| AB | 9 |
|---|---|
| AVG | .222 |
| OBP | .222 |
| SLG | .333 |
| HR | 0 |
- Full name Samuel Nicholas Huff
- Born 01/14/1998 in Phoenix, AZ
- Profile Ht.: 6'4" / Wt.: 240 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Arcadia
- Debut 09/11/2020
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Drafted in the 7th round (219th overall) by the Texas Rangers in 2016 (signed for $225,000).
View Draft Report
It's a down year for high school talent from Arizona, with Huff projected to be the top Arizona prep player taken in the draft. The Arcadia High catcher, already sizable at 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, led the state in home runs in a senior year in which he significantly boosted his draft stock. Huff doesn't have great bat speed but shows good raw power, gets good leverage in his swing and has feel for hitting. Behind the plate, Huff frames and blocks well. He has a slow arm action but at least an average arm when he throws, with pop times typically around two seconds. He's a fundamentally sound player. Huff is committed to nearby Grand Canyon University, but is expected to be signable.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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Track Record: Huff was the Rangers’ seventh-round selection in 2016, then broke on the scene with 28 home runs spread across the Class A levels in 2019. He also won that year’s Futures Game MVP award. He reached the big leagues in 2020 and performed well, but dealt with a subluxation in his knee that kept him from catching all season long. The injury flared up again in 2021 and kept him from catching all season long yet again. He was set to make up for lost time in the Arizona Fall League, but left after six games due to precautionary reasons regarding the same injury.
Scouting Report: Huff’s calling card is his truly massive power. Even while he was rehabbing from his injury, he found time to sock a 519-foot home run in the Arizona Complex League. His average (92.3 mph) and maximum (115 mph) exit velocities were both tops in the Texas system. He’s improved his pitch-recognition skills over the course of his career and will likely be a below-average hitter with double-plus power. The biggest question remaining is where he’ll wind up on defense. Come 2022 he’ll get back behind the plate again. He spent time working with Bobby Wilson to get better at the position, but he was fringe-average pre-injury. He’s a very large human but has more athleticism than one would expect from someone his size and has a plus throwing arm to boot. When he did get on the field in 2021, he split his time between first base and DH.
The Future: The Rangers still believe Huff has a shot to catch in the long term, but he had work to do to stick behind the plate even before the injury. He’ll try to get back on track in 2022.
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Hitting: 40. Power: 70. Running: 40. Fielding: 45. Arm: 60.
TRACK RECORD: An unheralded seventh-round pick in 2016, Huff hit 28 home runs during a breakout 2019 season and won MVP at the Futures Game. The Rangers brought Huff to the alternate training site in 2020 and called him up to the majors for the final three weeks. He didn’t disappoint.
SCOUTING REPORT: Huff struggled with game-calling and too often chased spin at the plate when he first came up, but he adjusted and was one of the Rangers’ best hitters the final 10 games of the season. Huff’s plus-plus power stands out, and his improved approach gives him a chance to get to it. He will likely never hit for a high average, but improved pitch recognition could help produce high-end offensive production at the catcher position. Huff’s arm is the strongest among Rangers catchers, and his catching has improved after working with ex-big league backstop Bobby Wilson, a Rangers coach. Though massive for a catcher, Huff’s athletic ability should allow him to stick there.
THE FUTURE: Huff would benefit from more time in the minor leagues, but the Rangers are open to the idea of him starting the season in the majors. If Huff’s hit tool develops, he could be a star. At minimum, he and Jose Trevino could be the Rangers’ catching tandem for years to come. -
TRACK RECORD: Huff raised his profile in 2019, stamped with an MVP trophy from the Futures Game. The Rangers had him return low Class A Hickory to open the year, but he hit 15 home runs in his first 30 games to earn a bump to high Class A Down East, where he continued to show a power stroke.
SCOUTING REPORT: Huff is a tall, physical catcher with two loud tools between his power and arm strength. It's 70 raw power on the 20-80 scale, with Huff having the strength, bat speed and leverage in his swing to drive the ball out to any part of the park. He has the raw power to hit 30-plus homers if everything clicks, but he's susceptible to chasing off the plate and has trouble covering the inner third. As a result, he doesn't walk much and his strikeout rate is high. Where Huff made significant strides in 2019 was behind the plate. At 6-foot-4, 230 pounds, he's a big man for a catcher, but he frames pitches well and improved his footwork and blocking. He did an outstanding job of shutting down the running game with his plus arm, throwing out 48 percent of basestealers.
