IP | 77 |
---|---|
ERA | 2.69 |
WHIP | 1.04 |
BB/9 | 2.1 |
SO/9 | 9.47 |
- Full name Gary Anthony Gill Hill
- Born 09/20/2004 in New Rochelle, NY
- Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 160 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Kennedy
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Drafted in the 6th round (194th overall) by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2022 (signed for $597,500).
View Draft Report
Gill Hill, who was a Fairleigh Dickinson commit until he announced in June that he was reopening his recruitment, was under the radar coming into the spring, but more and more scouts have come in to see him. He doesn’t turn 17 until September, so by age he could be a 2023 player. He’s a flexible, bouncy athlete with an elastic delivery and fast arm speed, with his fastball jumping this year to sit in the low-90s and touch 93. Given his youth, arm speed and physical projection remaining in his wiry 6-foot-2 frame, it’s easy to project him throwing in the mid-90s or better soon. Gill Hill has pitched well this spring, though he has yet to be tested against higher-end competition. There’s nothing average yet among his secondary stuff, with scouts split on whether they prefer his slider or his changeup.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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BA Grade: 50/High
Track Record: Much like fellow Rays find Taj Bradley, Gill Hill was a somewhat under-the-radar prospect in high school and one of the younger players in his draft class. The Rays loved his projectability and athleticism when they drafted him in the sixth round in 2022. His 2023 season was unimpressive, but he raised his arm slot, added strength and found 2-4 mph in velocity this year to dominate the Carolina League.
Scouting Report: Gill Hill wears No. 16 and then rears back and blows mid-90s fastballs by hitters, so older scouts can’t help but think of Dwight Gooden. That’s a little lofty, but few pitchers have done more to impress in Class A this year than Gill Hill. He’s athletic, throws multiple pitches for strikes and has shown the ability to develop and improve. Every aspect of his game seems to have taken a step forward in 2024. His mid-90s fastball touches 98 with solid run. His slider and curve can blend together at times, but both are truly nasty at their best. Unlike many young flame-throwers, Gill Hill has feel for a changeup that will flash above-average or better.
The Future: Gill Hill seemed destined to be a low-slot reliever a year ago. Now, he’s one of the best starting pitching prospects in the Rays’ organization. There’s a reasonable concern about getting too excited about a pitcher dominating Low-A, but when Gill Hill is on, he shows you almost everything you want to see from a pitching prospect. He’s still four steps from Tampa Bay, but if he can improve half as much in the next two years as he did in the past year, he’ll be one of the better pitching prospects in baseball.
Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 55 | Curveball: 50 | Control: 50
Draft Prospects
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School: Kennedy Catholic HS, Somers, N.Y. Committed/Drafted: Wake Forest
Age At Draft: 17.8
Gill Hill, who was a Fairleigh Dickinson commit until he announced in June that he was reopening his recruitment, was under the radar coming into the spring, but more and more scouts have come in to see him. He doesn’t turn 17 until September, so by age he could be a 2023 player. He’s a flexible, bouncy athlete with an elastic delivery and fast arm speed, with his fastball jumping this year to sit in the low-90s and touch 93. Given his youth, arm speed and physical projection remaining in his wiry 6-foot-2 frame, it’s easy to project him throwing in the mid-90s or better soon. Gill Hill has pitched well this spring, though he has yet to be tested against higher-end competition. There’s nothing average yet among his secondary stuff, with scouts split on whether they prefer his slider or his changeup.