Hayden Dunhurst

Coming out of high school, Dunhust was viewed as one of the most polished defensive catchers in that year’s prep class. In three years at Ole Miss, he’s lived up to those expectations. He’s proven to be a leader behind the plate and he has an exceptionally quick transfer which allows him to post 1.8-second pop times. You wouldn’t know it from his 26% caught stealing percentage, but his pitchers did him few favors. Texas A&M went 9-for-9 on stolen bases in a series where, between large jumps and balls in the dirt, Dunhurst was only able to make one throw. Dunhurst is a quiet receiver who does a good job of framing low pitches and pitches on the black of the plate. He’s an agile blocker as well. Dunhurst’s defense ensures he’ll have a lengthy pro career and should provide a path to the majors—but he’ll have to improve significantly as a hitter if he’s going to have a lengthy MLB career. Dunhurst gets his weight transferred onto his front foot and opens up too early at times. It’s a pull-heavy approach that limits the amount of contact he makes, but his below-average power means it doesn’t lead to a lot of damage either. Dunhurst does work counts and takes walks, but he will need to tweak his swing and approach. A team believing there’s more in his bat could get a steal.