Brigham Hill
| IP | 99 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 4 |
| WHIP | 1.384 |
| BB/9 | 2.727 |
| SO/9 | 7.182 |
- Full name Brigham Jay Hill
- Born 07/08/1995 in Nacogdoches, TX
- Profile Ht.: 5'11" / Wt.: 190 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Texas A&M
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Drafted in the 5th round (163rd overall) by the Washington Nationals in 2017 (signed for $291,200).
View Draft Report
Much to Texas A&M's delight, Hill spurned the A's as a 20th-round pick last year as a sophomore, choosing instead to be a key part of the Aggies' rotation for another season. Hill can carve up college lineups with a two-pitch approach, using his above-average 90-92 mph sinking fastball that touches 94 to set up a plus changeup. It seems to fall off a cliff just as it reaches the plate thanks to excellent late tumble, acting almost like a splitter and getting more swings and misses than most changeups. He has a curveball with modest break as a third pitch and he's messed with a slider in the past, but it's something he rarely uses because his changeup is so effective. Coaches and scouts love Hill's makeup and his moxie. For draft purposes he has a couple of strikes against him--he's had Tommy John surgery already (in 2012), and while he's listed at 6-foot, 5-foot-10 is a more accurate measurement. But Hill, who is close to graduating already, has a pretty solid starter set to be a crafty reliever, and a team that is willing to work with him on developing his breaking ball could try him as a starter.
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Organization Prospect Rankings
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Track Record: Originally drafted in the 20th round in 2016 by the Athletics as a draft-eligible sophomore, Hill bet on himself and returned to Texas A&M, where he posted another solid campaign and was rewarded with a fifth-round selection and $291,200 signing bonus from the Nationals.
Scouting Report: Something of a high-floor, low-ceiling arm, Hill stands out more for his pitchability than overwhelming pure stuff, though he does have one of the best changeups in Washington's system--a legitimate plus offering with late tumble. Hill's fastball sits mostly in the 90-92 mph range and occasionally touches 94 with a curveball that's fringe-average but impressed Nationals coaches this season. Hill's overall package lends itself more to being a back-of-the-rotation starter than a future bullpen arm as he lacks an impact fastball or breaking ball. His strikeout-to-walk rate backed up this year in the South Atlantic League, though he still managed a 3.08 ERA in almost 50 innings.
The Future: Hill remains a risky pitching prospect and has a small margin for error given his stuff and smaller frame. The improvement of his breaking ball could end up determining how far Hill goes. -
Hill was first drafted in the 20th round in 2016 by the Athletics after a solid sophomore campaign at Texas A&M, but he returned for his junior year, where he threw 100 innings with 111 strikeouts. For that, the Nationals signed him for $291,200 as a fifth-rounder in 2017. Hill pitches off of a low-90s sinking fastball and a plus changeup that has late tumbling action and often resembles a splitter. His changeup is his best offering, but he also has a curveball with downer shape and a chance to be a third average pitch. He's also experimented with a slider in the past. Aside from his changeup, pitchability and makeup are Hill's best attributes with coaches raving about his moxie on the mound and ability to attack different quadrants of the zone, with plus command in the future a possibility. His future in a rotation will likely depend on his ability to develop a consistently reliable breaking ball. Without a reliable breaking ball, Hill's size and fastball/changeup mix could play better in the bullpen. Additionally, he has a Tommy John surgery on his résumé from 2012.
Draft Prospects
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Much to Texas A&M's delight, Hill spurned the A's as a 20th-round pick last year as a sophomore, choosing instead to be a key part of the Aggies' rotation for another season. Hill can carve up college lineups with a two-pitch approach, using his above-average 90-92 mph sinking fastball that touches 94 to set up a plus changeup. It seems to fall off a cliff just as it reaches the plate thanks to excellent late tumble, acting almost like a splitter and getting more swings and misses than most changeups. He has a curveball with modest break as a third pitch and he's messed with a slider in the past, but it's something he rarely uses because his changeup is so effective. Coaches and scouts love Hill's makeup and his moxie. For draft purposes he has a couple of strikes against him--he's had Tommy John surgery already (in 2012), and while he's listed at 6-foot, 5-foot-10 is a more accurate measurement. But Hill, who is close to graduating already, has a pretty solid starter set to be a crafty reliever, and a team that is willing to work with him on developing his breaking ball could try him as a starter. -
A draft-eligible sophomore, Hill began the year in Texas A&M's bullpen but he pitched his way into the weekend rotation by early April. He celebrated by shutting out Georgia for six innings in his SEC starting debut and remained quite effective throughout the remainder of the SEC schedule. Hill has plenty of stuff-a 90-94 mph fastball as a starter that bumps up to 92-95 when he's pitching out of the bullpen and a potentially above-average changeup. He mixes in a usable but below-average slider. Hill's lack of size (he's listed at 6-foot, 185-pound) and status as a draft-eligible sophomore clouds his draft position. If a team is willing to pay, he could be picked early on day two of the draft, but his significant leverage and resulting asking price could lead teams to wait 'til next year instead.
