- Full name River Hamilton
- Born 10/04/2006 in
- Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 185 / Bats: R / Throws: R
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Drafted in the 11th round (339th overall) by the Detroit Tigers in 2025 (signed for $497,500).
View Draft Report
School: Barlow HS, Gresham, Ore. Drafted/Committed: LSU
Age At Draft: 18.8
BA Grade: 50/Extreme
Oregon has produced a number of high-profile high school pitchers in recent years, including first-rounders Noble Meyer, Mick Abel and 2023 third-rounder Paul Wilson. River Hamilton is next in line. He’s a high-upside righthander with a projectable frame at 6-foot-3, 185 pounds and throws with a loose, whippy arm that comes from a three-quarters slot. Hamilton’s low-90s fastball has been up to 95 mph, but he should begin to start reaching the upper 90s in the near future. He pairs the fastball with three different secondaries. Hamilton’s slider and curveball are both solid spin pitches in the 2,400-2,500 rpm range. His slider is a low-80s breaking ball with solid two-plane movement and his curveball is a mid-70s downer with distinct shape compared to the slider. He needs to refine his release point and get on top of both pitches more consistently, but they have solid-average potential. Hamilton does have a low-80s changeup but he doesn’t use the pitch frequently. He’s shown enough fastball command to start, but there is a bit of effort in his delivery that could be ironed out as he adds more strength. Hamilton is committed to LSU.
Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55 | Slider: 50 | Curveball: 50 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 45.
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Draft Prospects
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School: Barlow HS, Gresham, Ore. Drafted/Committed: LSU
Age At Draft: 18.8
BA Grade: 50/Extreme
Oregon has produced a number of high-profile high school pitchers in recent years, including first-rounders Noble Meyer, Mick Abel and 2023 third-rounder Paul Wilson. River Hamilton is next in line. He’s a high-upside righthander with a projectable frame at 6-foot-3, 185 pounds and throws with a loose, whippy arm that comes from a three-quarters slot. Hamilton’s low-90s fastball has been up to 95 mph, but he should begin to start reaching the upper 90s in the near future. He pairs the fastball with three different secondaries. Hamilton’s slider and curveball are both solid spin pitches in the 2,400-2,500 rpm range. His slider is a low-80s breaking ball with solid two-plane movement and his curveball is a mid-70s downer with distinct shape compared to the slider. He needs to refine his release point and get on top of both pitches more consistently, but they have solid-average potential. Hamilton does have a low-80s changeup but he doesn’t use the pitch frequently. He’s shown enough fastball command to start, but there is a bit of effort in his delivery that could be ironed out as he adds more strength. Hamilton is committed to LSU.
Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55 | Slider: 50 | Curveball: 50 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 45. -
School: Barlow HS, Gresham, Ore. Committed: LSU
Age At Draft: 18.8
Mick Abel was a first-round pick in 2020. Noble Meyer went in the first round in 2023. Hamilton is another lanky righthander from Oregon with premium talent and a chance to follow in those footsteps. He’s a high upside pitcher with loose, whippy arm speed and immense physical projection remaining in his 6-foot-3 frame. Hamilton has already reached 95 mph, with the look of a pitcher who should one day be able to throw in the upper 90s. Hamilton’s fastball has good life to get swing-and-miss when he’s in the zone. While the heater is his best pitch, Hamilton flashes a solid slider that has good depth and is more advanced than his changeup.
