Torii Hunter Jr. Leaves Notre Dame to Pursue Pro Baseball Career

Torii Hunter Jr., son of the longtime MLB center fielder, will bypass his final season at Notre Dame to begin a career in professional baseball. The Los Angeles Angels drafted him last June.

If you were a baseball fan at any point over the last 20 years, Torii Hunter roaming the outfield grass for the Minnesota Twins, and later the Los Angeles Angels and Detroit Tigers, was a very familiar sight. Hunter became renowned for his capable bat as well as his highlight-reel feats as a defender. He earned five All-Star nods and nine Gold Glove Awards over the course of a career that spanned 19 seasons.

It’s not surprising that Hunter passed some of his athletic talent on to his son. Torii Hunter Jr. has spent the last three years as a wide receiver for the Notre Dame football team, grabbing 73 receptions for 949 yards and six touchdowns in 26 total games since beginning his college career in 2014.

However, the 21-year-old has decided to follow his father’s footsteps a little more closely. He has announced that he will forgo his final year of eligibility at Notre Dame to pursue a career in professional baseball. Hunter posted a message thanking the Fighting Irish faithful on Twitter:

The Los Angeles Angels hold the rights to Hunter after selecting him in the 23rd round of last June’s draft. His father played for the Angels from 2008 to 2012. Hunter appeared in 12 at bats for Notre Dame’s baseball team in the past two seasons, collecting a pair of hits and a run batted in. According to Paul Skrbina of the Chicago Tribune, he was used mainly as a pinch runner, scoring nine runs and swiping two bases.

The 6-foot, 195-pound Hunter has been praised for his speed and athleticism, but as Skrbina notes, injuries have been a problem for him throughout his football career. He will hope that a full-time transition to baseball allows him to stay healthy and productive. Notre Dame baseball coach Mik Aoki has previously given Hunter high marks, saying:

"“Even when we watched him in high school, he was a kid that could go get the ball in the outfield. I think he could provide game-changing-type speed on the bases in terms of looking to steal, going first to third, first to home, that sort of stuff.”"

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Hunter will now begin the long, grinding process of trying to distinguish himself as a minor league ballplayer. As per the Orange County Register, he will probably start with one of the Angels’ Class A short-season teams next June. Breaking into the big leagues is difficult for any player; doing so with the added expectations that come with being the son of a well-respected former star is even tougher.