Hudson Potts Stats & Scouting Report

AB	2550
AVG	.238
OBP	.301
SLG	.413
HR	92

Full name Hudson James Potts
Born 10/28/1998 in Southlake, TX
Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 205 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Carroll
Drafted in the 1st round (24th overall) by the San Diego Padres in 2016 (signed for $1,000,000).

View Draft Report

Like many high school shortstops, it's unlikely that Sanchez will ever see a 6 written by his name on a big league lineup card, but that doesn't really dissuade scouts' interest as he has shown enough power to potentially the slide over to second or third base. Sanchez has shown average raw power on the showcase circuit with an improving bat control, although he does struggle with getting caught on his front foot too often. Sanchez is an average runner who will likely slow further as he gets bigger. His hands work well and he has good body control, but his arm will likely force an eventual position switch. He throws from a lower arm slot with a fringe-average arm that doesn't have much carry unless he sets his feet. Sanchez is one of the youngest players in the draft class--he'll turn 18 in October. He has signed with Texas A&M and has the polish to step in and play right away if he doesn't sign out of high school.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

TRACK RECORD: Potts was a surprise first-round selection and under-slot signing by the Padres in 2016, but his early professional performance, including 39 homers in his first two full seasons, seemed to validate the selection. He went backward as a 20-year-old in Double-A in 2019, but his plus power remained and he was young for the level. The Red Sox acquired him in the 2020 deadline trade that sent Mitch Moreland to San Diego.

SCOUTING REPORT: Though Potts has plus to double-plus raw power, he has increasingly struggled to get to it in games thanks to concerning swing-and-miss issues on pitches both in and out of the zone. Though he's shown the ability to drill balls to the opposite field, he's also had issues rushing to his front side and becoming more pull-oriented, with rising groundball rates over two years in Double-A. He has shown adequate tools at third base but has started incorporating other positions, and should see time at second base and first base in addition to third base in 2021.

THE FUTURE: Despite Potts' steps back, he still has time to reach his ceiling. The Red Sox added him to their 40-man roster in November.
TRACK RECORD: The Padres went above industry consensus to draft Potts 24th overall in 2016. He cruised through the low minors but hit a wall at Double-A Amarillo in 2019. Potts finished the season with a .290 on-base percentage, fourth-lowest of any qualified hitter in the Texas League.

SCOUTING REPORT: Potts is a physical specimen with plus raw power. He hits towering home runs to left and can drive the ball to right with authority, but he is still immature in his approach. Potts swings without having a plan, and he vacillates between being short and long to the ball. He generally stays within the strike zone, but he swings and misses in the zone at an alarming rate. A high school shortstop, Potts has grown into a reliable defender at third base with sure hands and an above-average, accurate arm.

THE FUTURE: Potts' power still has teams interested in him as a trade candidate. Finding a consistent swing and approach are his top priorities for 2020.
Track Record: The Padres drafted Potts 24th overall in 2016 and signed him for an under-slot $1 million signing bonus, allowing them to save money for later picks Reggie Lawson and Mason Thompson. Potts made the discount look good with 39 homers in his first two full seasons, including a 2018 in which he led the high Class A California League in doubles (35) and total bases (202) before being promoted to Double-A as a 19-year-old.

Scouting Report: Potts is a teenager built like a man with a physical, well-proportioned body that allows him to produce plus power. Potts hits velocity and uses the whole field well, turning on pitches inside for home runs to left and driving fastballs on the outer half to right for doubles. Potts knows the strike zone and rarely chases, but he swings and misses inside the zone troublingly often. His contact percentage in the zone was 77 percent in 2018, shy of the ML average 85 percent, and makes him a projected below-average hitter. A converted shortstop, Potts made great strides defensively in his second year playing third base, showing smooth hands and an above-average arm.

The Future: Potts draws comparisons to Trevor Plouffe as a potential low-average, solid-power third baseman who starts in his best years. He'll be just 20 at Double-A in 2019 and has time to outperform that projection.
The Padres drafted Potts 24th overall in 2016 and signed him for a below-slot $1 million to pass up Texas A&M, saving the team money to go over-slot with later picks. Potts' first full season got off to a poor start when he hit just .226/.259/.360 in the first half at low Class A Fort Wayne, but he bounced back to hit .278/.325/.512 with 14 of his 20 home runs in the second half. Potts is young but physically well put together with wiry strength and a pro body. He has a balanced swing and a sound bat path that produces above-average power, his primary asset. Though Potts rarely walks, he takes competitive at-bats, recognizes pitches and doesn't often expand the zone. He swings and misses in the zone enough, however, that most evaluators see him as a fringe-average hitter. Defensively Potts is new to third base after playing shortstop and is inconsistent, sometimes appearing solid-average with a plus arm and at others below-average with limited arm strength. He makes the plays he gets to, committing only nine errors all year in 2017. Potts is a hard worker with exceptional makeup, giving him a foundation to adjust and improve as he did in his first full season. He'll begin at high Class A Lake Elsinore in 2018.
Potts, who went by Hudson Sanchez before adopting his stepfather's surname, wasn't considered a first-round talent entering the 2016 draft, but the Padres took him 24th overall and gave him $1 million to forgo a Texas A&M commitment. Potts made the Padres look prescient for drafting him above industry consensus in his pro debut, which he spent primarily in the Rookie-level Arizona League. He showed such advanced feel for the barrel, pitch recognition and poise in the batter's box that he projects as a plus hitter with above-average power as he fills out. He was so advanced at the plate the Padres felt comfortable bumping him to short-season Tri-City, where he hit third in the lineup as a 17-year old and got on base at a .352 clip. Potts was drafted as a shortstop, but his average lateral range and stiff throwing motion have most evaluators projecting a move to third base, where his plus arm strength will play. Potts' bat is his carrying tool, but his average speed and potential to be an above-average defender at third give him a chance to be a well-rounded everyday player. He is advanced enough to begin 2017 at low Class A Fort Wayne as an 18-year old.

