Pirates' Hudson Head: Flashing on-base ability in Low-A
Rotowire
Head is batting .214/.375/.403 with 11 homers, three steals, 35 RBI, 45 runs and a 51:90 BB:K across 70 games for Low-A Bradenton.
The good news is the 20-year-old outfield prospect is showing terrific on-base ability, exemplified by his brilliant 17.1 percent walk rate -- not to mention he's been hit by pitches 10 times. The bad news is Head is striking out at a 30.1 percent clip, which is why he's had so much trouble hitting for average. He also hasn't tried to run much at all, which is surprising for a guy who's considered to have 60-grade speed and has been on first base as often as he has. On balance, it's taken some of the shine off Head as a prospect, but he still has intriguing tools and the Pirates will give him time to address his swing-and-miss issues as he moves through the minors.
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Pirates' Hudson Head: Traded to Pirates
Rotowire
Head was traded from the Padres to the Pirates on Monday as part of a package for Joe Musgrove, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
A third-round pick in the 2019 draft, Head comes with a decent amount of hype but is quite far from making the majors. The canceled 2020 minor-league season means he's only appeared in 32 total professional games, all at the rookie-ball level, though he did hit a strong .283/.383/.417 in those games. Head projects to have the speed necessary to stick in center field and makes good contact, but he needs plenty of polish if he's to turn his athleticism into game power.
