Hunter Greene: Prospect Profile, MLB Comparison for Reds' 1st-Round Pick

Player: Hunter Greene

Position: RHP/SS

DOB: Aug. 6, 1999 (17 years old)

Height/Weight: 6'3", 195 lbs

Bats/Throws: R/R

School: Notre Dame High School (Calif.)

College Commitment: UCLA

Background

No prospect in this year's draft has generated more hype than Hunter Greene.

Perhaps you've seen his Sports Illustrated cover?

A two-way star who would likely be picked in the first round as a shortstop, it's clear his future will be on the mound.

Scouts didn't get to see much of him there this spring, when he made just five starts for Notre Dame High School before shutting it down as a pitcher in an effort to avoid injury.

He showed plenty in his 28 innings of work, though.

Along with allowing just 18 hits and three earned runs, he also tallied 43 strikeouts against just four walks. He possesses rare control for a young pitcher with electric stuff.

In his four years playing at the varsity level, he went 12-5 with a 1.62 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 145-to-31 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 121.1 innings.

His days as a hitter are likely nearly over, but for what it's worth, he also hit .337/.414/.567 with 24 doubles, 13 home runs and 72 RBI in 386 plate appearances. His raw power stacks up to any hitter's in this year's class.

Pick Analysis

Few, if any, prep pitchers have possessed Greene's combination of stuff, control and projectability.

MLB.com raved about his power arm:

"It all starts with a plus plus fastball that has touched triple digits consistently this year. Greene will regularly be 97-101 mph early in starts and then settle into sitting in the 95-98 mph range, and he does it without a ton of effort. He'll throw two breaking balls, and they'll run into each other occasionally, with some thinking he'll focus on a slider in the future, with a chance for that secondary pitch to be at least major league average. He doesn't need to throw his changeup much, but he'll mix in some good ones in every start. He is always around the strike zone and rarely walks batters, [which is] especially impressive given how hard he throws."

Baseball America touched on some of the intangibles he brings to the table as well:

"Greene was a high-achieving student and scored a 31 on the ACT, a score that ranks among the top three percent of all students taking the test. In the winter prior to his senior spring, he organized a sock drive for the homeless, sending autographed cards of himself to fans who donated socks."

There's always a risk when it comes to high school arms, and Greene won't be able to live on a triple-digits fastball if he doesn't develop the viable off-speed stuff to back it up.

That said, all the pieces are there for him to develop into a franchise cornerstone-caliber player.

MLB Player Comparison: Noah Syndergaard

Frank Franklin II/Associated Press

Noah Syndergaard has the best arsenal of power stuff in the game today.

The towering 6'6" right-hander regularly touches triple digits with his fastball and backs it with a lethal slider in the low 90s.

Greene isn't quite as big, with a 6'3", 195-pound frame, but he can bring that same kind of heat.

Each player's command is the biggest reason for this comparison, though.

Despite his electric stuff, Syndergaard also possesses pinpoint control, with an impressive 1.9 BB/9 in the majors.

As mentioned above, Greene walked just four batters in 28 innings of work this spring and also pitched at a 2.3 BB/9 clip during his high school career.

Additionally, Syndergaard made his MLB debut at the age of 22 and became a Cy Young Award candidate the following season.

With his advanced feel for pitching and smooth mechanics that shouldn't need much tweaking, Greene could move similarly quickly from draft prospect to MLB ace if everything falls into place.

Projection: Ace upside if he can harness his electric stuff and refine his secondary offerings. The highest ceiling in the draft.

Major League ETA: 2022

Chance of Signing: 99 percent

As much as the sport of college baseball would benefit from having Greene make it to campus at UCLA, it's not going to happen. He'd be a blast to watch as a two-way star, but there's no reason to think he won't get his pro career started as a full-time pitcher.

High school stats courtesy of MaxPreps. MLB stats courtesy of Baseball Reference.