Trey Hodges
| IP | 77 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 4.792 |
| WHIP | 1.532 |
| BB/9 | 3.857 |
| SO/9 | 8.416 |
- Full name Trey Alan Hodges
- Born 06/29/1978 in Houston, TX
- Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 195 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Louisiana State
- Debut 09/10/2002
- Drafted in the 17th round (520th overall) by the Atlanta Braves in 2000.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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ESPN's Chris Berman sometimes says that all wide receiver Cris Carter does is score touchdowns. Hodges is the Braves' version of Carter: All he does is win. Since undergoing major shoulder surgery while at Louisiana State, Hodges won the deciding game and the MVP award at the 2000 College World Series and has earned 15 minor league wins in each of his two full pro seasons. He was the Carolina League co-pitcher of the year in 2001 and led the Triple-A International League in wins last season. The trend continued during his first taste of the big leagues last September, as Hodges had two victories while making four relief appearances. His success stems from baffling hitters instead of overpowering them. His best pitch is a plus slider that he throws at any time in the count. He has outstanding command of that offering as well as an 88-91 mph fastball that sneaks up on hitters. Hodges' changeup continues to improve but still needs additional depth. Hodges eats innings with his consistency. The Braves' signing of Paul Byrd probably ended Hodges' chances of being their fifth starter, but he could pitch out of the bullpen while awaiting an opportunity. -
No pitcher in the Atlanta organization had greater success last year than Hodges, who shared Carolina League pitcher of the year honors with Cardinals prospect Jimmy Journell. He added that trophy to the College World Series MVP award he won in 2000, when he won the championship game in relief for Louisiana State. Fully recovered from 1999 shoulder surgery, he led the Braves system in wins and innings during his first pro season. He succeeds with a nasty slider that hitters find hard to lay off and harder to make contact against. Though not overpowering, Hodges also throws a sneaky fastball with good movement that does a good job of complementing his slider. After making minor adjustments to his mechanics last spring, Hodges was consistently ahead in the count and averaged 0.9 walks per nine innings. Unheralded prior to 2001, he'll try to make an even bigger name for himself this year at Greenville.
Minor League Top Prospects
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The temptation to swing at Hodges' slider was too much for most teams to overcome in 2001. The more he teased batters with breaking pitches off the plate, the more they swung. Mostly, they missed. He shared pitcher-of-the-year honors with Journell after leading the league in victories and finishing third in ERA. Most of Hodges' success was the result of getting ahead in the count. He made that a priority at Louisiana State, where he was named MVP of the 2000 College World Series, and walked just 18 batters in a league-high 173 innings in his first full year as a pro. Hodges isn't just a soft tosser who relies on finesse and command. He has a solid fastball to go with his slider.
