The Texas Rangers may not be considered to have many top prospects, but Samuel Huff is doing his best to change that perception.
It is easy for a prospect to fly under the radar, especially if they are not on a team with a strong system. While those rebuilding teams typically look to develop a healthy farm system and a plethora of top prospects, not every team has that luxury. Such is the case with the Texas Rangers, whose rebuild may be hampered by their lack of potential top of the line prospects.
However, Samuel Huff is looking to change that perception. A seventh round draft pick by the Rangers in 2016, Huff spent his first two seasons in rookie ball before moving up to the South Atlantic League in 2018. He began the year with the Hickory Crawdads once again, but quickly showed that he had nothing left to prove in Hickory.
Promoted to Carolina League, Huff has continued hitting. Between the two levels, he has posted a combined .328/.367/.695 batting line, hitting 17 homers and 11 doubles in 188 plate appearances. Huff has struck out 55 times with only eight walks, but that is a byproduct of how much he is selling out for power this season.
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Those contact concerns are not the only questions related to Huff. At 6’4″ and 230 pounds, there are questions as to whether or not he will be able to remain behind the plate for the long term. While his size might bring his agility into question, he has graded out as a strong pitch framer, and has gunned down 55% of would be base stealers so far in 2019.
Whether or not he can stick at catcher may be the determining factor in how far Huff can progress. His swing and miss issues, particularly on breaking pitches due to his selling out for home runs, will be magnified at the upper levels. However, those issues can be ignored with his power potential – if he stays behind the plate.
Should Huff need to move to another position, presumably first base, he becomes a lot less intriguing. Those holes in his swing, and his propensity to swing from his heels, will be a lot harder to overlook. While there is the possibility that he could develop into another Joey Gallo type, a change to first may leave Huff as a quintessential Quad-A player.
Samuel Huff is an intriguing prospect for the Texas Rangers. If he can stay behind the plate, he could be a key part of their future. Otherwise, his ceiling may be capped in the upper minors.