2017 Mets draft profile: Bryce Hutchinson

Name: Bryce Hutchinson

Born: Port Orange, Florida

Age: 18 (10/21/98)

Height/Weight: 6'6"/245 lbs

Position: RHP/1B

Bats/Throws: R/R

School: DeLand High School (Florida)

Bryce Hutchinson has been on the radar of scouts for years. As a sophomore, he had a monster year, hitting .373 for the Spruce Creek Hawks and leading the entire state of Florida with 22 doubles. A broken hamate bone limited him in his junior year, but as a senior this season, the big first baseman was unleashed on the Florida baseball circuit once more. Changing schools from Spruce Creek High School to DeLand High School, where his father was hired as baseball coach, Hutchinson helped lead the Bulldogs to the District 2-9A Championship, going 8-1 with a 1.08 ERA and 81 strikeouts.

Bryce Hutchinson has an electric arm, with a fastball that sits in the low-90s and has topped out as high as 95 MPH. In addition to its above-average velocity, the right-hander also gets late running action on his fastball. He complements it with a sharp low-to-mid 80s slider with late drop, and a developing spike curveball sitting in the high-70s to low-80s, and a mid-80s changeup. Of his secondary pitches, the slider flashes being a better than average pitch, while his curveball and changeup need to be refined further or scrapped completely.

In addition to being a force on the mound, Hutchinson is an impressive hitter. He stands at the place with a spread stance that lets him tap into the power of his lower half and generate plus raw power. He seems to always swing hard and with intent, driving the ball when square contact is made, generating as high as a 100 MPH exit velocity on a hit ball. Though his swing is quiet and smooth, scouts doubt his ability to make contact with quality pitches thanks to his size.

Hutchinson throws from a three-quarters arm slot. His mechanics are smooth and fluid, with his quick arm generating his above-average velocity. The right-hander already stands an imposing 6’6”, 245 pounds, so Hutchinson does not need much more to project. He is generally able to repeat his mechanics and command his pitches well, but his velocity sometimes backs up, and he loses his control when his big body gets out of sync. It has never been much of a liability, but his size limits his athleticism on the mound, and in the future, his body and weight may have to be worked on in order to maintain the athleticism he already has.

Hutchinson had a commitment to Kentucky earlier in the year, but has since changed his commitment to Mississippi State University, following coach Gary Henderson, who stepped down as pitching coach of Kentucky and was hired by MSU. On the Florida high school baseball scene, Hutchinson was rivals with fellow Mets draftee Nathan Peden, but the two are good friends otherwise.