Draft Prospects

Like many high school shortstops, it's unlikely that Sanchez will ever see a 6 written by his name on a big league lineup card, but that doesn't really dissuade scouts' interest as he has shown enough power to potentially the slide over to second or third base. Sanchez has shown average raw power on the showcase circuit with an improving bat control, although he does struggle with getting caught on his front foot too often. Sanchez is an average runner who will likely slow further as he gets bigger. His hands work well and he has good body control, but his arm will likely force an eventual position switch. He throws from a lower arm slot with a fringe-average arm that doesn't have much carry unless he sets his feet. Sanchez is one of the youngest players in the draft class--he'll turn 18 in October. He has signed with Texas A&M and has the polish to step in and play right away if he doesn't sign out of high school.

Minor League Top Prospects

The chiseled Potts looked like a man among boys despite being one of the youngest players in the league and hit like one too, finishing in the top 10 in doubles (fourth) home runs (ninth) and total bases (10th) despite spending the final month in Double-A. With a mature approach, Potts didn’t chase, hit velocity and showed power to all fields. The drawback was how often he swung and missed in the strike zone, particularly on offspeed pitches under his hands. “As he learns to stay on the breaking ball and elevate it and drive it, I think he’s going to end up being a better prospect than some other guys right now,” Rancho Cucamonga manager Drew Saylor said. “He brings natural playable tools..and he can modify his swing plane to adjust to pitches. That gives him an edge.” A converted shortstop, Potts became more comfortable at third base and improved his footwork, which led to an uptick in arm strength. He played under control, showed good instincts and reactions, understood his angles and displayed fluid, reliable hands, ultimately drawing reviews as a solid-average third baseman.
Most teams expected Potts--who went by Hudson Sanchez before taking his stepfather's last name--to end up at Texas A&M, but the Padres popped him and met his $1 million asking price. The Padres gambled because Potts was young for the draft class and had drawn raves for his high character. He has proven to be a wise investment in the short term. Potts showed great aptitude; after compiling just a .619 OPS in the first half, Potts hit .278/.325/.512 with 14 home runs in the second half as an 18-year-old in full-season ball. Even when he struggled in the first half, scouts noted competitive at-bats. As the season went on, he learned how to more consistently barrel pitches, but his 23-140 walk-strikeout rate makes projection on his bat risky. Above-average bat speed and present strength generate Potts' power, which projects as above-average if he can improve his contact rate. Scouts who liked his selective-aggressive approach expect he can be at least an average hitter. Drafted as a shortstop, Potts is a fringy runner who has the soft hands and range for third base, but his fringe-average arm is an issue to watch.
Potts was one of the younger players in the 2016 draft and played the entire AZL season at 17, but his relative youth didn't show. Drafted as Hudson Sanchez, Potts signed for a below-slot bonus of $1 million. Based on early returns, the Padres may have gotten one of the best bargains of the draft. "Everything he did seemed to have a purpose," Padres manager Michael Collins said, " . . . and the results showed." Potts has a solid line-drive, gap-to-gap swing now, but he should develop more power to all fields after his already strong body matures and he learns to control the bat. Scouts noted that Potts has a really good feel for hitting, with quiet hands and an advanced feel for the barrel. He's an average runner with the ability to steal the occasional base. In addition to shortstop, his high school position, Potts also played third and second base, though he appeared mostly at DH. His hands and feet work well and he has average arm strength, but scouts don't expect him to stick at shortstop.

Scouting Reports

TRACK RECORD: Potts was a surprise first-round selection and under-slot signing by the Padres in 2016, but his early professional performance, including 39 homers in his first two full seasons, seemed to validate the selection. He went backward as a 20-year-old in Double-A in 2019, but his plus power remained and he was young for the level. The Red Sox acquired him in the 2020 deadline trade that sent Mitch Moreland to San Diego.

