Cooper Hjerpe Stats & Scouting Report — College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects

IP	41
ERA	3.51
WHIP	1.24
BB/9	5.49
SO/9	11.2

Full name Cooper Austin Hjerpe
Born 03/16/2001 in Davis, CA
Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 200 / Bats: L / Throws: L
School Oregon State
Drafted in the 1st round (22nd overall) by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2022 (signed for $3,182,200).

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Ten years ago, a player like Hjerpe likely would have been viewed as much less impressive than he is in 2022—even as one of the best starting pitchers in college baseball. A 6-foot-3, 200-pound lefthander, Hjerpe has dominated this spring and posted a 2.45 ERA over 16 starts and 95.2 innings, while striking out 39.7% of batters faced and walking just 5.3%. He’s dominated every lineup he’s faced despite throwing a fastball that averages just 90-91 mph. The key to Hjerpe’s success is a unique, 52-54-inch release height created by a sidearm slot that makes everything he throws play up. His vertical approach angle is elite, and while Hjerpe touches just 94-95 mph at peak, he generates plenty of whiffs with his fastball, especially at the top of the zone. When hitters do make contact, he has been difficult to elevate and allowed just three home runs this spring through those 95.2 innings of work. Entering the year, scouts questioned Hjerpe’s secondaries, and his lower arm slot made some evaluators wonder if he would ever be able to get to a consistent breaking pitch, but his secondaries have improved this spring. His slider is a fringy and slower breaking ball in the upper 70s that gets whiffs more because of his unique angle than the shape and velocity of the pitch, but that has still meant a close to 50% whiff rate. His upper-70s changeup gets average to above-average grades and does have plenty of velocity separation from his fastball. On top of excellent deception, Hjerpe is a refined and polished strike thrower who has above-average command (his 7.50 strikeout-to-walk ratio was a top-20 rate among Division I arms) that should be more than enough to profile in a back-of-the-rotation starting role. It wouldn’t be a surprise if some teams liked the idea of putting Hjerpe in the bullpen, where he could move quickly, and where his unique release point and arm angle would be a nightmare for hitters. Model-driven teams are likely highest on Hjerpe, whose performance and pitch data give him a chance to be the first college pitcher selected in a light year for four-year arms.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

BA Grade/Risk: 55/High

Track Record: Hjerpe went undrafted out of high school in 2019 after a standout senior season with Woodland (Calif.) High that saw him toss four no-hitters. At Oregon State he worked as a reliever and made six appearances out of the Beavers' bullpen in 2020. He made the jump to the rotation as a sophomore in 2021 and made 16 starts with a respectable 4.21 ERA. Hjerpe used that summer to focus on improving his secondary offerings. What followed was a dominant junior season with Oregon State in 2022. He went 11-2, 2.53 and led the nation with 161 strikeouts. The Cardinals drafted Hjerpe 22nd overall and signed him for a slot bonus of $3.18 million.

Scouting Report: On the surface, Hjerpe has the look of an unusual lefty who gets by on his deceptive sidearm slot. While this is true in part, he projects for more power than a typical sidearmer. His four-pitch mix is heavily fastball-driven due to the unique characteristics generated by his 4.5-foot release height and--on average--6.5 feet of extension. This creates an outlier approach angle and plays up his average vertical break. While Hjerpe sits 90-92 mph and touches 94, his ability to command his fastball works in harmony with his deception to generate whiffs at the top of the zone. His primary secondaries are a sweepy slider at 77-79 mph and changeup at 79-82 with heavy tumble and fade. Both pitches generated whiffs last spring at a rate of 49% or better. Hjerpe will also mix in a curveball, which is a slower version of his slider with more depth. Hjerpe shows command for the entirety of his pitch mix and could continue to excel in a starting role should he add power to his fastball without compromising its shape.

The Future: While Hjerpe's profile is unusual, his combination of stuff, pitchability and projection gives him a chance to develop into a solid mid-rotation option who should move quickly.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Curveball: 40. Slider: 55. Changeup: 55. Control: 55

Scouting Reports

BA Grade/Risk: 55/High

Track Record: Hjerpe went undrafted out of high school in 2019 after a standout senior season with Woodland (Calif.) High that saw him toss four no-hitters. At Oregon State he worked as a reliever and made six appearances out of the Beavers' bullpen in 2020. He made the jump to the rotation as a sophomore in 2021 and made 16 starts with a respectable 4.21 ERA. Hjerpe used that summer to focus on improving his secondary offerings. What followed was a dominant junior season with Oregon State in 2022. He went 11-2, 2.53 and led the nation with 161 strikeouts. The Cardinals drafted Hjerpe 22nd overall and signed him for a slot bonus of $3.18 million.

