2017 Draft Preview: Hunter Greene

RHP/SS Hunter Greene (Notre Dame HS, CA): 6'3", 195 lbs, born 8/6/1999).

Overview

Fastball: 70. Slider: 55. Changeup: 50. Control: 50.

If you follow the draft at all, you are no doubt very familiar with the Southern California right hander. If you're a casual baseball fan, you should probably take notice of Greene, especially if you have any affinity for the Minnesota Twins or Cincinnati Reds. He's actually good enough to be a first round pick as a shortstop, with his big time power and all around game, but he's simply too good of a pitcher to pass up. In fact, he has a very good chance of becoming the first high school right handed pitcher in history to go first overall. Let's delve into what scouts are calling one of the greatest high school RHP's of all time.

Strengths
Greene throws heat. His fastball has reportedly touched 102 MPH, and he comfortably sits in the upper 90's with surprisingly little effort. This is due to his plus-plus athleticism, which should a) help him remain a starter and b) help him avoid injuries. Greene also has a classic starter's frame at 6'3" and 195 pounds, with room to add strength. Yet another plus on his resume is the fact that he's very young for the class, not turning 18 until August, making him more than a year younger than other prep prospects such as Bubba Thompson, Trevor Rogers, Brady McConnell, Jeter Downs, and Cole Brannen. Greene also earns high marks for his makeup, as he excels in the classroom and is a team player.

Weaknesses
As great as Greene is, he is not a generational prospect like Bryce Harper or Ken Griffey Jr, as he is not without his flaws. Greene's secondaries aren't bad, per se, but they aren't the true plus pitches you would hope to see from a first overall pick. At this point, his arsenal is a bit in flux. You could argue that he throws two distinct breaking balls, a curveball and a slider, or you could argue that what you see is just his slider getting slurvy and turning into a curve when he doesn't grip/release it right. Either way, when he's throwing it right, the slider shows flashes of being a plus pitch, with its hard diving action. If he can learn to manipulate his breaking ball and control the variations in its shape, it could turn out to be an excellent weapon. His changeup is also behind his slider and well behind his fastball, but that is normal for high schoolers and it has the makings of being a future major league pitch. He also voluntarily shut himself down from pitching this spring to protect both his arm and his draft stock, something teams aren't overly thrilled about.

Twins, Reds or Padres?
There is basically zero chance Greene falls past the Padres at #3, so lets analyze his chances of going to each team. With the highest upside in the draft, he certainly has a chance of ending up in Minnesota, though rumor has it that they're leaning towards the other top player in this draft, Louisville two-way star Brendan McKay. The Reds pick at #2, and they represent his most likely destination in my opinion, though it's an ill-kept secret that Greene wants to fall to the Padres at #3 so he can stay close to home. It is even rumored that part of the reason he was shut down from pitching was to manipulate his draft stock in such a way that the Twins and Reds both bypassed him. As much as we hope he gets what he wants and goes to a local team, his upside may (and will likely be) too much for the Reds (or even Twins) to pass up, though the Padres would gladly snatch him with the third pick if he were available.