Casey Hughston

WTM’s PLAYER PROFILE

2015
A-:  224/267/311, 219 AB, 9 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 13 BB, 71 K, 4-5 SB

Hughston got off to a horrific start at Morgantown, going 1-for-43 to begin his career.  He batted .273 after that stretch came to an end.  Overall, though, he struck out too much, a problem that persisted even after the terrible start.  He fanned 34 times in 86 August at-bats, for instance.  He didn’t hit LHPs at all, posting a .307 OPS with 20 strikeouts in 50 at-bats.  He played exclusively in center.

2016
A:  190/251/335, 400 AB, 11 2B, 7 3B, 11 HR, 30 BB, 154 K, 16-24 SB

The Pirates sent Hughston to West Virginia and he had significant difficulties.  By mid-May he was hitting .147 with 51 strikeouts in just 129 ABs.  The Pirates sent him to extended spring training for a month, then brought him back to West Virginia.  He hit very well for the last half of June, but continued to strike out in well over a third of his ABs.  He struggled increasingly the rest of the season, batting .190 from July on, with 86 whiffs in 226 ABs.  He hit for much more power after he returned in June, slugging .380 as compared to .240 before that.  In the field, Hughston alternated in center field with Tito Polo, playing left when he wasn’t in center.  After Polo moved up to Bradenton, Hughston stayed in center.  Surprisingly, given his size, Hughston has the speed, at least for now, to play in center and he’s shown good range.  He’s also shown some speed on the bases.

2017
A+:  248/300/393, 400 AB, 16 2B, 9 3B, 8 HR, 29 BB, 147 K, 15-23 SB
AA:  200/200/600, 5 AB, 1 3B, 3 K

Hughston moved up to Bradenton and served as the regular in center.  He made some progress; in fact, he got off to a very good start, with an .853 OPS in April.  That didn’t last, though, as he never reached .700 in any other month.  In the end, his K rate was nearly identical to 2016, although he hit better overall.  He hit decently against RHPs, with a 257/300/440 line, but he managed only 217/291/264 against LHPs.  The Pirates moved him up to Altoona when it was shorthanded at the end of the season and he participated in the Curve’s title run.

2018
A+:  201/287/292, 339 AB, 12 2B, 5 3B, 3 HR, 39 BB, 130 K, 6-10 SB

The Pirates sent Hughston back to Bradenton and he initially served as a fourth outfielder.  He eventually got a lot of playing time, evenly divided among the three outfield spots, due to injuries and personnel moves.  His hitting took a sizeable step backward, as his power largely disappeared and his K rate actually increased.

Hughston’s power and athleticism always seemed to give him a decent ceiling, but the production hasn’t been there.  He won’t be a minor league free agent for another two years and the Pirates may find better uses for the playing time.