Brock Huntzinger
| IP | 810 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 4.111 |
| WHIP | 1.32 |
| BB/9 | 2.878 |
| SO/9 | 7.3 |
- Full name Brock Alan Huntzinger
- Born 07/02/1988 in Anderson, IN
- Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 200 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Pendleton Heights
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Drafted in the 3rd round (114th overall) by the Boston Red Sox in 2007 (signed for $225,000).
View Draft Report
As the draft approached, righthander Brock Huntzinger's draft stock was rising. Pendleton Heights didn't begin its season until mid-April, and Huntzinger quickly impressed scouts with his 6-foot-3, 210-pound frame, a high 80s fastball that tops out at 92 mph and a good slider. He's athletic and has fair command, and he's still a work in progress. He could go as high as the third to fifth round, which should be enough to lure him away from a commitment to Indiana.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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The Red Sox gave significant bonuses to three high school pitchers in the 2007 draft: Huntzinger ($225,000 in the third round), Austin Bailey ($285,000 in the 16th) and Drake Britton ($700,000 in the 23rd). While Bailey partially tore his labrum in April and Britton blew out his elbow in August, Huntzinger tore up the New York-Penn League. Facing hitters generally two or three years older than he was, he went 5-0 and was leading the NY-P with a 0.64 ERA before he was promoted to low Class A. Huntzinger lost his command in Greenville and surrendered a stunning 12 homers in 27 innings, but Boston was pleased with his first full pro season. Like Michael Bowden, he's a Midwestern high school product who pitches well with his fastball and has a strong build and work ethic. Huntzinger pounds both sides of the plate with a lively fastball that sits in the low 90s. His secondary pitches aren't as advanced as Bowden's were at the same stage of his career, but Huntzinger has a solid if inconsistent slider and a promising changeup with some fade. He has good athleticism and works from a three-quarters arm slot. While Huntzinger threw strikes in low Class A, he left his pitches up in the strike zone too often, something the Red Sox attribute to late-season fatigue. He's still ahead of most pitchers his age, and he has the feel to make the necessary adjustments when he returns to Greenville in 2009.
Minor League Top Prospects
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Huntzinger was the best of a group of intriguing teenage pitchers on the Lowell staff, and he had no problems facing more experienced hitters in his first extended taste of pro ball. He gave up a total of three runs in eight starts, earning a late-July callup to low Class A, where two rough outings skewed his ERA (7.09). Huntzinger has an athletic, physical frame and good mechanics. He has decent command of a three-pitch repertoire, highlighted by a lively low-90s fastball that he spots to both sides of the plate. He also throws a solid-average slider and a very promising changeup with fade. As a Indiana high school product with relatively few innings under his belt, he has a fresh arm and a high ceiling.
