IP 248
ERA 4.754
WHIP 1.56
BB/9 6.532
SO/9 10.706
  • Full name Brett T. Hunter
  • Born 06/27/1987 in Westlake Village, CA
  • Profile Ht.: 6'4" / Wt.: 215 / Bats: R / Throws: R
  • School Pepperdine
  • Drafted in the 7th round (214th overall) by the Oakland Athletics in 2008 (signed for $1,100,000).
    View Draft Report
    Undrafted out of high school, Hunter first began to draw the attention of scouts as a closer for his Connie Mack summer ball club in 2005. He has since blossomed into one of the top pitching prospects in the nation. Now 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, Hunter may possess the strongest arm in the draft. Hunter has missed all but two starts in 2008 due to arm problems, generally reported as elbow pain. Hunter returned in late May with two short outings, peaking at 92 mph and showing some rust but generally encouraging scouts. Many scouts aren't surprised by Hunter's injury due to his unorthodox mechanics. He drops his arm behind himself like a discus thrower, making it hard to find a consistent arm slot. Hunter's tilted, unbalanced finish features a high right leg release. None of that precluded Hunter, who dominated with Team USA last summer as a closer, from featuring some of the nation's best stuff. His thunderbolt fastball arrives at the plate from 93-97 mph and has touched 100 in relief outings. As a starter, he has no difficulty maintaining velocity into the sixth and seventh inning, when healthy, and he challenges both good and average hitters with his four-seam in all situations and all counts. Hunter's high-70's to low-80's curve has nasty downward break, though he has inconsistent control of the that pitch. Hunter's command is spotty and causes him to get behind batters and run up high pitch counts. Health concerns muddle where Hunter will be selected, and his command problems muddle whether he will be a starter or reliever. The combination makes predicting his draft position impossible.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Download our app

Read the newest magazine issue right on your phone