Jaden Hill

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Colorado Rockies #15 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme
  
  Track Record: A highly touted recruit from the Arkansas prep ranks, Hill endured the Covid pandemic bookended by two injury plagued seasons at Louisiana State. Hill injured his elbow twice at LSU and had Tommy John surgery in his draft year. Still, the Rockies took him in the second round and signed him for slot money. He made his debut in 2022 and split his year between the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League and Low-A Fresno. His college pedigree should allow him to jump on a faster track in 2023.
  
  Scouting Report: An athletic pitcher with a strong, muscular build, Hill has displayed upside and potential since high school. He has fast arm with a long stroke and a low three-quarters slot. Hill throws his side-spinning four-seamer in the mid-90s and backs it up with a low-90s cutter, a mid-80s gyro slider and a low-to-mid-80s changeup with tumble and fade. Hill's best offspeed is his changeup, which is effective to both lefties and righties. He's improved the shape on his slider and added more power to the version he showed at LSU. His command was fringy in 2022 but could tick up a bit the further removed he is from surgery. His mix is powerful and could fit in a variety of roles.
  
  The Future: A strong return late in the season left little questions around Hill's big stuff returning to pre-injury form. With a trio of average or better pitches and developing command, Hill has No. 4 starter upside but with plenty of risk.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55. Slider: 50. Changeup: 55. Cutter: 40. Control: 45.
• 
  Ranked Colorado Rockies #11 prospect in 2022
  Track Record: Hill has been a prized pitching prospect since his prep days in Arkansas, but injuries have since marred his development. He was limited to six games across 2019 and 2020 at Louisiana State because of elbow problems and the pandemic and then lasted only 29.2 innings in 2021 before tearing his ulnar collateral ligament. The injury required Tommy John surgery and sent the projected first-round pick tumbling down the draft board. The Rockies gambled on him in the second round and signed him for the full slot value of $1,689,500.
  
  Scouting Report: When healthy, Hill has three plus pitches in a mid-90s fastball, a mid-80s changeup and a wipeout slider. But his velocity, command and offspeed were all inconsistent in the seven starts he made prior to getting hurt in 2021, resulting in a 6.67 ERA. Hill’s injury history goes beyond just his time at LSU. He broke his collarbone playing football and broke his wrist playing basketball in high school and has little extended track record of success, largely because of his frequent injuries. He is an excellent athlete with a powerful 6-foot-4, 234-pound frame, but he has yet to demonstrate the ability to consistently command his pitches to both sides of the plate.
  
  The Future: Hill’s offseason throwing program has him on track to make his pro debut in 2022. His athleticism and stuff give him enormous upside, but he needs to accumulate innings and prove he can stay healthy.
  

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #24 prospect in 2021 draft
  Few pitchers in this year’s class will spark more debate than Hill. A 38th-round pick of the Cardinals out of high school in 2018, Hill is the younger brother of outfielder Kentrell Hill, a 10th-round pick of the Giants in 2011. A team willing to take on risk could land a top-10 talent later in the first round. Hill has flashed front-of-the-rotation stuff at his best and was seen as a potential top-five pick coming into the 2021 season. Hill’s 2021 season ended after seven starts when he tore his ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow and had Tommy John surgery. Hill’s freshman season in 2019 was cut short after just two starts because of a previous UCL strain. In high school he broke his collarbone playing football and broke his wrist while playing basketball. Evaluators noted that Hill was not showing the same quality of stuff in 2021 as he had shown in his four 2020 relief appearances—his plus slider was playing as a below-average pitch. While his fastball showed its normal velocity (92-96 mph and touching 98), hitters more often teed off on it. His plus-plus, low-80s changeup is one pitch that remained top-tier—it’s one of the best changeups in the draft class with velocity separation as well as tumbling depth and fade. It dives down and away from bats, making it a true swing-and-miss pitch. The quandary with Hill is that he has not had a track record of stringing together success—he posted a 6.67 ERA in 2021. No USA Baseball or Cape Cod League season in 2020 means Hill has only 51.1 college innings and nine starts for teams to evaluate. His injury offers an explanation for his subpar performance, but it kept him from stringing together the consistent success teams wanted to see. If he can stay healthy, Hill offers alluring upside with velocity, athleticism and average control. He is an exceptional athlete who was a standout quarterback and point guard in high school—he had Division I football offers and turned down the opportunity to play football in addition to baseball at LSU.
• Ranked #86 prospect in 2018 draft
  An athletic righthandeder, Hill was also seen as a solid quarterback prospect in high school, although he broke his right collarbone while on the football field during his senior season. Prior to the fall, Hill had put himself on teams' radars with several impressive performances, including an outing at the East Coast Pro showcase where he sat in the low 90s with life to his fastball. He also showed one of the better changeups at the event, a pitch in the 78-82 mph range that he threw with fastball arm speed and got multiple swings and misses. With a 6-foot-4, 215-pound frame, Hill offers some projection thanks to his athleticism and two-sport background, and he also showed impressive feel to pitch. His breaking ball has also looked better this spring than last summer. Teams will be more concerned with his arm following the collarbone injury, as some scouts have noted that it impacted his armspeed, but the Louisiana State commit has still been up to 94-95 mph at times this spring.