THE FUTURE: Now that Huff looks like a true catcher, there's less demand on his bat, though he will still need to improve his plate discipline. He heads to Double-A Frisco in 2020. -
Track Record: Huff helped his draft stock during his senior season of high school by leading the state of Arizona in home runs. Huff signed with the Rangers for $225,000 as a seventh-round pick in 2016, then showed big power with a crude approach the next year when the Rangers held him back in the Rookie-level Arizona League.
Scouting Report: Promoted to low Class A Hickory in 2018, Huff showed the biggest raw power of any hitters in the organization, though his plate discipline still has a ways to go. Huff has 70 raw power, generating impact with a combination of leverage in his swing and strength in his 6-foot-4, 230-pound frame. When Huff barrels the ball, he can hit it out to any part of the park, but he has holes inside and gets himself into trouble by chasing a lot of pitches outside the strike zone, leading to a 31 percent strikeout rate with a walk in just five percent of his plate appearances last season. Huff's defensive profile has risk as well. He has a plus arm and frames pitches well, but with his size he's going to have to improve his lateral agility, footwork and blocking to be able to stick behind the plate.
The Future: His overall skill set has similarities to Marlins first baseman Peter O'Brien, a former catcher. High Class A Down East is next for Huff.
Draft Prospects
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It's a down year for high school talent from Arizona, with Huff projected to be the top Arizona prep player taken in the draft. The Arcadia High catcher, already sizable at 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, led the state in home runs in a senior year in which he significantly boosted his draft stock. Huff doesn't have great bat speed but shows good raw power, gets good leverage in his swing and has feel for hitting. Behind the plate, Huff frames and blocks well. He has a slow arm action but at least an average arm when he throws, with pop times typically around two seconds. He's a fundamentally sound player. Huff is committed to nearby Grand Canyon University, but is expected to be signable.
Minor League Top Prospects
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Huff was the Futures Game MVP after hitting a game-tying home run in Cleveland. He crushed 15 home runs in 108 at-bats at low Class A Hickory and continued to hit for power in high Class A. "He’s going to be special,” Potomac manager Tripp Keister said. "His catch-and-release times are really good. He has big power. When we first faced him, he had a little bit of a hole in his swing, but he has made adjustments.” Huff handles catching well at 6-foot-4. Even his run tool is decent. "Huff doesn’t get nearly as much credit as he should, in my opinion,” Down East manager Corey Ragsdale said. "Obviously, he has power—and to do it at the position he has and throw the way he can is impressive. He handles the baseball; the baseball doesn’t manipulate him. He has an absolute bazooka.”
Top 100 Rankings
Best Tools List
- Rated Best Power Hitter in the Texas Rangers in 2020
- Rated Best Defensive Catcher in the Texas Rangers in 2020
- Rated Best Power Hitter in the Texas Rangers in 2019
Scouting Reports
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BA Grade: 40/Medium
Track Record: Huff was the Rangers' seventh-round selection in 2016, then broke on the scene with 28 home runs spread across the Class A levels in 2019. He also won that year's Futures Game MVP award. He reached the big leagues in 2020 and performed well, but dealt with a subluxation in his knee that kept him from catching all season long. The injury flared up again in 2021 and kept him from catching all season long yet again. He was set to make up for lost time in the Arizona Fall League, but left after six games due to precautionary reasons regarding the same injury.
Scouting Report: Huff's calling card is his truly massive power. Even while he was rehabbing from his injury, he found time to sock a 519-foot home run in the Arizona Complex League. His average (92.3 mph) and maximum (115 mph) exit velocities were both tops in the Texas system. He's improved his pitch-recognition skills over the course of his career and will likely be a below-average hitter with double-plus power. The biggest question remaining is where he'll wind up on defense. Come 2022 he'll get back behind the plate again. He spent time working with Bobby Wilson to get better at the position, but he was fringe-average pre-injury. He's a very large human but has more athleticism than one would expect from someone his size and has a plus throwing arm to boot. When he did get on the field in 2021, he split his time between first base and DH.
