Will Sam Huff's Power Surge Dictate His Timeline Back To Rangers?

Texas Rangers prospect Sam Huff is hitting 500-foot bombs in Double-A. But is he on the verge of returning to the big leagues?

Author:
Chris Halicke
Aug 9, 2021 12:54 PM EDT

In case you didn't know, Texas Rangers catching prospect Sam Huff can hit the ball far. Like, really far.

Huff's season was delayed by a hamstring injury in spring training, then delayed again by a knee injury that required minor surgery. When he returned, it didn't take him long to remind everyone of his prestigious power, mashing a 511-foot home run while rehabbing in Arizona.

The 23-year-old catcher eventually moved on to Double-A Frisco, and he proved the tape measure shots weren't just a product of the Arizona air. On July 14, Huff wowed everyone with a home run over the batter's eye at Riders Field, traveling a distance of 495 feet.

Then on August 7, Huff blasted one over 500 feet again, mashing a game-tying homer into the trees.

Huff's power has been his most highlighted tool since he was drafted by the Rangers in the seventh round of the 2016 MLB Draft. As part of the odd nature of the 2020 season and the commitment to its youth, the Rangers gave Huff his first crack at the big leagues last season. He only played 10 games, but flashed the power that fans crave. He hit three home runs in the short big league stint, two of them coming in one game.

With the Rangers in full-blown rebuild mode, the question now becomes when Huff will make it back to the big leagues. Due to his injuries from this season, the Rangers are not having him catch for the remainder of the year, limiting him to first base and DH duties. But with a team providing opportunity to its younger players in the final two months of the season, Huff may get a look before the season ends.

However, it is not a forgone conclusion.

"He's gotta be more consistent," said Rangers manager Chris Woodward prior to Sunday's game in Oakland. "I would like to see him at some point, but I would like to see more consistency. Listen, we all know this guy can hit the ball 500 feet. The talent speaks for itself. But I'd like to see him hit the ball forward a little bit more often and [be more] consistent with his at-bats; stay in the strike zone. That's the biggest test for him right now — just maintaining consistency."

Through 20 games in Frisco, Huff is slashing .222/.267/.407/.675 with five homers and 13 RBI. He's also struck out 36 times, compared to only three walks. Prior to his MLB debut last season, Huff had never seen action above Class A. Last year's move to call up Huff was calculated, knowing it would be a very short stint. And with what has happened with other prospects who also had little or no experience above Class A (Leody Taveras, Anderson Tejeda), the Rangers don't want to rush any prospect's development, especially such a highly regarded one.

The best way to develop prospects is to let them play. Huff is included in that idea. With some numbers in Double-A that dictate more development may be needed, playing time is more valuable than standing in a big league dugout.

"If we can't get them everyday reps here, we probably prefer them to play every single day, especially if they're position players," Woodward said. "We only have two extra guys. It's a completely different September scenario. I want to make sure that if they come here, they're going to actually play somewhat consistently."

After the Rangers lost to Oakland, Frisco played their game and Huff put another ball forward — 441 feet to the opposite field, to be exact. If Huff can build some momentum at the plate, a trip to Arlington could still be in the cards before the conclusion of the season.

"If he does that and we start to see [consistency], at some point if we can get that bat up here and give him some more big league reps, that would be nice," Woodward said. "But he's gotta earn that. I think right now, he's not quite there yet. But if he has a good two or three weeks, then maybe we'll get him up here."