Rule 5 Draft Propsect Profile: Hunter Owens
As the Pirates have shown in recent history, being able to play multiple positions can be a key to success. Guys like Josh Harrison, Adam Frazier, and even Colin Moran all have benefitted and earned more playing time because of their versatility. It is not easy to be able to jump around the diamond and do it effectively, but when you can do it, you become that much more of an asset to a team. Versatility has been the key to Hunter Owen's success in the Minor Leagues and has helped him climb all the way to Triple-A Indianapolis last season. He has played six of the nine positions on the field, including catcher, and has played both infield and outfield.
On the offensive side of the ball, he has been a pretty consistent hitter throughout his career with a career average of .266. However, he has recently added power to his game hitting 10 or more home runs in each of the last three seasons, including a career-high 19 in 2019. He was drafted in the 25th round of the 2016 MLB draft and has spent the last five seasons in the Pirates system climbing from the West Virginia Black Bears up to Triple-A Indianapolis. He has had success at every level of the Minor Leagues and is very close to making that jump to the Major League level. Owens's future is certainly going to send him to the Major Leagues, the question is whether or not that will be with the Pirates or another team.
Versatility is the Name of the Game
Although he has shifted around the diamond a lot during his professional baseball career, in college Owens was primarily an outfielder but focused on the offensive side of his game. He wasn't a full-time starter until his junior season, and even then of his 25 starts 24 of them came as the Designated Hitter. He hit an impressive .350 during that senior season to lead the Sycamores with six home runs and 47 RBI. For a big strong guy, Owens was able to use his legs as well going a perfect 5-5 in stolen bases. The Pirates were impressed by his offense but didn't quite know about where he would fit in defensively. He ended up going in the 25th round of the 2016 draft and signed shortly their after.
He moved around the field a lot for the Black Bears, appearing at four different positions, and the transition initially took a toll on his numbers. He hit just .257 that season but just five home runs and drove in 34 RBI in 52 games played. However, the positive was he didn't strike out a lot going down just 23% of the time. He was primarily the left fielder for the Black Bears, logging 233.1 innings at the position, but jumped around to play second base, third base, and right field as well before the season was over. His best work came in the outfield, where he committed just two errors all season, but he was solid at every other position he played as well.
Because of this, he earned a promotion to class Low-A West Virginia the following season. He became the everyday third baseman with the Power and rewarded the Pirates confidence hitting .292 with 11 home runs and 45 RBI in 83 games played. He still had some work to do defensively, with a fielding percentage of .926 at the position, but his bat was something that couldn't be kept from the lineup. However, all that success came to a halt when he suffered a hamstring injury that forced him to miss half the season. While he was out, guys like Ke'Bryan Hayes passed him on the depth chart and left him fighting for playing time. The Pirates still wanted to see what they had in Owen, so they began moving him to catcher and working with him in Spring Training to get his bat in the lineup.
He caught 25 innings at the end of the 2017 season for the West Virginia Black Bears, but it is nothing that stuck long term. In the last two seasons, he has climbed three levels of the Pirates Minor League system making it to Triple-A in 2019. After putting together a career-best season offensively in Altoona, hitting .295 with 15 home runs and 44 RBI, Owens earned a promotion to Triple-A Indianapolis. He appeared in 42 games for the Indians but hit just .192 with four home runs and nine RBI. The degression was kind of expected and, has there been a Minor League season in 2020, Owens might have seen some Big League time. Instead, he spent the season at the satellite camp where he worked with coaches to improve on his skills.
Save the Versatility
Given Owens's versatility and his ability to hit for both average and power, I think he is one of the guys the Pirates should focus on protecting in this year's Rule 5 draft. Opposing teams will see that versatility and ability to hit the ball and might jump on it to fill a hole on their club. Owens would be a good bench option for a team as he could give players all over the field a day off if they need it. He may not crack the Pirates Opening Day Roster but a spot on the 40-man roster is something the Pirates should think about. Owens's versatility is a good thing for both him and the team because if he does contribute, the Pirates can easily find a place for him in the lineup.
Owens is an interesting case because most college seniors that get drafted in the 25th round are not top prospects. However, Owens has used his versatility and his home run ability to break the mold and push himself towards the top of the Pirates prospects list. If he is protected and remains with the Pirates, look for him to go back to Triple-A to see if his power is able to translate to the higher levels of the Minor Leagues. If he can figure it out he could be looking at a chance to make his Major League debut sometime during the 2021 regular season.
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