The Future: The Rangers still believe Huff has a shot to catch in the long term, but he had work to do to stick behind the plate even before the injury. He'll try to get back on track in 2022. -
Track Record: Huff was the Rangers’ seventh-round selection in 2016, then broke on the scene with 28 home runs spread across the Class A levels in 2019. He also won that year’s Futures Game MVP award. He reached the big leagues in 2020 and performed well, but dealt with a subluxation in his knee that kept him from catching all season long. The injury flared up again in 2021 and kept him from catching all season long yet again. He was set to make up for lost time in the Arizona Fall League, but left after six games due to precautionary reasons regarding the same injury.
Scouting Report: Huff’s calling card is his truly massive power. Even while he was rehabbing from his injury, he found time to sock a 519-foot home run in the Arizona Complex League. His average (92.3 mph) and maximum (115 mph) exit velocities were both tops in the Texas system. He’s improved his pitch-recognition skills over the course of his career and will likely be a below-average hitter with double-plus power. The biggest question remaining is where he’ll wind up on defense. Come 2022 he’ll get back behind the plate again. He spent time working with Bobby Wilson to get better at the position, but he was fringe-average pre-injury. He’s a very large human but has more athleticism than one would expect from someone his size and has a plus throwing arm to boot. When he did get on the field in 2021, he split his time between first base and DH.
The Future: The Rangers still believe Huff has a shot to catch in the long term, but he had work to do to stick behind the plate even before the injury. He’ll try to get back on track in 2022.
-
Hitting: 40. Power: 70. Running: 40. Fielding: 45. Arm: 60.
TRACK RECORD: An unheralded seventh-round pick in 2016, Huff hit 28 home runs during a breakout 2019 season and won MVP at the Futures Game. The Rangers brought Huff to the alternate training site in 2020 and called him up to the majors for the final three weeks. He didn't disappoint.
SCOUTING REPORT: Huff struggled with game-calling and too often chased spin at the plate when he first came up, but he adjusted and was one of the Rangers' best hitters the final 10 games of the season. Huff's plus-plus power stands out, and his improved approach gives him a chance to get to it. He will likely never hit for a high average, but improved pitch recognition could help produce high-end offensive production at the catcher position. Huff's arm is the strongest among Rangers catchers, and his catching has improved after working with ex-big league backstop Bobby Wilson, a Rangers coach. Though massive for a catcher, Huff's athletic ability should allow him to stick there.
THE FUTURE: Huff would benefit from more time in the minor leagues, but the Rangers are open to the idea of him starting the season in the majors. If Huff's hit tool develops, he could be a star. At minimum, he and Jose Trevino could be the Rangers' catching tandem for years to come. -
Hitting: 40. Power: 70. Running: 40. Fielding: 45. Arm: 60.
TRACK RECORD: An unheralded seventh-round pick in 2016, Huff hit 28 home runs during a breakout 2019 season and won MVP at the Futures Game. The Rangers brought Huff to the alternate training site in 2020 and called him up to the majors for the final three weeks. He didn’t disappoint.
SCOUTING REPORT: Huff struggled with game-calling and too often chased spin at the plate when he first came up, but he adjusted and was one of the Rangers’ best hitters the final 10 games of the season. Huff’s plus-plus power stands out, and his improved approach gives him a chance to get to it. He will likely never hit for a high average, but improved pitch recognition could help produce high-end offensive production at the catcher position. Huff’s arm is the strongest among Rangers catchers, and his catching has improved after working with ex-big league backstop Bobby Wilson, a Rangers coach. Though massive for a catcher, Huff’s athletic ability should allow him to stick there.
THE FUTURE: Huff would benefit from more time in the minor leagues, but the Rangers are open to the idea of him starting the season in the majors. If Huff’s hit tool develops, he could be a star. At minimum, he and Jose Trevino could be the Rangers’ catching tandem for years to come. -
Hitting: 40. Power: 70. Running: 40. Fielding: 45. Arm: 60.
TRACK RECORD: An unheralded seventh-round pick in 2016, Huff hit 28 home runs during a breakout 2019 season and won MVP at the Futures Game. The Rangers brought Huff to the alternate training site in 2020 and called him up to the majors for the final three weeks. He didn’t disappoint.
SCOUTING REPORT: Huff struggled with game-calling and too often chased spin at the plate when he first came up, but he adjusted and was one of the Rangers’ best hitters the final 10 games of the season. Huff’s plus-plus power stands out, and his improved approach gives him a chance to get to it. He will likely never hit for a high average, but improved pitch recognition could help produce high-end offensive production at the catcher position. Huff’s arm is the strongest among Rangers catchers, and his catching has improved after working with ex-big league backstop Bobby Wilson, a Rangers coach. Though massive for a catcher, Huff’s athletic ability should allow him to stick there.
