Thomas Hatch Stats & Scouting Report

IP	69
ERA	4.957
WHIP	1.551
BB/9	4.304
SO/9	7.957

Full name Thomas Hatch
Born 09/29/1994 in Tulsa, OK
Profile Ht.: 6'1" / Wt.: 195 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Oklahoma State
Debut 07/26/2020
Drafted in the 3rd round (104th overall) by the Chicago Cubs in 2016 (signed for $573,900).

View Draft Report

Hatch missed all of the 2015 with a sprained elbow ligament in his pitching arm, but after a long rehab (and no surgery) the redshirt sophomore responded with a dominant 2016 season as he became the second consecutive Big 12 pitcher of the year from Stillwater (Michael Freeman was the 2015 winner). Hatch doesn't have a sit-down strikeout pitch but his 89-94 mph fastball and above-average slider have made him an effective Friday starter. Hatch's elbow will require teams to dive deep into his medical reports. He's shown excellent durability this year; at one point he strung together three consecutive complete-game shutouts. He's not a potential pro ace, but he's a relatively safe pick as a pitcher with a back-of-rotation or middle-reliever profile.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Track Record: Hatch reached Double-A with the Cubs before they sent him to the Blue Jays in the 2019 trade deadline deal for David Phelps. He made his major league debut as a reliever in 2020, but returned to a starting role in 2021. Hatch opened the year on the injured list with a right elbow impingement and did make three more major league appearances but spent most of the season in Triple-A Buffalo.

Scouting Report: Hatch is now 27, with a chance he could stick as a back-end starter but might ultimately end up in a relief role. His delivery is smooth and controlled, and he threw plenty of strikes in Triple-A before running into some control issues in the big leagues. His four-seam fastball is a powerful, high-spin pitch that sits at 92-96 mph and can reach 98. He mixes it with a lively two-seamer as well. After Hatch arrived from the Cubs, the Blue Jays encouraged him to throw more of his changeup, which is now his go-to offspeed pitch, grading out plus. He has tight spin on a mid-80s slider that is an average but inconsistent pitch.

The Future: Hatch has the delivery and repertoire of a starter, but given his age and Toronto’s current rotation, he could end up fitting into their bullpen picture in 2022.
TRACK RECORD: Hatch won Big 12 Conference pitcher of the year in 2016 at Oklahoma State and was drafted by the Cubs in the third round. He made his way up to Double-A in the Cubs' system and was acquired by the Blue Jays at the 2019 trade deadline for David Phelps. Hatch's results improved when the Blue Jays encouraged him to throw his changeup more. He made his major league debut in 2020 as a reliever, with his stuff looking sharper out of the bullpen. Elbow discomfort in 2021 spring training, however, will delay him from pitching early in the season.

SCOUTING REPORT: Hatch's fastball sat in the low 90s as a starter but ticked up to 94-98 mph as a reliever. He generates above-average spin that helps his fastball play up, though he needs to improve his command. Hatch mainly threw his fastball and slider in college and with the Cubs, but his plus changeup is his best offspeed pitch, a weapon for whiffs against both lefties and righties. It looks like a fastball out of his hand before hitting the brakes at 84-88 mph, resulting in off-balance and empty swings. Hatch throws his solid-average slider with more power out of the bullpen than he did as a starter. It comes in at 86-91 mph with short, hard action and is capable of getting swings and misses as well.

THE FUTURE: Hatch has a smooth, controlled delivery and a three-pitch starter's mix, so a return to the rotation is possible. Given how much better his stuff played in relief, he might stay there going forward.
Track Record: Hatch missed a season at Oklahoma State with a strained ulnar collateral ligament. A platelet-rich plasma injection helped him get back on the mound without surgery, however, and he went 9-3, 2.14 in his junior season to help lead the Cowboys to the College World Series. He got on the mound as a pro for the first time in 2017, to mixed results, and was inconsistent again in 2018.

Scouting Report: Hatch has a solid three-pitch mix, but nothing that would qualify as a knockout. He sinks his low-90s fastball to both sides of the plate and can run the pitch up to 95 at times. He pairs it with a low-80s slider that he can manipulate for called strikes or sharpen for chases. The pitch projects as a 55 on the 20-to-80 scouting scale. He also throws an 80-82 mph changeup that is below-average now and projects to be a tick better with repetition.

