Sodo Mojo’s Top 40 Seattle Mariners Prospects: 35-31

Be honest, you forgot about Adam Hill, didn’t you? The secondary piece coming to the Mariners in the Omar Narvaez trade, Hill is a player deserving of your attention. The former South Carolina Gamecock, Hill was a 4th round selection of the Mets in the 2018 draft who set a career-high in innings pitched in his first full pro season.

In A-ball, Hill posted a 3.92 ERA, with 109 strikeouts in 121 innings. But the 23-year-old had some control issues, walking 55 batters, a 4.1 BB/9 rate. Obviously, that will need to get better before Hill can sniff the big leagues.

But Hill has a good fastball that touches 94 but sits 91-93 with plane and sink. Hill creates deception in his delivery, allowing the fastball to play up a bit and also giving it more sink. But the hitch in the delivery has it’s drawbacks, including potential command issues.

Hill needs the slider to pop. Now, it is a fringe-average offering but there have been flashes of more in stints. The changeup is a good pitch now, but not good enough to carry him through a lineup more than twice. The control issues and lack of a good breaking pitch currently limit Hill, who has #4 upside.

But a move to the bullpen could be in Hill’s future, where they can speed up his mechanics and get him to sit 95-96, and where his lack of breaking ball won’t be such a big issue. But for now, Seattle should give him every opportunity to prove he can start and they will.