THE FUTURE: Huff would benefit from more time in the minor leagues, but the Rangers are open to the idea of him starting the season in the majors. If Huff’s hit tool develops, he could be a star. At minimum, he and Jose Trevino could be the Rangers’ catching tandem for years to come. -
TRACK RECORD: Huff raised his profile in 2019, stamped with an MVP trophy from the Futures Game. The Rangers had him return low Class A Hickory to open the year, but he hit 15 home runs in his first 30 games to earn a bump to high Class A Down East, where he continued to show a power stroke.
SCOUTING REPORT: Huff is a tall, physical catcher with two loud tools between his power and arm strength. It’s 70 raw power on the 20-80 scale, with Huff having the strength, bat speed and leverage in his swing to drive the ball out to any part of the park. He has the raw power to hit 30-plus homers if everything clicks, but he’s susceptible to chasing off the plate and has trouble covering the inner third. As a result, he doesn’t walk much and his strikeout rate is high. Where Huff made significant strides in 2019 was behind the plate. At 6-foot-4, 230 pounds, he’s a big man for a catcher, but he frames pitches well and improved his footwork and blocking. He did an outstanding job of shutting down the running game with his plus arm, throwing out 48 percent of basestealers.
THE FUTURE: Now that Huff looks like a true catcher, there’s less demand on his bat, though he will still need to improve his plate discipline. He heads to Double-A Frisco in 2020. -
TRACK RECORD: Huff raised his profile in 2019, stamped with an MVP trophy from the Futures Game. The Rangers had him return low Class A Hickory to open the year, but he hit 15 home runs in his first 30 games to earn a bump to high Class A Down East, where he continued to show a power stroke.
SCOUTING REPORT: Huff is a tall, physical catcher with two loud tools between his power and arm strength. It's 70 raw power on the 20-80 scale, with Huff having the strength, bat speed and leverage in his swing to drive the ball out to any part of the park. He has the raw power to hit 30-plus homers if everything clicks, but he's susceptible to chasing off the plate and has trouble covering the inner third. As a result, he doesn't walk much and his strikeout rate is high. Where Huff made significant strides in 2019 was behind the plate. At 6-foot-4, 230 pounds, he's a big man for a catcher, but he frames pitches well and improved his footwork and blocking. He did an outstanding job of shutting down the running game with his plus arm, throwing out 48 percent of basestealers.
THE FUTURE: Now that Huff looks like a true catcher, there's less demand on his bat, though he will still need to improve his plate discipline. He heads to Double-A Frisco in 2020. -
Huff was the Futures Game MVP after hitting a game-tying home run in Cleveland. He crushed 15 home runs in 108 at-bats at low Class A Hickory and continued to hit for power in high Class A. "He’s going to be special,” Potomac manager Tripp Keister said. "His catch-and-release times are really good. He has big power. When we first faced him, he had a little bit of a hole in his swing, but he has made adjustments.” Huff handles catching well at 6-foot-4. Even his run tool is decent. "Huff doesn’t get nearly as much credit as he should, in my opinion,” Down East manager Corey Ragsdale said. "Obviously, he has power—and to do it at the position he has and throw the way he can is impressive. He handles the baseball; the baseball doesn’t manipulate him. He has an absolute bazooka.”
Career Transactions
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C Sam Huff changed number to 31.
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Baltimore Orioles selected the contract of C Sam Huff from Norfolk Tides.
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C Sam Huff roster status changed by Baltimore Orioles.
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Baltimore Orioles signed free agent C Sam Huff to a minor league contract.
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C Sam Huff assigned to Norfolk Tides.
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C Sam Huff elected free agency.
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Sacramento River Cats activated C Sam Huff from the 7-day injured list.
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Sacramento River Cats sent C Sam Huff on a rehab assignment to San Jose Giants.
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Sacramento River Cats sent C Sam Huff on a rehab assignment to ACL Giants.
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Sacramento River Cats placed C Sam Huff on the 7-day injured list.
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Sacramento River Cats placed C Sam Huff on the 7-day injured list retroactive to June 25, 2025.
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Sacramento River Cats activated C Sam Huff.
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San Francisco Giants sent C Sam Huff outright to Sacramento River Cats.
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San Francisco Giants designated C Sam Huff for assignment.
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C Sam Huff changed number to 23.
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C Sam Huff changed number to 42.