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme
  
  Track Record: A highly touted recruit from the Arkansas prep ranks, Hill endured the Covid pandemic bookended by two injury plagued seasons at Louisiana State. Hill injured his elbow twice at LSU and had Tommy John surgery in his draft year. Still, the Rockies took him in the second round and signed him for slot money. He made his debut in 2022 and split his year between the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League and Low-A Fresno. His college pedigree should allow him to jump on a faster track in 2023.
  
  Scouting Report: An athletic pitcher with a strong, muscular build, Hill has displayed upside and potential since high school. He has fast arm with a long stroke and a low three-quarters slot. Hill throws his side-spinning four-seamer in the mid-90s and backs it up with a low-90s cutter, a mid-80s gyro slider and a low-to-mid-80s changeup with tumble and fade. Hill's best offspeed is his changeup, which is effective to both lefties and righties. He's improved the shape on his slider and added more power to the version he showed at LSU. His command was fringy in 2022 but could tick up a bit the further removed he is from surgery. His mix is powerful and could fit in a variety of roles.
  
  The Future: A strong return late in the season left little questions around Hill's big stuff returning to pre-injury form. With a trio of average or better pitches and developing command, Hill has No. 4 starter upside but with plenty of risk.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55. Slider: 50. Changeup: 55. Cutter: 40. Control: 45.
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme
  
  Track Record: A highly touted recruit from the Arkansas prep ranks, Hill endured the Covid pandemic bookended by two injury plagued seasons at Louisiana State. Hill injured his elbow twice at LSU and had Tommy John surgery in his draft year. Still, the Rockies took him in the second round and signed him for slot money. He made his debut in 2022 and split his year between the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League and Low-A Fresno. His college pedigree should allow him to jump on a faster track in 2023.
  
  Scouting Report: An athletic pitcher with a strong, muscular build, Hill has displayed upside and potential since high school. He has fast arm with a long stroke and a low three-quarters slot. Hill throws his side-spinning four-seamer in the mid-90s and backs it up with a low-90s cutter, a mid-80s gyro slider and a low-to-mid-80s changeup with tumble and fade. Hill's best offspeed is his changeup, which is effective to both lefties and righties. He's improved the shape on his slider and added more power to the version he showed at LSU. His command was fringy in 2022 but could tick up a bit the further removed he is from surgery. His mix is powerful and could fit in a variety of roles.
  
  The Future: A strong return late in the season left little questions around Hill's big stuff returning to pre-injury form. With a trio of average or better pitches and developing command, Hill has No. 4 starter upside but with plenty of risk.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55. Slider: 50. Changeup: 55. Cutter: 40. Control: 45.
• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 50/Extreme
  
  Track Record:: Hill has been a prized pitching prospect since his prep days in Arkansas, but injuries have since marred his development. He was limited to six games across 2019 and 2020 at Louisiana State because of elbow problems and the pandemic and then lasted only 29.2 innings in 2021 before tearing his ulnar collateral ligament. The injury required Tommy John surgery and sent the projected first-round pick tumbling down the draft board. The Rockies gambled on him in the second round and signed him for the full slot value of $1,689,500.
  
  Scouting Report: When healthy, Hill has three plus pitches in a mid-90s fastball, a mid-80s changeup and a wipeout slider. But his velocity, command and offspeed were all inconsistent in the seven starts he made prior to getting hurt in 2021, resulting in a 6.67 ERA. Hill&#39s injury history goes beyond just his time at LSU. He broke his collarbone playing football and broke his wrist playing basketball in high school and has little extended track record of success, largely because of his frequent injuries. He is an excellent athlete with a powerful 6-foot-4, 234-pound frame, but he has yet to demonstrate the ability to consistently command his pitches to both sides of the plate.
  
  The Future: Hill&#39s offseason throwing program has him on track to make his pro debut in 2022. His athleticism and stuff give him enormous upside, but he needs to accumulate innings and prove he can stay healthy.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55. Slider: 45. Curveball: 40. Changeup: 60. Control: 45.
• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  Track Record: Hill has been a prized pitching prospect since his prep days in Arkansas, but injuries have since marred his development. He was limited to six games across 2019 and 2020 at Louisiana State because of elbow problems and the pandemic and then lasted only 29.2 innings in 2021 before tearing his ulnar collateral ligament. The injury required Tommy John surgery and sent the projected first-round pick tumbling down the draft board. The Rockies gambled on him in the second round and signed him for the full slot value of $1,689,500.
  
  Scouting Report: When healthy, Hill has three plus pitches in a mid-90s fastball, a mid-80s changeup and a wipeout slider. But his velocity, command and offspeed were all inconsistent in the seven starts he made prior to getting hurt in 2021, resulting in a 6.67 ERA. Hill’s injury history goes beyond just his time at LSU. He broke his collarbone playing football and broke his wrist playing basketball in high school and has little extended track record of success, largely because of his frequent injuries. He is an excellent athlete with a powerful 6-foot-4, 234-pound frame, but he has yet to demonstrate the ability to consistently command his pitches to both sides of the plate.
  
  The Future: Hill’s offseason throwing program has him on track to make his pro debut in 2022. His athleticism and stuff give him enormous upside, but he needs to accumulate innings and prove he can stay healthy.