Rule 5 Draft Prospect Profile: Hunter Stratton
Coming out of high school, pitcher Hunter Stratton wasn't getting much attention from Major scouts at the college or professional level. He had a fastball that topped out at just 87 miles per hour but was looking for a place to continue playing baseball. That is when he went to Walters State Community College, and he ended up refining his craft. Now, he has a fastball in the mid-90s and has bounced around between the bullpen and the starting rotation. His higher velocity has been a strength for him, but his road in professional baseball has been full of ups and downs. As Stratton enters the 2021 season, he is looking to make the biggest jump of a Minor Leaguer's career, going from Advanced-A to Double-A.
However, the question is will he still be with the Pirates come the start of the 2021 Minor League season? He is in his first year of Rule 5 Draft eligibility and has been left unprotected for the Major League portion of the Rule 5 Draft. While he is not a Big League talent just yet, the Minor League portion of the Rule 5 Draft could be a different story. He is a young right-hander who has developed nicely as a professional starting pitcher. Will teams decide to take a chance on this developing Minor Leaguer, or will he continue in the Pirates Minor League system in 2021.
From Young Arm to Developing Professional
When Stratton was coming out of high school, he was a tall, lanky, pitcher with not much velocity behind him. He was hitting 87 mph with his fastball and wasn't impressing many scouts. Then, after heading to Walters State Community College things began to change. He started filling out more and his stuff became more effective as he hit the college ranks. His fastball was now registering in the mid-90s, and he became one of the top starting pitchers for the Senators. During his freshman season, he went 7-2 with a 4.40 ERA over 43 innings of work. He was averaging over a strikeout per inning, however, his control was an issue as he walked 31 batters during that time. Still, the Pirates saw potential in the young right-hander, drafting him in the 16th round of the 2017 MLB Draft.
Given that he only had one year of collegiate pitching experience, the Pirates decided to start Stratton with the Bristol Pirates. He appeared in 12 games, making 11 starts, and pitched ok going 0-2 with a 4.81 ERA. He was striking out nearly a batter an inning and had an opponent's batting average of .228, but his control ended up killing him. He walked 16.2% of the batters he faced during that first season, and as a result had a lot of traffic on the base paths. It was these walks that would eventually catch up to him at the end of the year and over his final five outings of the year, he had an ERA of 10.12 over his final 16 innings of work.
Despite the struggles at the end of the year, the Pirates decides to move Stratton up to full-season baseball with the Greensboro Grasshoppers. He was a full-time member of the Grasshoppers rotation and, after a rough first few months, came into his own. He finished the year going 6-5 with a 4.18 ERA over 101.2 innings of work, but his best stretch began in mid-July. He turned in eight straight quality starts to end the year and had a 2.40 ERA during that stretch. He was still very wild, walking 52 batters during the season, and his strikeout numbers dropped as he set down 82 batters. Opponents packed him up a little better with a .246 batting average against, but the late-season push gave him confidence heading into the off-season.
The late-season success was enough to send Stratton to Advanced-A Bradenton, but this time in a different role. He would appear out of the bullpen for the Marauders with really no change in his overall stats. He saw a slight raise in his ERA, posting a 4.25 ERA over his 72 innings of work. He was almost unhittable that season, with an opponent's batting of .206, but his wildness was once again a problem. He walked 13% of the batters he faced and, when he did allow hits, they were often ones that put the game out of reach. His control is an aspect of his game he will have to work on if he wants to continue to climb the Minor League ladder.
Control Needs Improved
With Stratton available for other teams to take in the Minor League portion of the Rule 5 Draft, teams will have to decide if his development is worth the work. Stratton has been extremely wild throughout his career and is something he will need to correct at the higher levels of the Minor Leagues. I don't think any team is going to bite on Stratton, and it will give the pirates a chance to help him develop and gain control of his pitches. He is entering his age 24 season, and his time to climb the Minor League ladder is now. For Stratton, success is key if he wants to continue as a professional baseball player in the Pirates organization.
As for Stratton's 2021 projection, look for him to return to Advanced-A with the Marauders bullpen. He has to show better control if he wants to make it to Double-A and make a serious contribution with the Altoona Curve. You would like to see his walk rate go down to the single-digits before he makes that jump to Double-A. He is currently working on a slider and a change-up to go along with his plus fastball. If he can learn to control his breaking pitches, he will be a much more effective pitcher. 2021 is going to be a big season for Stratton, and it is time for him to show the Pirates what he can do.
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