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Texas Rangers designated C Sam Huff for assignment.
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Texas Rangers recalled C Sam Huff from Round Rock Express.
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Texas Rangers optioned C Sam Huff to Round Rock Express.
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Round Rock Express activated C Sam Huff.
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Texas Rangers recalled C Sam Huff from Round Rock Express.
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Texas Rangers optioned C Sam Huff to Round Rock Express.
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Texas Rangers recalled C Sam Huff from Round Rock Express.
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Texas Rangers optioned C Sam Huff to Round Rock Express.
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C Sam Huff assigned to Leones del Escogido.
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Texas Rangers activated C Sam Huff.
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C Sam Huff roster status changed by Texas Rangers.
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Texas Rangers recalled C Sam Huff from Round Rock Express.
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Texas Rangers optioned C Sam Huff to Round Rock Express.
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Texas Rangers recalled C Sam Huff from Round Rock Express.
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Texas Rangers optioned C Sam Huff to Round Rock Express.
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Texas Rangers optioned C Sam Huff to Round Rock Express.
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Texas Rangers recalled C Sam Huff from Round Rock Express.
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Texas Rangers recalled C Sam Huff from Round Rock Express.
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Texas Rangers optioned C Sam Huff to Round Rock Express.
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Round Rock Express activated C Sam Huff.
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Texas Rangers optioned C Sam Huff to Round Rock Express.
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Texas Rangers recalled C Sam Huff from Round Rock Express.
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Texas Rangers recalled C Sam Huff from Round Rock Express.
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Texas Rangers optioned C Sam Huff to Round Rock Express.
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Texas Rangers optioned C Sam Huff to Round Rock Express.
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Texas Rangers recalled C Sam Huff from Round Rock Express.
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Texas Rangers recalled C Sam Huff from Round Rock Express.
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Texas Rangers optioned C Sam Huff to Round Rock Express.
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Round Rock Express activated C Sam Huff.
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Texas Rangers recalled C Sam Huff from Round Rock Express.
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Texas Rangers optioned C Sam Huff to Round Rock Express.
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Round Rock Express activated C Sam Huff.
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Texas Rangers recalled C Sam Huff from Round Rock Express.
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Texas Rangers optioned C Sam Huff to Round Rock Express.
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Texas Rangers recalled C Sam Huff from Round Rock Express.
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Texas Rangers optioned C Sam Huff to Round Rock Express.
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Texas Rangers optioned C Sam Huff to Round Rock Express.
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Texas Rangers recalled C Sam Huff from Round Rock Express.
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Surprise Saguaros activated C Sam Huff.
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C Sam Huff assigned to Round Rock Express from Frisco RoughRiders.
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Texas Rangers optioned C Sam Huff to Frisco RoughRiders.
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Texas Rangers sent C Sam Huff on a rehab assignment to Frisco RoughRiders.
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Texas Rangers sent C Sam Huff on a rehab assignment to ACL Rangers.
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Texas Rangers placed C Sam Huff on the 60-day injured list. Left hamstring strain.
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Texas Rangers placed C Sam Huff on the 10 day disabled list.
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Sam Huff changed number to 55.
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Texas Rangers selected the contract of C Sam Huff from Rangers Alternate Training Site.
- C Sam Huff assigned to Rangers Alternate Training Site from Down East Wood Ducks.
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Texas Rangers invited non-roster C Sam Huff to spring training.
- C Sam Huff assigned to Texas Rangers Futures.
- C Sam Huff assigned to Texas Rangers Futures.
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Down East Wood Ducks activated C Sam Huff from the temporarily inactive list.
- C Sam Huff assigned to American League Futures.
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Down East Wood Ducks placed C Sam Huff on the temporarily inactive list.
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C Sam Huff assigned to Down East Wood Ducks from Hickory Crawdads.
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C Sam Huff assigned to Texas Rangers.
- C Sam Huff assigned to Texas Rangers Futures.
- C Sam Huff assigned to Texas Rangers Futures.
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C Sam Huff assigned to Hickory Crawdads from AZL Rangers.
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C Sam Huff assigned to Texas Rangers.
- C Sam Huff assigned to Texas Rangers Futures.
- C Sam Huff assigned to Texas Rangers Futures.
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C Sam Huff assigned to AZL Rangers.
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Texas Rangers signed C Sam Huff.
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Texas Rangers recalled C Sam Huff from Round Rock Express.