Logan Hill

WTM’s PLAYER PROFILE

2015
A-:  297/402/479, 219 AB, 13 2B, 3 3B, 7 HR, 28 BB, 51 K, 13-17 SB

Hill was easily Morgantown’s best hitter.  In fact, he had more HRs than the rest of the team combined until late in the season, when he missed about a week and a half with an injury.  He even led the team in steals.  He tailed off late, with a .736 OPS in August that may have resulted in part to him not being healthy for part of the month.  He had a minimal platoon split.  Hill played exclusively in right, except for one game in left.

2016
A:  254/323/439, 335 AB, 19 2B, 5 3B, 11 HR, 29 BB, 97 K, 13-19 SB
A+:  226/319/355, 62 AB, 2 2B, 2 HR, 5 BB, 20 K, 1-2 SB

The Pirates moved Hill up to Bradenton to open the season.  He didn’t get off to a great start, but it wasn’t horrible, either, considering the extreme pitchers environment and the fact that he was skipping a level.  His OBP and slugging average were almost exactly league average, although he was striking out in a third of his ABs.  At the beginning of May, the Pirates sent Hill down to West Virginia to replace Ty Moore, who’d been sent to extended spring training.  Hill got off to an abysmal start with the Power, hitting 200/296/329 in May and 198/290/284 in June, with 56 strikeouts in just 151 ABs.  He got off to a 3-for-18 start in July, too, but after that was the Power’s best hitter.  From the second game of a July 9 doubleheader, he batted 312/353/563 with 45 strikeouts in 199 ABs.  On the season as a whole, he hammered LHPs for a .931 OPS while posting only a .681 OPS against RHPs.  On defense, Hill played mostly in left at both stops.

2017
A+:  266/351/513, 267 AB, 14 2B, 2 3B, 16 HR, 31 BB, 73 K, 3-6 SB
AA:  278/385/418, 79 AB, 5 2B, 2 HR, 14 BB, 21 K

Hill returned to Bradenton and had a breakout season.  Despite the fact that he got promoted to Altoona halfway through the season, he finished tied for second in the Florida State League in HRs, just two behind the leader.  His slugging average would have been good enough for second in the league if he’d qualified.  His plate discipline was a concern, but he became much more patient as the season went along, probably in part as a reaction to being pitched around.  His monthly strikeout and walk totals while he was still in Bradenton:

April:  7 BB, 27 K
May:  13 BB, 27 K
June:  11 BB, 19 K

Hill moved up to Altoona at the beginning of July and showed even greater patience, although the power dropped off.  He wasn’t there very long, though, as he went out for the season in late July with a fractured hand.

2018
AA:  228/311/404, 391 AB, 14 2B, 2 3B, 17 HR, 41 BB, 132 K, 1-6 SB

Hill got off to a dismal start at Altoona, posting an OPS of just .407 in April.  He improved after that, with an OPS of at least .739 in every month.  He continued to strike out at a high rate and struggled against RHPs, with an OPS of .686.  His OPS against LHPs was .812.  He split his time between left and right, but doesn’t have much range.

2019
AA:  258/332/428, 407 AB, 27 2B, 3 3B, 12 HR, 42 BB, 120 K, 1-3 SB
AAA:  184/259/388, 49 AB, 4 2B, 2 HR, 2 BB, 12 K

Hill went back to Altoona, except for a stint at Indianapolis in June.  He seems to have toned down his swing a bit, the result being fewer strikeouts and some HRs turning into doubles.  He had no platoon split.  Hill spent the bulk of his time in the field in left and at first, and saw a little time in right.

Hill is a solid hitter at the AA level, although it’d be interesting to see what he’d do with the livelier ball in AAA.  He’ll turn 27 two months into the 2020 season.