‘Electric’ pitcher from Idaho a projected MLB first-round pick. What scouts see in him
Idaho doesn’t often find itself represented at the top of the Major League Baseball Draft, but Gabriel Hughes could soon change that.
The former Rocky Mountain High standout enters Sunday’s draft as one of its most heralded prospects, a 6-foot-4, 220-pound right-handed pitcher with a fastball reaching 97 mph and a devastating slider.
The 20-year-old’s combination of size, stuff and feel make him a projected mid-to-late first-round pick, according to several recent mock drafts. Those projections stand to make him just the fourth player with Idaho ties ever selected in the first round of MLB’s primary draft.
But Hughes said he’s ignoring the hype and speculation. After showcasing his talents at MLB’s draft combine in San Diego, he said he’s just ready to get to work for whichever team calls his name.
Draft coverage of the first and second rounds begins at 5 p.m. Sunday on ESPN and MLB Network.
“I’m not entirely sure I’ll be able to sleep the night before,” said Hughes, who graduated from Renaissance High in 2019 but played at Rocky Mountain. “I’m sure that day I’m going to be a nervous wreck. But I’m really excited because it feels like my entire career led up to this moment, and I’m really excited to be taking that next step.”
Hughes entered the spring as an intriguing prospect, then catapulted up draft boards with a dominant season. The former two-way Gonzaga player focused on pitching, and the dedication paid off as he went 8-3 with a 3.21 ERA to lead the Bulldogs to the NCAA Regionals.
He struck out 138 and walked 37 in 98 innings. His strikeouts ranked ninth in the country, and his strikeouts per nine innings (12.7) was 17th.
The sophomore campaign earned him a spot on four All-American teams and as one of 31 semifinalists for the Golden Spike Award, given annually to college baseball’s top players. But more importantly, it drew the attention of national scouts.
“Hughes has an exciting combination of size, repertoire and feel for pitching,” reads Hughes’ draft profile on MLB.com, which ranks him as the No. 26 overall prospect.
“The 6-foot-4 right-hander has electric stuff, starting with a fastball that’s regularly in the 94-97 mph range with ease, leading some scouts to wonder if he might touch triple digits someday. His slider can be a wipeout pitch, up to 89-90 mph, and he even shows a very good feel for his changeup.”
Major League Baseball teams don’t often spend much time scouting Idaho, a cold-weather and sparsely populated state. The only previous first-round picks from Idaho are Caldwell High’s Mike Garman (third overall, 1967), Lewis-Clark State’s Beau Mills (13th overall, 2007) and Madison High’s Clayton Mortensen (36th overall, 2007).
Hughes could soon join that exclusive list.
“I think I bring a really competitive spirit, and obviously hard work and attitude,” Hughes said. “I’m excited for this next step. I’m excited to get to work for whoever likes me. I’m ready to get to work.”
Here’s where several draft experts predict Hughes will get selected, as well as their scouting reports on the two-time Idaho Gatorade player of the year.
ESPN
Projected pick: No. 17
Team: Philadelphia Phillies
What they said: “Hughes has been a college standout with solid performance and above-average-to-plus stuff for a couple years. He didn’t finish that strong in his last few starts this season, but some teams loved what they saw just before that and are considering him the top college arm in the class,” Kiley McDaniel wrote.
Bleacher Report
Projected pick: No. 17
Team: Philadelphia Phillies
What they said: “Amid an onslaught of injuries to some of the draft’s top pitchers, Hughes was a consistent force at the top of the Gonzaga rotation. … He would slot nicely alongside Mick Abel and Andrew Painter atop the Philadelphia farm system,” Joel Reuter wrote.
MLB Pipeline
Projected pick: No. 20
Team: Atlanta Braves
What they said: “Hughes was lights out for much of the year as Gonzaga’s Friday night starter. He faded a bit down the stretch, making it a little tougher to place him, even if his name is mentioned all over the round and some think he’ll be gone by here,” Jonathan Mayo wrote.
The Athletic
Projected pick: No. 25
Team: New York Yankees
What they said: “Hughes took a big step forward in command this year even as his stuff ticked up, all of which has put him into first-round consideration. He’s sitting 93-94 mph now, touching 97 mph, up almost 2 mph from last year, with a hard slider in the low to mid 80s that misses a lot of bats. He’s huge, 6-5 and 225 pounds already, with a workhorse frame but a longish arm action that he has a hard time repeating. He has a changeup that he barely uses, although it’s been effective when he has. There’s some reliever risk here from the delivery, and the fact that his command is still probably a soft 45, but there’s also big upside given the frame and the two pitches he already has,” Keith Law wrote.
CBS Sports
Projected pick: No. 26
Team: Chicago White Sox
What they said: “... Hughes has tremendous power stuff and should move quickly. That would work well for a Chicago team that has never been shy about rushing top prospects up the ladder,” Mike Axisa wrote.
Prospects Live
Projected pick: No. 27
Team: Milwaukee Brewers
What they said: “The Brewers will be smitten to see another power-righty fall into their lap here with Hughes still on the board. … Hughes is too talented to pass up this late,” Joe Doyle wrote.
