Minor league catcher Blake Hunt was a major piece of the Blake Snell trade to the San Diego Padres in December of 2020. Prior to the trade, Hunt was a top 20 prospect for San Diego. Almost one year later, he now sits at number 15 in the Rays prospect rankings. While his ETA to the majors is 2022, he is still early on in his career and needs more time to develop before he is ready to join the major league club. That being said, in order to be able to join the Rays at the major league level, he will need to be protected from the Rule 5 Draft this season.
Why will Hunt be Protected from the Rule 5 Draft?
Defense is Hunt’s biggest strength. In his first year of full season ball in Single A (2019), Hunt threw out 33% of baserunners. He has a pop time of less than 2 seconds (which is very impressive), and has a very strong and accurate arm.
This season, Hunt split his time between the Bowling Green Hot Rods (High A) and advanced to the Montgomery Biscuits (Double A). His caught stealing rate did decrease to 21% between the two levels, mostly due to Hunt not catching any baserunners on 12 attempts in Double A. While this seems like a significant decrease, I don’t think it should cause any doubt to Hunt’s ability to catch baserunners. Just like Hunt is still developing, the pitchers in Double A are as well. Pitchers are most likely more focused on the development of their pitches and command than they are holding baserunners. For this reason, run control is not as prioritized as it is in the majors.
Offensively, Hunt struggled during his first year in the minors, but has progressively improved. His walk rate, strikeout rate, and slugging percentage have gotten better each year. In 59 games in high A this year, Hunt hit .225/.307/.427, which marks the highest slugging percentage of his career.
After advancing to Double A, his offensive numbers dropped to .124/.210/.161 with a 40% strikeout rate in 17 games. Similar to the drop in his defensive performance, I do not think this is cause for panic. Hunt just needs to adjust to his new surroundings and continue working towards improvement. He has already shown good strike zone recognition, willingness to walk, and better contact for more extra base hits.
Despite the setbacks in Double A this season, Hunt is still projected to be a quality major league catcher. He has the tools to be an exciting catcher with the Rays, and if continues to show improvements in his development we will hopefully see him with the major league club in 2023.
Having a strong defensive catcher is especially important for the Rays, as they are a team who relies primarily on the success of their pitching staff. They need a quality defensive catcher to complement their pitchers.
Hunt is not just a quality defensive catcher in the making, he was also the centerpiece of the Snell trade and is highly valued by the Rays front office. For these reasons, I expect that they will find a roster spot for him on the 40-man and protect him from the Rule 5 draft.
What do you think of Blake Hunt?