Inside The Rangers Prospect Watch: No. 2 Sam Huff
2. Sam Huff | C
Born: January 14th, 1998
Bats: R Throws: R
Height: 6'4" Weight: 230
Drafted: 2016, 7th round. Arcadia HS (Phoenix, AZ).
Team: Down East Wood Ducks (A+)
Other Team Rankings: Baseball America (2), MLB Pipeline (2)
Career Statistics
Player Bio
Sam Huff led the state of Arizona in home runs during his senior season in high school, leading the Rangers to draft him in the seventh round and secure him with a $225,000 signing bonus. After two years of Rookie-level ball in 2016 and 2017, Huff made his Class-A debut with Hickory in 2018, hitting 18 home runs with a .241 batting average.
The Rangers tried him out again at Single-A Hickory to start 2019, but after 15 home runs and a 1.165 OPS in 30 games, the Rangers moved him up to Class-A Advanced Down East, where he continued to flourish.
Strengths
Huff has a couple a plus tools, but his power exceeds everything else. With a 6'4" frame, he has a lot of raw power, utilizing leverage from his size. His strength produces impressive bat speed that results in high exit velocities to all fields. He's very capable of hitting 30 home runs as a Major League player, but he needs to refine his approach to hit that ceiling.
Huff also possesses a strong arm from behind the plate. His 2019 campaign also showcased improvement in his mechanics as a catcher, both in blocking and in his footwork. Those improvements coupled with his strong arm led to him throwing out 48 percent of base-stealers in 2019.
Huff now looks like one of those rare catchers that is a threat both offensively and defensively. It's a valuable commodity to have in baseball today.
Weaknesses
While Huff has massive power, his aggressive approach continues to need refinement. Like a lot of stereotypical power hitters, he doesn't walk enough and he strikes out too much. His 154 strikeouts in 127 games last year is way too much. That number has to go down, especially as he advances through the farm system.
The Rangers have done well with some of their uber-aggressive players on the Major League roster, like Joey Gallo and Danny Santana. As their mantra trickles down throughout their Minor League system, Huff may also reap the benefits of that tutelage.
Future
Huff is likely heading to Double-A Frisco this year, where he could greatly benefit from manager Bobby Wilson, who is a former Ranger and Major-League catcher. Huff will also experience his first Major League camp at spring training as well.
2020 will be a big development year for Huff. The jump from Single-A to Double-A is considered the most difficult, but being around the Major League team this spring may aid him in his development. If he succeeds in 2020, he has a good shot at the Major Leagues in 2021.
Inside The Rangers Top 10 Preseason Prospect Rankings
10. 3B Sherten Apostel
9. SS Maximo Acosta
8. RF Bayron Lora
7. LHP Joe Palumbo
6. RHP Cole Winn
5. CF Leody Taveras
4. 2B Nick Solak
3. RHP Hans Crouse
2. C Sam Huff
Each spot will be released daily.
Follow Inside The Rangers on SI on Twitter: @SITexasRangers
Like Inside The Rangers on SI on Facebook: @SITexasRangers
Follow our Rangers insider Chris Halicke on Twitter: @ChrisHalicke
Click the "follow" button in the top right corner to join the conversation on Inside The Rangers on SI. Access and comment on featured stories and start your own conversations and post external links on our community page.
