Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
The fifth draft profile features one of the biggest risers on the draft board. Here’s a look at Kody Hoese, a junior third baseman from Tulane.
——
Previous profiles
——
Vitals
6’4, 200 pounds
Position: Third Base
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
DOB: July 13, 1997
Location
New Orleans, La.
Year: Junior
Rankings
Baseball America: 30
ESPN: 32
FanGraphs: 25
MLB.com: 25
Perfect Game: 25
Slot recommended bonus (No. 25): $2,740,300
Slot recommended bonus (No. 31): $2,312,000
Note: All information of draft prospects compiled from Internet sources, scouting reports and video.
——
In the 2018 draft, Hoese was selected in the 35th round and declined to sign with the Royals. That … was a good decision.
Hoese struggled in his freshman season at Tulane, with a .213 batting average and a higher on-base percentage (.287) than slugging percentage (.279). He only recorded seven extra base hits in 139 plate appearances. He showed improvement as a sophomore, with a much better .291/.368/.435 triple slash and hitting five homers. After declining to be the Royals 35th-rounder, Hoese came back as a Junior and set the ACC on fire.
After a rough look at Hoese’s career stats, it looks like he roughly doubled most of his career numbers in his junior year. After recording 91 hits in his first two seasons at Tulane, Hoese had 89 hits in his junior year. In his first two seasons, Hoese had five home runs and 44 runs batted in. As a junior, Hoese finished fourth in the NCAA with 23 homers and drove in 61 runs. He posted a video game triple slash, batting .392/.487/.789 in 227 plate appearances. He drew 38 walks and struck out only 30 times, as he ended his Tulane career with the best walk rate and lowest strikeout rate of his career.
Hoese was one of the best college bats around last season, which brings questions about why he struggled in his first two years. He doesn’t appear to be a future gold glover, but evaluators believe he’ll be able to play a passable third base. He’s also an average runner, with a 40 run being his lowest-graded tool on MLB Pipeline. Hoese has had a ton of helium, and figures to have played himself into late-first round contention.
Video
Videos courtesy of 2080 Baseball and Tulane Green Wave.
Watch that second video. Hoese has 80-grade bat flip potential.
It’s always weird throwing a Hall of Fame player comp on a college kid, but if his bat is for real, I get a little Marlins Miguel Cabrera feeling out of Hoese. That’s the best-case scenario obviously, but Hoese could come in to the Dodger organization as one of the best all-around bats. His defensive questions probably limit his potential. He’ll also turn 22 a month after the draft, making him “old” for a draftee.
