When looking at prospects, some players have tools and skill sets that can make you immediately stop and take notice. Regardless of the production they put up, you want to look past the production because of the ‘what if’.
A lower level prospect that fits that perfectly for the Pirates is Hudson Head. Acquired in the Joe Musgrove trade, the 84th overall pick in 2019 is coming off a year where, on paper, he didn’t really make any kind of progress.
His walk rate went down as his strikeouts rose, and his power numbers decreased despite playing in a more favorable stadium and league.
Still, he plays with a lot of speed in the outfield, and flashes some good power potential when he makes contact with the ball. Despite a 33.7% strikeout rate year, he still finished slightly above average when it comes to his wRC+ (104).
Head still did show progress throughout the season, putting up some of the numbers that match some of the tools he shows. From the start of July through the rest of the High-A season, Head slashed .264/.335/.472 with a wRC+ of 125. He also hit seven of his 10 home runs on the season in that span — 17 extra-base hits total.
That one got out of here QUICKLY. Hudson Head with his 9th home run of the season puts Greensboro on top #LetsGoBucs pic.twitter.com/PksIdzHzIC
— Anthony Murphy (@__Murphy88) August 3, 2022
You could have made a case to keep Head in Bradenton to at least start the season, after hitting just .213 there in 2021, along with striking out 31% of the time. The Pirates pushed him along to Greensboro.
They stuck it out with him for the entire season, where they sent other players (Maikol Escotto and Sammy Siani) back to Florida for more work. How he closed out 2022 showed that was the right call, even if the strikeouts remained an issue.
Head will turn 22 early in April, and with his long swing, seems like a guy that could take a little bit longer to really put it all together. If he does, he can be a really intriguing player to watch.
Highlight of the Day
Nick Gonzales, the @Pirates' No. 5 prospect and No. 93 overall, belts an RBI double in the Fall Stars Game. pic.twitter.com/1QvSuuTbGq
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) November 6, 2022
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