Scouting Report: On the surface, Hjerpe has the look of an unusual lefty who gets by on his deceptive sidearm slot. While this is true in part, he projects for more power than a typical sidearmer. His four-pitch mix is heavily fastball-driven due to the unique characteristics generated by his 4.5-foot release height and--on average--6.5 feet of extension. This creates an outlier approach angle and plays up his average vertical break. While Hjerpe sits 90-92 mph and touches 94, his ability to command his fastball works in harmony with his deception to generate whiffs at the top of the zone. His primary secondaries are a sweepy slider at 77-79 mph and changeup at 79-82 with heavy tumble and fade. Both pitches generated whiffs last spring at a rate of 49% or better. Hjerpe will also mix in a curveball, which is a slower version of his slider with more depth. Hjerpe shows command for the entirety of his pitch mix and could continue to excel in a starting role should he add power to his fastball without compromising its shape.

The Future: While Hjerpe's profile is unusual, his combination of stuff, pitchability and projection gives him a chance to develop into a solid mid-rotation option who should move quickly.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Curveball: 40. Slider: 55. Changeup: 55. Control: 55
BA Grade/Risk: 55/High

Track Record: Hjerpe went undrafted out of high school in 2019 after a standout senior season with Woodland (Calif.) High that saw him toss four no-hitters. At Oregon State he worked as a reliever and made six appearances out of the Beavers' bullpen in 2020. He made the jump to the rotation as a sophomore in 2021 and made 16 starts with a respectable 4.21 ERA. Hjerpe used that summer to focus on improving his secondary offerings. What followed was a dominant junior season with Oregon State in 2022. He went 11-2, 2.53 and led the nation with 161 strikeouts. The Cardinals drafted Hjerpe 22nd overall and signed him for a slot bonus of $3.18 million.

Scouting Report: On the surface, Hjerpe has the look of an unusual lefty who gets by on his deceptive sidearm slot. While this is true in part, he projects for more power than a typical sidearmer. His four-pitch mix is heavily fastball-driven due to the unique characteristics generated by his 4.5-foot release height and--on average--6.5 feet of extension. This creates an outlier approach angle and plays up his average vertical break. While Hjerpe sits 90-92 mph and touches 94, his ability to command his fastball works in harmony with his deception to generate whiffs at the top of the zone. His primary secondaries are a sweepy slider at 77-79 mph and changeup at 79-82 with heavy tumble and fade. Both pitches generated whiffs last spring at a rate of 49% or better. Hjerpe will also mix in a curveball, which is a slower version of his slider with more depth. Hjerpe shows command for the entirety of his pitch mix and could continue to excel in a starting role should he add power to his fastball without compromising its shape.

The Future: While Hjerpe's profile is unusual, his combination of stuff, pitchability and projection gives him a chance to develop into a solid mid-rotation option who should move quickly.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Curveball: 40. Slider: 55. Changeup: 55. Control: 55
BA Grade: 50/High

August Update: Ten years ago, a player like Hjerpe likely would have been viewed as much less impressive than he is in 2022—even as one of the best starting pitchers in college baseball. A 6-foot-3, 200-pound lefthander, Hjerpe has dominated this spring and posted a 2.45 ERA over 16 starts and 95.2 innings, while striking out 39.7% of batters faced and walking just 5.3%. He&#39s dominated every lineup he&#39s faced despite throwing a fastball that averages just 90-91 mph. The key to Hjerpe&#39s success is a unique, 52-54-inch release height created by a sidearm slot that makes everything he throws play up. His vertical approach angle is elite, and while Hjerpe touches just 94-95 mph at peak, he generates plenty of whiffs with his fastball, especially at the top of the zone. When hitters do make contact, he has been difficult to elevate and allowed just three home runs this spring through those 95.2 innings of work. Entering the year, scouts questioned Hjerpe&#39s secondaries, and his lower arm slot made some evaluators wonder if he would ever be able to get to a consistent breaking pitch, but his secondaries have improved this spring. His slider is a fringy and slower breaking ball in the upper 70s that gets whiffs more because of his unique angle than the shape and velocity of the pitch, but that has still meant a close to 50% whiff rate. His upper-70s changeup gets average to above-average grades and does have plenty of velocity separation from his fastball. On top of excellent deception, Hjerpe is a refined and polished strike thrower who has above-average command (his 7.50 strikeout-to-walk ratio was a top-20 rate among Division I arms) that should be more than enough to profile in a back-of-the-rotation starting role. It wouldn&#39t be a surprise if some teams liked the idea of putting Hjerpe in the bullpen, where he could move quickly, and where his unique release point and arm angle would be a nightmare for hitters. Hjepre was selected with the 22nd overall pick and signed for $3,182,200.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Slider: 50. Changeup: 55. Control: 60.