The Future: After a year in Double-A, Hatch is likely to move to Triple-A Iowa in 2019. He has the ceiling of a No. 5 starter or a long reliever.
Hatch had tremendous success as an amateur, first at Jenks (Okla.) High, then at Oklahoma State, where he missed a year with a strained ulnar collateral ligament. A platelet-rich injection helped him recover without surgery to lead Oklahoma State to the 2016 College World Series, and he made every start in 2017, his first as a pro, while ranking fifth in the high Class A Carolina League with 9.1 strikeouts per nine innings. Hatch has diversified his sinker-slider repertoire as a pro by adding a four-seam fastball and throwing his average changeup much more often than he did in college. He can reach 95 mph with his four-seamer and is learning to work up in the zone, particularly against lefthanded hitters, to change their eye level. Improved pitch sequencing would help his whole arsenal play up. His low-90s sinker with plus life remains his bread and butter, and his above-average slider pairs with it to allow him to pitch to both sides of the plate. His pitch mix and late life in the zone helped him give up just two homers Command was Hatch's bugaboo in 2017. The Cubs believe he's a good enough athlete, one who fields his position well and holds runners, to make the leap. He'll be tested at Double-A Tennessee in 2018 and profiles as a No. 3 or No. 4 starter.
Hatch teamed with White Sox farmhand Trey Michalczewski at Jenks (Okla.) High, the same school that produced Josh Johnson. Hatch ranked No. 128 on the BA 500 draft ranking out of high school but dropped to the 32nd round (Rockies), and an elbow strain caused him to miss the 2015 season. He returned in 2016 with a streamlined delivery engineered by Oklahoma State pitching coach Rob Walton, winning Big 12 Conference pitcher of the year honors and leading the Cowboys to their first College World Series since 1999. Hatch didn't pitch for the Cubs after signing for $573,900 because he tossed 130.1 innings for OSU, though he threw in instructional league. His ability to pitch off his fastball attracted the Cubs the most. It's a plus pitch that sits 93-94 mph at its best with sinking life. He has advanced fastball command for a college pitcher and sets up hitters well by front-dooring lefthanded hitters with two-seam fastballs and back-dooring them with his slider. Nebraska coach Darin Erstad compared Hatch's above-average low-80s slider to that of ex-big leaguer Brad Lidge, and his solid-average changeup plays off his fastball well. Hatch's three-pitch mix and strike-throwing ability give him a chance to move quickly, though his lack of a plus secondary pitch gives him more of a back-of-the-rotation profile.

Draft Prospects

Hatch missed all of the 2015 with a sprained elbow ligament in his pitching arm, but after a long rehab (and no surgery) the redshirt sophomore responded with a dominant 2016 season as he became the second consecutive Big 12 pitcher of the year from Stillwater (Michael Freeman was the 2015 winner). Hatch doesn't have a sit-down strikeout pitch but his 89-94 mph fastball and above-average slider have made him an effective Friday starter. Hatch's elbow will require teams to dive deep into his medical reports. He's shown excellent durability this year; at one point he strung together three consecutive complete-game shutouts. He's not a potential pro ace, but he's a relatively safe pick as a pitcher with a back-of-rotation or middle-reliever profile.
Hatch emerged as an early-round prospect for 2013 in the summer after his high school sophomore season, then plateaued a bit before taking a step forward this spring. He pitched well against nationally ranked The Woodlands (Texas) at the National High School Invitational in mid-April, showing a 90-93 mph fastball with quality run and sink. He hit 95 mph when he returned home to Oklahoma, without sacrificing any of his feel for pitching. He doesn't offer a ton of projection at 6-foot-2, 205 pounds, but he throws strikes and has a chance to have three solid pitches in his fastball, slider and changeup. He has committed to Oklahoma State.

Scouting Reports

Track Record: Hatch reached Double-A with the Cubs before they sent him to the Blue Jays in the 2019 trade deadline deal for David Phelps. He made his major league debut as a reliever in 2020, but returned to a starting role in 2021. Hatch opened the year on the injured list with a right elbow impingement and did make three more major league appearances but spent most of the season in Triple-A Buffalo.

Scouting Report: Hatch is now 27, with a chance he could stick as a back-end starter but might ultimately end up in a relief role. His delivery is smooth and controlled, and he threw plenty of strikes in Triple-A before running into some control issues in the big leagues. His four-seam fastball is a powerful, high-spin pitch that sits at 92-96 mph and can reach 98. He mixes it with a lively two-seamer as well. After Hatch arrived from the Cubs, the Blue Jays encouraged him to throw more of his changeup, which is now his go-to offspeed pitch, grading out plus. He has tight spin on a mid-80s slider that is an average but inconsistent pitch.

The Future: Hatch has the delivery and repertoire of a starter, but given his age and Toronto’s current rotation, he could end up fitting into their bullpen picture in 2022.
TRACK RECORD: Hatch won Big 12 Conference pitcher of the year in 2016 at Oklahoma State and was drafted by the Cubs in the third round. He made his way up to Double-A in the Cubs' system and was acquired by the Blue Jays at the 2019 trade deadline for David Phelps. Hatch's results improved when the Blue Jays encouraged him to throw his changeup more. He made his major league debut in 2020 as a reliever, with his stuff looking sharper out of the bullpen.

