St. Louis Cardinals: Prospect spotlight on Scott Hurst

With their first pick in the 2017 draft, the St. Louis Cardinals selected outfielder Scott Hurst out of Cal State Fullerton. Although, it was the teams first pick. The college bat was a third rounder.

Scott Hurst is the St. Louis Cardinals 26th ranked prospect according to MLB Pipeline, and he is putting together a good year so far. As to be expected from a college bat, the 22 year old is progressing well through the early years of his professional career.

Something the organization has been able to do well with in the past is find good college hitters to develop. It would seem that Hurst is a prime candidate to add to that list, at least at this point in his career.

Performance

In his debut year, playing for the State College Spikes, Hurst put together a solid performance. He hit .283, and even added three long balls to his line. Beyond that, he flashed some gap power with 11 doubles and six triples.

For his sophomore season, the outfield prospect was assigned to the Peoria Chiefs. That is a call he is answering so far, posting a batting average of .293. He has no triples, but in less at bats than last year has the same number of homers and doubles. Hurst has also improved on his RBI totals, while also lowering his strikeout rate.

Tools

This prospect is another example of an overall player. His power grade is 40, and his speed grade is 60. The rest of Hurst’s grades sit at 50. He is not reliant on one or two tools, and that could bode well for him moving forward.

The most interesting grade to watch will be his speed. Yes, it is his best, but that is not why. It will help him defensively, and it seems he uses it well in the outfield. But it remains to be seen in any significant way on the basepaths. To this point in his career he has swiped 11 bags and been caught seven times.

Projections

MLB Pipeline’s profile on him says that he could develop into an everyday outfielder, more specifically a center fielder. It will still be a few years before he plays for the St. Louis Cardinals, as his ETA is for the year 2021. That number is always subject to change for better or for worse depending on performance.

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I do not disagree with the projection of an everyday player. Hurst has the tools to develop into a solid player. As he refines them, his projection should only go up. But, where I differ from MLB Pipeline is his ETA. If Hurst can continue to progress well and show the ability to hit, we should see him in a St. Louis Cardinals uniform a year earlier. That, however is up to him.