SCOUTING REPORT: Though Potts has plus to double-plus raw power, he has increasingly struggled to get to it in games thanks to concerning swing-and-miss issues on pitches both in and out of the zone. Though he's shown the ability to drill balls to the opposite field, he's also had issues rushing to his front side and becoming more pull-oriented, with rising groundball rates over two years in Double-A. He has shown adequate tools at third base but has started incorporating other positions, and should see time at second base and first base in addition to third base in 2021.

THE FUTURE: Despite Potts' steps back, he still has time to reach his ceiling. The Red Sox added him to their 40-man roster in November.
TRACK RECORD: Potts was a surprise first-round selection and under-slot signing by the Padres in 2016, but his early professional performance, including 39 homers in his first two full seasons, seemed to validate the selection. He went backward as a 20-year-old in Double-A in 2019, but his plus power remained and he was young for the level. The Red Sox acquired him in the 2020 deadline trade that sent Mitch Moreland to San Diego.

SCOUTING REPORT: Though Potts has plus to double-plus raw power, he has increasingly struggled to get to it in games thanks to concerning swing-and-miss issues on pitches both in and out of the zone. Though he's shown the ability to drill balls to the opposite field, he's also had issues rushing to his front side and becoming more pull-oriented, with rising groundball rates over two years in Double-A. He has shown adequate tools at third base but has started incorporating other positions, and should see time at second base and first base in addition to third base in 2021.

THE FUTURE: Despite Potts' steps back, he still has time to reach his ceiling. The Red Sox added him to their 40-man roster in November.
TRACK RECORD: Potts was a surprise first-round selection and under-slot signing by the Padres in 2016, but his early professional performance, including 39 homers in his first two full seasons, seemed to validate the selection. He went backward as a 20-year-old in Double-A in 2019, but his plus power remained and he was young for the level. The Red Sox acquired him in the 2020 deadline trade that sent Mitch Moreland to San Diego.

SCOUTING REPORT: Though Potts has plus to double-plus raw power, he has increasingly struggled to get to it in games thanks to concerning swing-and-miss issues on pitches both in and out of the zone. Though he's shown the ability to drill balls to the opposite field, he's also had issues rushing to his front side and becoming more pull-oriented, with rising groundball rates over two years in Double-A. He has shown adequate tools at third base but has started incorporating other positions, and should see time at second base and first base in addition to third base in 2021.

THE FUTURE: Despite Potts' steps back, he still has time to reach his ceiling. The Red Sox added him to their 40-man roster in November.
TRACK RECORD: The Padres went above industry consensus to draft Potts 24th overall in 2016. He cruised through the lower minors but hit a wall at Double-A Amarillo in 2019 with a .290 on-base percentage, fourth-lowest of any qualified hitter in the Texas League.

SCOUTING REPORT: Potts is a physical specimen with plus raw power. He hits towering home runs to left and can drive the ball to right with authority, but he is still immature in his approach. Potts swings without having a plan, and he vacillates between being short and long to the ball. He generally stays within the strike zone, but he swings and misses in the zone at an alarming rate. A high school shortstop, Potts has grown into a reliable defender at third base with sure hands and an above-average, accurate arm.

THE FUTURE: Potts’ power still has teams interested in him as a trade candidate. Finding a consistent swing and approach are his top priorities for 2020.
TRACK RECORD: The Padres went above industry consensus to draft Potts 24th overall in 2016. He cruised through the low minors but hit a wall at Double-A Amarillo in 2019. Potts finished the season with a .290 on-base percentage, fourth-lowest of any qualified hitter in the Texas League.

SCOUTING REPORT: Potts is a physical specimen with plus raw power. He hits towering home runs to left and can drive the ball to right with authority, but he is still immature in his approach. Potts swings without having a plan, and he vacillates between being short and long to the ball. He generally stays within the strike zone, but he swings and misses in the zone at an alarming rate. A high school shortstop, Potts has grown into a reliable defender at third base with sure hands and an above-average, accurate arm.

THE FUTURE: Potts' power still has teams interested in him as a trade candidate. Finding a consistent swing and approach are his top priorities for 2020.
The chiseled Potts looked like a man among boys despite being one of the youngest players in the league and hit like one too, finishing in the top 10 in doubles (fourth) home runs (ninth) and total bases (10th) despite spending the final month in Double-A. With a mature approach, Potts didn’t chase, hit velocity and showed power to all fields. The drawback was how often he swung and missed in the strike zone, particularly on offspeed pitches under his hands. “As he learns to stay on the breaking ball and elevate it and drive it, I think he’s going to end up being a better prospect than some other guys right now,” Rancho Cucamonga manager Drew Saylor said. “He brings natural playable tools..and he can modify his swing plane to adjust to pitches. That gives him an edge.” A converted shortstop, Potts became more comfortable at third base and improved his footwork, which led to an uptick in arm strength. He played under control, showed good instincts and reactions, understood his angles and displayed fluid, reliable hands, ultimately drawing reviews as a solid-average third baseman.