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Rangers No. 2 Prospect Sam Huff C | Texas Rangers: MLB
23 Years Old | Throw: R | Bat: R | 6’5″ | 240 lbs. | ETA: 2021
| Hit | Raw Power | Power | Field | Arm | Speed | FV |
| 30/40 | 70/70 | 50/60 | 40/50 | 60/60 | 40/35 | 45 |
Sam Huff was a 7th round draft pick by the Texas Rangers in 2016 out of Arcadia HS in Phoenix, AZ. With his large 6’5, Huff sticks out on the field as the Ranger’s second-best prospect only behind Josh Jung. The Rangers intend to keep Huff behind the plate for the time being, but what position he ends up at down the road is a question. He has shown good power production in the minors and his bat could play more elsewhere. The power-hitting catcher made his MLB debut with the Texas Rangers in the shortened season in 2020 but still qualifies as a prospect for 2021.
Hit 30/40
Sam Huff hits from slightly open stance with his knees bent and has a small crouch to go along with a medium handset and puts more weight into his back leg. He tends swings out front looking to drive the ball. His bat should play in the Majors, but Huff has swing and miss as he is a power over contact-oriented hitter and can swing over quality breaking balls. In his MLB Debut in 2020 he struck out 35% of the time with a chase percentage of 25.4 and had a whiff percentage of 40.7. During his journey through the minor leagues, the Arizona native struck out in 24.8% of his at bats while striking out 31.2% of the time in 2018 and 29.7% of his plate appearances in 2019.
Power: 50/60
The Rangers prospect will be a run producer in the big leagues with a good lineup. With his big frame and lofty swing, Sam Huff should have plus game power as he hits the ball hard when he makes contact. He displays good bat speed and has an average exit velocity of 95.7 mph after getting called up to the show. He swings with an uppercut looking to put the ball in the air and has moments where he shortens his swing at times and turn on inside pitches, however, it can be a bit lengthy. To tap into more game power, Huff will need to shorten his swing a bit and lay off breaking pitches down in the zone and away as he does chase.
Glove: 40/50 | Arm 60/60
Where Sam Huff will be in the future is a question. The Rangers seem to like his skill behind the plate and while he is a solid backstop, I question how his legs will hold up once he gets into his late 20s and into his early 30s. He appears to be their catcher for at least the next few seasons, but with his frame he could end up a 1B/DH type player or possibly a DH/C type role. For now, he has shown that he has a Major League average glove behind the plate as a backstop and can frame pitches. Huff’s arm will be a big factor behind the plate as he has above average arm strength and has a quick and easy transfer.
Speed: 40/35
Huff does not have much speed and with the type of player he is, it is not a concern. He will not be a stolen base threat but could rack up some doubles due to his power.
FV: 45
Huff will be a big-league masher who produces runs with support around him. While there will be swing and miss concerns, the former 7th round pick will have most of his value coming from his power production as he should be able to hit in the middle of the lineup and still hit enough to keep the starting job of whichever position he ends up at. If his knees hold up as he gets older, he should hold more value as a player behind the plate, with his Average Defense and plus arm, but if not, a team could utilize his power as a 1B/RF/DH role as well as stick him behind the plate when needed.
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