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Name: Brendan Hardy
Born: Gulfport, Mississippi
Age: 18 (12/15/99)
Height/Weight: 6’4”/170 lbs.
Position: RHP
Bats/Throws: R/R
School: Harrison Central High School (Gulfport, Mississippi)
As the son of William Hardy, Brendan Hardy has baseball in his blood. His father was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 25th round of the 1979 draft and played in their system a few years. Between 1979 and 1981, William Hardy appeared in 222 games for the Bristol Tigers, Lakeland Tigers, and Birmingham Barons and hit .285/.330/.338. Brandan is a chip off the old block, hitting a career .297/.371/.369 during his four years at Harrison Central High School, but unlike his father, Brendan is most at home on the mound. The right-hander has a career 2.28 ERA in 70.2 innings for the Red Rebels, allowing 64 hits, walking 38, and striking out 80. He really came into his own this past season, posting a 1.51 ERA in 51.0 innings, allowing 46 hits, walking 25, and striking out 69.
Hardy has a lanky 6’4”, 190-pound build with long legs and long arms, suggesting future growth. He throws from a three-quarters arm slot, using a delivery that has a little bit of violence and a little bit of funk. He has a quick, loose arm, generating velocity from it and his explosive push off the rubber. The right-hander has a fastball that sits in the upper-80s, topping out as high as 90 MPH. He complements it with a curveball in the mid-to-high-70s, and changeup in the high-70s-to-low-80s.
After being drafted, Hardy stated that if the Mets did not meet his financial demands, he would honor his commitment to Jones County Junior College and either reenter the MLB draft or get selected by a SEC college, but the right-hander has since signed with the team.