:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/60050481/AA_Draft_2018.0.jpg)
Name: Zachary Hammer
Born: Stony Point, North Carolina
Age: 17 (7/04/00)
Height/Weight: 6’2”/165 lbs.
Position: RHP
Bats/Throws: R/R
School: Alexander Central High School (Taylorsville, North Carolina)
A standout at Alexander Central High School in Taylorsville, North Carolina, Hammer earned All NWC honors for the Cougars this season after posting a 2.75 ERA and striking out 67 batters over the course of the season.
At 6’2”, 165-pounds, Hammer has plenty of projection left in his lean body and should add additional weight and muscle. Throwing from a high three-quarters arm slot, he uses simple delivery, standing tall on the rubber and getting good extension off the rubber.
Hammer’s fastball currently is thrown in the high-80s-to-low-90s, sitting 89-92 MPH. The pitch has sinking movement thanks to his high arm slot. The youngster often has trouble commanding it, tending to miss up and arm side seemingly because he is inconsistent when he releases the ball and releases it too early. He complements the pitch with a power curve that is advanced for his age. The pitch sits in the mid-to-high-70s and has 11-5 drop. He occasionally throws a high-70s changeup, but rarely has needed to use the pitch as a high school pitcher and it lags far behind in its development as a result.
Hammer has a commitment to Catawba Valley Community College.