Prospect Watch: Logan Hill Transitioning From Speedster to Power Bat
The Pittsburgh Pirates Minor League system is hurting for top outfield prospects who can make an impact at the next level. Jared Oliva and Travis Swaggerty headline the list, but after that, the field is pretty low. One guy trying to step up and make his name known by the front office is outfielder Logan Hill. Hill started his professional baseball career as a speedster on the basepaths but has since bulked up and turned into a budding power hitter who could fit in the number six or seven-hole of the Pirates lineup one day. His power started showing through during the 2016 season and that is when his professional baseball career started to take off.
Last season, Hill spent most of his time in Double-A Altoona but ended up moving to Triple-A Indianapolis for 14 games at the end of the season. Between the two levels, his batting average was lackluster at best as he slashed .250/.324/.423 in 127 games played. However, his power and run production numbers were pretty good as he hit 14 home runs and drove in 72 RBI. The home run numbers were a little lower than you like to see from a power hitter but he made up for that by leading the Altoona Curve in Doubles and hitting a total of 31 combined between the two levels.
After playing his high school baseball in Pensacola, Flordia, Hill went on to play one year of college baseball at Troy University. He had a strong freshman season for the Trojans hitting .354 with nine home runs and 42 RBI in 55 games played. He was more focused on getting on base any way he could back then and used his speed to take his extra bases. He was an excellent base stealer, nabbing 13 bags in 14 tries, and used the speed to help him pick up 13 doubles that season to put his extra-base hit total at 22 for the year. He showed a good ability to get on base as well as some raw power potential so the Pirates ended up drafting Hill in the 25th round of the 2015 First-Year Player Draft, and Hill signed his first professional contract just a couple of days later.
Hill would be sent to the Class-A Short Season West Virginia Black Bears and began his career right away. His strong play from his college season transferred immediately to his professional career, as he slated himself right at the top of the Black Bears lineup. He ended up appearing in 60 games for the Black Bears and hit .297 with seven home runs and 45 RBI. One of the biggest worries of any player transitioning into professional baseball is that they aren't going to be able to keep up with the speed of the game. However, Hill showed no signs of slowing down and got on base at an impressive .402 on-base percentage. When he was on base, he was able to once again cause havoc as he stole 13 bases in 17 opportunities.
Hill would earn his first professional accolades that season as he was named a New York Penn League Mid-Season All-Star for his efforts, and was the NYP League Player of the Month for the Month of July. Hill's defensive game was just as good as his offensive game as he committed just one error in over 460 innings of work. He headed into the off-season with momentum on his side and he would earn a promotion as he entered the 2016 season. He would start the year with the Class Low-A West Virginia Power and earned himself a starting spot in the Power outfield right from the get-go.
The transition would see Hill's batting average dip significantly as he hit just .254 in 93 games played. However, he was able to tap into his raw power that he showed in college hitting 11 home runs and driving in 40 RBI that season. He continued to use his speed on the basepaths when he could as he stole 13 bases once again while getting caught six times. He set a new career-high hitting 19 doubles and five triples, as he used his newfound power to drive the ball to the gaps and help drive home runs. Hill was once again rewarded for his good work and got promoted to the Class Advanced-A Bradenton Marauders for the final few weeks of the regular season.
Hill would be thrown right into the thick of a playoff race, as he helped lead the Marauders to the Florida State League playoffs. He ended up going 14-62 (.226) with two home runs and seven RBI in 17 games played. Of his 14 hits to end 2016, four of them went for extra bases as he hit two doubles to go along with his two home runs. He helped the Marauders win their first-ever Florida State League Championship that season. Hill did not appear in a game during the playoff run but helped the Marauders rest some guys over the final weeks of the regular season before the playoffs started.
Hill would move to the Marauders full-time to start the 2017 season, and began what still stands as the best professional season of his career. Hill put it all together on offense playing in 71 games while hitting .266 with 16 home runs and 52 RBI. It was the first season of his career that he was able to hit for both average and power and became a fixture in the middle of the Marauders order. His strikeout numbers went down to 73 in 305 plate appearances and he was able to draw 31 walks. On the defensive side of the ball, Hill would appear exclusively as a left-fielder and continued to play strong defense with a .988 fielding percentage. He earned the second all-star honors of his career as he was named both a Florida State League Mid-Season and Post-Season All-Star for his efforts.
He was promoted to the Double-A Altoona Curve at the end of June that season and continued his strong offensive play. His average jumped up to .278 while he muscled two home runs and nine RBI in just 79 at-bats. However, his 2017 season would end up being cut short as he fractured his left hand at the end of July and had to miss the rest of the season. The injury put a bump in the road to Hill's development and set him back almost a full year. He got some of that missed time back as he played in the Arizona Fall League with the Glendale Desert Dogs. He appeared in 18 games that season but wasn't up to par with what his old numbers were as he hit just .239 with two home runs and 14 RBI.
He returned for the 2018 and was fully healthy and ready to be a starter in the Altoona Curve outfield. His batting average hit a career-low mark of .228, but his power and run production numbers were the best of his career. He hit 17 home runs and drove in 72 RBI while hitting 14 doubles and two triples. At times, it seemed as though Hill was trying to do too much as his strikeout numbers skyrocketed to a career-high 132 in 391 at-bats. He also showed more patience than he had in the past as he walked 41 times and had an on-base percentage of .311. His offense seemed to be affected a little bit, but his defense pretty much went unaffected. He had an overall .982 fielding percentage and committed just three errors between left and right field.
With his offensive numbers trending downward, Hill would return to Double-A looking to get his offensive numbers back up. He was able to raise his batting average by just under 30 points and hit .258 in 113 games with the Curve. His home run power dipped slightly, as he only hit 12 home runs, but his gap power was higher than ever. He set a new career-high with 27 doubles and led the way for the Curve in that category. 40% of his hits last season went for extra-base hits as he used a combination of speed and power to take more risks on the basepaths. He also dropped his strikeout rate, going down 120 times in 407 at-bats, and raised his on-base percentage to a more respectable .332. He would be promoted to Triple-A for the first time in his career for the final 14 games of the season and struggled hitting .184 with just one home run and two RBI.
Despite his struggles at Triple-A, Hill proved that he can get back to the same numbers he was putting up before his hand injury. He will get a chance to play a full season at Triple-A Indianapolis and allow his skills to transition to the highest level of Minor League baseball. If he is able to once again tap into that power and keep his average at the .250 to .260 range, he has a chance of getting himself back on the Pirates radar. If he is able to get back to the numbers he was posting in 2017, his 6'3 226-pound frame would look real good patrolling in front of the Roberto Clemente wall.
It is still uncertain as to when the 2020 MLB season is set to begin, but we at Buccos Cove are determined to continue to bring you strong content. Until the 2020 season begins, we will continue looking at the players who make up the 2020 Pirates organization and how they will impact the organization this season
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