him hide the ball. At his best, Hess has two devastating plus pitches with a mid-90s fastball that has touched 98 mph and a hard but sometimes inconsistent power slider. But his fastball and breaking ball are generally less impressive when he's starting, which leads to the belief among a number of scouts that you'd rather have Hess try to attack hitters for an inning or two rather than work as a middling back-of-the-rotation starter. If he did move to the bullpen in pro ball, it wouldn't be surprising to see him eventually touch 100 mph with a plus slider. As a starter, he'll have to improve his below-average command and control.
• Ranked #87 prospect in 2018 draft
  The son of Karl Hess, a long-time NCAA basketball referee, Zack Hess was considered a premium draft prospect coming out of high school, ranked No. 167 on the 2016 BA 500. He slid to the Yankees in the 35th round, however, because everyone knew he was headed to Louisiana State. Hess moved from being a mid-week starter to a dominating closer for LSU as a freshman and was outstanding in the College World Series, striking out 11 batters in seven innings over five appearances. Hess moved back to the rotation this season. The big, 6-foot-6 righthander has toned down his delivery since high school and it's now slower and more controlled. He's eliminated the head whack he used to have, which has helped improve his fastball command. But despite improved fringe-average control, a number of evaluators see Hess moving back to the bullpen in pro ball in part because of his fastball-slider combo is so effective in shorter stints. As a starter, he sits 92-94 and touches 97 mph. Thanks to angle and life, Hess gets swings and misses with his plus fastball and his slider is above-average as well, although it plays as more of a plus pitch out of the bullpen. He flashes an average changeup, but he doesn't use it much against college hitters. Hess is athletic and extremely competitive. He's a draft-eligible sophomore, so he's likely to have a high asking price, but he's a second to third-round talent, so some team might be willing to pay.
• Ranked #167 prospect in 2016 draft
  Hess is the son of longtime college basketball referee Karl Hess, a notorious official in ACC country before stepping away in 2015. Like his father, Hess has made a strong impression on scouts for his toughness. A mature bodied 6-foot-6, 215-pound righthander, Hess put on a show against top prep lefthander Braxton Garrett at the National High School Invitational in Cary, N.C., throwing seven no-hit innings before folding in the extra eighth inning. Hess stands out for his arm strength, working in the low-90s and touching higher with a hard slider as his main secondary offering. There's some effort in his delivery, as well as a prominent head whack, which suggests his best fit might be as a reliever. A Louisiana State commit, Hess is part of a LSU recruiting class that also includes hard-throwing prep righthander Riley Pint.

• December, 2018 Scouting Report
  Hess knows what it's like to hear his name called on draft day, as this June will be the third time he has been selected. He was a 35th-round pick of the Braves out of high school and a 36th-round pick of the Yankees last year as a draft-eligible sophomore. He'll be taken much higher this year, even after a year that has been a little disappointing. Hess impressed last summer with USA Baseball's Collegiate National Team, as he developed his rarely used changeup into a potentially fringe-average pitch. But heading into his junior season. Hess pulled a groin muscle, then suffered a second, different groin injury that forced him to exit an April 12 start against Missouri after only 13 ineffective pitches. After his second injury, the Tigers moved Hess back to the bullpen, where he had been extremely effective as a freshman. Following an impressive relief appearance against Florida, that was expected to be his new role, but an injury to freshman Cole Henry forced LSU to return Hess to starting on Friday night. Switching back and forth just reinforced the belief among many scouts that Hess is best suited for a relief role. He's battled control problems over longer stints, has a head whack in his delivery and his high-intensity approach seems to help him thrive in pressure-packed relief appearances. A slight cross-fire in his delivery also helps him hide the ball. At his best, Hess has two devastating plus pitches with a mid-90s fastball that has touched 98 mph and a hard but sometimes inconsistent power slider. But his fastball and breaking ball are generally less impressive when he's starting, which leads to the belief among a number of scouts that you'd rather have Hess try to attack hitters for an inning or two rather than work as a middling back-of-the-rotation starter. If he did move to the bullpen in pro ball, it wouldn't be surprising to see him eventually touch 100 mph with a plus slider. As a starter, he'll have to improve his below-average command and control.