Raw but talented Hamilton working to find potential with Mustangs

[OnBaseMachine]

Nice article on Billy Hamilton from the Billings Gazette:

Always a threat to steal a base, Hamilton is considered one of the fastest and best all-around athletes in the Reds’ farm system. He also has great range as a middle infielder and is considered to have a huge defensive upside. MLB.com, for instance, described Hamilton as “a young Tony Fernandez.”

Right now he is trying to become a switch-hitter. Naturally right-handed, Hamilton used to playfully take pitches from the left side in the batting cage last season.

So coaches with the GCL Reds asked him if he wanted to give it a serious go.

“I said, ‘I’ll try,’” Hamilton remembers. “The tough part is just seeing pitches. I’m more of a right-handed guy so I can see pitches pretty good right-handed. But this is professional baseball and they’ve got more pitches than they did in high school.”

Full article:
http://billingsgazette.com/sports/ba...cc4c002e0.html

[Benihana]

Quickly becoming my favorite prospect in the system. Would love to see him become a switch-hitting Brandon Phillips.

[lollipopcurve]

Many of us were surprised they pushed him to Billings, and now he isn't hitting, like he didn't hit last year. Should he be in Billings? Should he be switch-hitting? Too soon to tell, but Hamilton is clearly a "project" who has done little to indicate his potential is translating to the field. At some point, confidence becomes an issue.

[Benihana]

Many of us were surprised they pushed him to Billings, and now he isn't hitting, like he didn't hit last year. Should he be in Billings? Should he be switch-hitting? Too soon to tell, but Hamilton is clearly a "project" who has done little to indicate his potential is translating to the field. At some point, confidence becomes an issue.

I'm not surprised he's in Billings. Show me a HS hitter drafted in the first two rounds that has repeated the GCL.

I'd give him at least another month in Billings before I'd start to worry about his ability to hit.

[GIDP]

Enough said.

[lollipopcurve]

Show me a HS hitter drafted in the first two rounds that has repeated the GCL.

Show me a high school hitter drafted in the first two rounds who started to switch hit upon entering pro ball.

I'd give him at least another month in Billings before I'd start to worry about his ability to hit.

Don't let my concern concern you, then.

[Benihana]

Show me a high school hitter drafted in the first two rounds who started to switch hit upon entering pro ball.

So he should repeat the AZL because he just decided to try to switch hit?

Don't let my concern concern you, then.

I won't. 2-for-4 tonight.

[lollipopcurve]

So he should repeat the AZL because he just decided to try to switch hit?

He's being pushed despite having hit poorly in the GCL and trying to learn to switch hit. Worthy of an observation, don't you think?

I won't. 2-for-4 tonight.

I don't know about you, but I'm going to let it play out and revisit later in the summer. Feel free to crow every time Hamilton has a good game. I'm rooting for him too.

[Mario-Rijo]

Enough said.

You have got to be kidding me, is that real and Billy Hamilton? That dude can flat get up and he looked like he could have went higher, Billy "His Airness" Hamilton? I always thought of him as an elite level athlete but even in those thoughts I just didn't see that coming, extremely impressive. BTW someone said a switch hitting BP, I'm thinking Jose Reyes level athlete.

On his hitting, he can always give up the switch hitting at some point and he is what 19 right now? If he reaches MLB bye 2015 he will still have made it in a reasonable time frame. That is a long time to get things figured out, as a matter of fact I'll give him until 2011 is over before I start to get concerned about him, mid 2012 before I start to think he has no shot. Just let him play and learn until then IMO.

[medford]

He's being pushed despite having hit poorly in the GCL and trying to learn to switch hit. Worthy of an observation, don't you think?

They also had all of extended spring training to watch him hit/field and make a more informed decision on where he should be playing this season. You may choose to trust the Reds or not trust, or wait to see it play out as you said, but they have much more than just 1 GCL season to base their assignment to Billings for Mr Hamilton.

either way, that defensive play was unreal. How great would it be to have a switch hitting leadoff man w/ that kind of defensive range at SS.

[lollipopcurve]

I'm thinking Jose Reyes level athlete.

This is the hope, and will remain the hope for a while if he struggles. And rightfully so. He does look to have off-the-charts athleticism.

But we need to remember that baseball is not track, and somewhere along the line a player needs to experience success, or the "game of failure" will start to feel like defeat. Exhibit A, I would say, is Mesoraco. He really needed to be back in high A this year.

This time next week Hamilton could be hitting .300, drawing a walk and stealing a base every now and then, and my concern will dissipate.

As noted, he's got plenty of time and lots to work with. Still, there seems to be a wealth of young middle infield talent in the system right now, so Hamilton does face a number of challenges, not just in developing his own game, as he starts up the ladder.

[lollipopcurve]

They also had all of extended spring training to watch him hit/field and make a more informed decision on where he should be playing this season. You may choose to trust the Reds or not trust, or wait to see it play out as you said, but they have much more than just 1 GCL season to base their assignment to Billings for Mr Hamilton.

Agreed, and this may be a cause for optimism. Yet, they probably also realized they needed to open a spot for Junior Arias.

[medford]

Agreed, and this may be a cause for optimism. Yet, they probably also realized they needed to open a spot for Junior Arias.

True. They also may look at it that they want him in Dayton next year to sink/swim in a full season league as a previous high draft pick, so Billings was the logical step in between.

[lollipopcurve]

True. They also may look at it that they want him in Dayton next year to sink/swim in a full season league as a previous high draft pick, so Billings was the logical step in between.

I think there must be a sink or swim approach on some level -- they have been aggressive in bringing in SS types the last couple years -- though I doubt they plan rosters more than a year in advance.

[Hoosier Red]

Show me a high school hitter drafted in the first two rounds who started to switch hit upon entering pro ball.

That's my concern too, I'm not familiar with switch hitters but don't most of them come to pro ball as switch hitters? If a guy's having trouble hitting, what's the advantage in making him learn from both sides?

But as was later pointed out, the Reds have more information than I do.