Royals Find Value With Fourth-Rounder Hunter Owen
Lefthander Hunter Owen did not pitch in games after being drafted in the fourth round out of Vanderbilt last year. That was due mostly to shoulder soreness that curtailed his junior season.
It didn’t take long before the 6-foot-6, 261-pound Owen opened eyes in his first minor league spring training game on the Royals backfields.
A year ago, Owen was off to a strong start and was projected as a likely Day One draft pick before being sidelined by injury. But if the 22-year-old’s early performance in spring training this year are any indication, then the Royals got good value.
Owen has run his fastball into the mid 90s and sits 92-94 mph. He supports the pitch with a mid-80s slider that received plus grades in college and a low-80s curveball. He had not yet thrown many changeups but consistently threw four pitches for strikes in college.
Developing his changeup will be a key developmental goal for Owen, according to Royals senior director of pitching performance Paul Gibson. “You know how we value changeups here,” he said.
The time spent off the mound last summer and fall were not wasted. Owen worked on his strength and conditioning. He also returned to Vanderbilt to continue working on his degree.
In fact, it’s possible that Owen now checks in under his listed weight.
“He put in a lot of work,” Gibson said. “He’s even stronger and a little more defined in his body type . . . He’s just a big, strong kid.”
Being part of a prestigious program like Vanderbilt helped Owen step into pro ball, both in terms of coaching and the technology used in the pitching lab. Playing in the rugged Southeastern Conference certainly helped his transition as well.
Owen’s work ethic especially pleased the Royals.
“He’s a tremendous worker,” Royals farm director Mitch Maier said. “He’s extremely diligent and has a really good foundation . . . just his routine and the way he prepares. In the makeup side of things, he fits right in.”
ROYALTIES
— The Royals’ squad in the initial Spring Breakout defeated a team of Brewers prospects 4-3 on March 17 at Surprise Stadium. One of the highlights was a long home run to left field off the bat of third baseman Trevor Werner, a 2023 seventh-rounder from Texas A&M who was impressive in spring training camp.