SCOUTING REPORT: Hatch's fastball sat in the low 90s as a starter but ticked up to 94-98 mph as a reliever. He generates above-average spin that helps his fastball play up, though he needs to improve his command. Hatch mainly threw his fastball and slider in college and with the Cubs, but his plus changeup is his best offspeed pitch, a weapon for whiffs against both lefties and righties. It looks like a fastball out of his hand before hitting the brakes at 84-88 mph, resulting in off-balance and empty swings. Hatch throws his solid-average slider with more power out of the bullpen than he did as a starter. It comes in at 86-91 mph with short, hard action and is capable of getting swings and misses as well.

THE FUTURE: Hatch has a smooth, controlled delivery and a three-pitch starter's mix, so a return to the rotation is possible. Given how much better his stuff played in relief, he might stay there going forward.
TRACK RECORD: Hatch won Big 12 Conference pitcher of the year in 2016 at Oklahoma State and was drafted by the Cubs in the third round. He made his way up to Double-A in the Cubs' system and was acquired by the Blue Jays at the 2019 trade deadline for David Phelps. Hatch's results improved when the Blue Jays encouraged him to throw his changeup more. He made his major league debut in 2020 as a reliever, with his stuff looking sharper out of the bullpen.

SCOUTING REPORT: Hatch's fastball sat in the low 90s as a starter but ticked up to 94-98 mph as a reliever. He generates above-average spin that helps his fastball play up, though he needs to improve his command. Hatch mainly threw his fastball and slider in college and with the Cubs, but his plus changeup is his best offspeed pitch, a weapon for whiffs against both lefties and righties. It looks like a fastball out of his hand before hitting the brakes at 84-88 mph, resulting in off-balance and empty swings. Hatch throws his solid-average slider with more power out of the bullpen than he did as a starter. It comes in at 86-91 mph with short, hard action and is capable of getting swings and misses as well.

THE FUTURE: Hatch has a smooth, controlled delivery and a three-pitch starter's mix, so a return to the rotation is possible. Given how much better his stuff played in relief, he might stay there going forward.
TRACK RECORD: Hatch won Big 12 Conference pitcher of the year in 2016 at Oklahoma State and was drafted by the Cubs in the third round. He made his way up to Double-A in the Cubs' system and was acquired by the Blue Jays at the 2019 trade deadline for David Phelps. Hatch's results improved when the Blue Jays encouraged him to throw his changeup more. He made his major league debut in 2020 as a reliever, with his stuff looking sharper out of the bullpen. Elbow discomfort in 2021 spring training, however, will delay him from pitching early in the season.

SCOUTING REPORT: Hatch's fastball sat in the low 90s as a starter but ticked up to 94-98 mph as a reliever. He generates above-average spin that helps his fastball play up, though he needs to improve his command. Hatch mainly threw his fastball and slider in college and with the Cubs, but his plus changeup is his best offspeed pitch, a weapon for whiffs against both lefties and righties. It looks like a fastball out of his hand before hitting the brakes at 84-88 mph, resulting in off-balance and empty swings. Hatch throws his solid-average slider with more power out of the bullpen than he did as a starter. It comes in at 86-91 mph with short, hard action and is capable of getting swings and misses as well.

THE FUTURE: Hatch has a smooth, controlled delivery and a three-pitch starter's mix, so a return to the rotation is possible. Given how much better his stuff played in relief, he might stay there going forward.
Track Record: Hatch had tremendous success as an amateur, first at Jenks (Okla.) High, then at Oklahoma State, where he missed a year with a strained ulnar collateral ligament. A platelet-rich injection helped him recover without surgery to lead Oklahoma State to the 2016 College World Series, and he made every start in 2017, his first as a pro, while ranking fifth in the high Class A Carolina League with 9.1 strikeouts per nine innings. Scouting Report: Hatch has diversified his sinker-slider repertoire as a pro by adding a four-seam fastball and throwing his average changeup much more often. He can reach 95 mph with his four-seamer and is learning to work up in the zone, particularly against lefthanded hitters. Improved pitch sequencing would help his whole arsenal play up. His low-90s sinker with plus life remains his bread and butter, and his above-average slider pairs with it to allow him to pitch to both sides of the plate. The Future: Command was Hatch's bugaboo in 2017. The Cubs believe he's a good enough athlete, one who fields his position well and holds runners, to make the leap. He'll be tested at Double-A Tennessee in 2018 and profiles as a No. 3 or No. 4 starter.