Porter Hodge

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Chicago Cubs #22 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 45/High
  
  Track Record: Hodge led Cottonwood High to two Utah 5A state championships in three years and was drafted by the Cubs in the 13th round in 2019. Hodge was overweight when he was drafted, but he slimmed down and had a breakout season at the Class A levels in 2022. He rose to Double-A Tennessee in 2023 and tied for second in the Southern League with 11.5 strikeouts per nine innings, leading the Cubs to add him to the 40-man roster in November.
  
  Scouting Report: Hodge is a big, 6-foot-4 righthander with power stuff. His fastball sits 93-96 mph with natural cut that makes it a plus pitch batters struggle to square up. His 83-85 mph slider is another plus pitch with late sweep and dive that gets swings and misses both in and out of the strike zone. Hodge mostly relies on those two pitches. His vertical 79-81 mph curveball and firm 86-89 mph changeup are below-average offerings that need development. Hodge has the size and athleticism of a starter, but his long arm action yields fringy control. He moved to the bullpen for the second half of the season at Tennessee and posted an ERA nearly a run lower than he had as a starter.
  
  The Future: Hodge projects to be a solid middle reliever with his fastball and slider combination. His major league debut could come in 2024.
  
  Scouting Grades Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 40 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 40 | Control: 45
• 
  Ranked Chicago Cubs #22 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/High
  
  Track Record: Hodge led Salt Lake City's Cottonwood High to two Utah 5A state championships in three years and was the winning pitcher in the 2019 championship game. The Cubs drafted him in the 13th round and signed him for $125,000 to forgo a Utah commitment. Hodge struggled with his conditioning early in his career, but he slimmed down in 2022 and had his best season. He tied for the organization lead with 141 strikeouts and finished second with a 2.36 ERA across the Class A levels.
  
  Scouting Report: Hodge transformed from a chubby righthander to a lean, athletic 6-foot-4, which led to more explosive stuff and better body control. His fastball is now a plus pitch that sits 92-96 mph with natural cut and gets on batters quickly with the extension he generates in his delivery. He complements his heater with a plus, mid-80s wiffle ball slider that cuts across and under barrels for swings and misses. Hodge mostly dominates with those two pitches and has above-average control of both. His vertical, upper-70s curveball and firm, upper-80s changeup with late drop flash the ability to draw whiffs but have lots of development left. His long arm action does cause occasional bouts of wildness.
  
  The Future: Hodge is trending up and frequently requested in trades. He has mid-rotation potential if he can refine a third pitch.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Curveball: 40. Slider: 60. Changeup: 40. Control: 50

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/High
  
  Track Record: Hodge led Salt Lake City's Cottonwood High to two Utah 5A state championships in three years and was the winning pitcher in the 2019 championship game. The Cubs drafted him in the 13th round and signed him for $125,000 to forgo a Utah commitment. Hodge struggled with his conditioning early in his career, but he slimmed down in 2022 and had his best season. He tied for the organization lead with 141 strikeouts and finished second with a 2.36 ERA across the Class A levels.
  
  Scouting Report: Hodge transformed from a chubby righthander to a lean, athletic 6-foot-4, which led to more explosive stuff and better body control. His fastball is now a plus pitch that sits 92-96 mph with natural cut and gets on batters quickly with the extension he generates in his delivery. He complements his heater with a plus, mid-80s wiffle ball slider that cuts across and under barrels for swings and misses. Hodge mostly dominates with those two pitches and has above-average control of both. His vertical, upper-70s curveball and firm, upper-80s changeup with late drop flash the ability to draw whiffs but have lots of development left. His long arm action does cause occasional bouts of wildness.
  
  The Future: Hodge is trending up and frequently requested in trades. He has mid-rotation potential if he can refine a third pitch.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Curveball: 40. Slider: 60. Changeup: 40. Control: 50
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/High
  
  Track Record: Hodge led Salt Lake City's Cottonwood High to two Utah 5A state championships in three years and was the winning pitcher in the 2019 championship game. The Cubs drafted him in the 13th round and signed him for $125,000 to forgo a Utah commitment. Hodge struggled with his conditioning early in his career, but he slimmed down in 2022 and had his best season. He tied for the organization lead with 141 strikeouts and finished second with a 2.36 ERA across the Class A levels.
  
  Scouting Report: Hodge transformed from a chubby righthander to a lean, athletic 6-foot-4, which led to more explosive stuff and better body control. His fastball is now a plus pitch that sits 92-96 mph with natural cut and gets on batters quickly with the extension he generates in his delivery. He complements his heater with a plus, mid-80s wiffle ball slider that cuts across and under barrels for swings and misses. Hodge mostly dominates with those two pitches and has above-average control of both. His vertical, upper-70s curveball and firm, upper-80s changeup with late drop flash the ability to draw whiffs but have lots of development left. His long arm action does cause occasional bouts of wildness.
  
  The Future: Hodge is trending up and frequently requested in trades. He has mid-rotation potential if he can refine a third pitch.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Curveball: 40. Slider: 60. Changeup: 40. Control: 50