After being drafted by the Houston Astros in the 2nd round of the 2004 draft, Pence, 23, moved from the Southland Conference at Texas-Arlington to the New York-Penn League. Once there, the 6-foot-4 outfielder continued to mash the ball and began to impress the Astros and opposing pitchers.
In his first professional stint in the New York-Penn League, Pence put up a .296/.369/.518 line – including 8 home runs in 199 at-bats. What’s more impressive is the fact that he only struck out 30 times.
In 2005, the Astros moved Pence to Single-A in Lexington, and he caught fire. In 325 at-bats Pence was able to hit 25 home runs and put up a line of .338/.413/.652. That quickly earned him a promotion to High-A Salem. Once there, Pence cooled down a bit but still showed his power by slugging .490 in 151 at-bats.
Pence was moved on to Double-A in 2006 where he kept progressing nicely. After hitting .283/.357/.533 for Corpus Christi, he began to finally get the respect his play has demanded.
Hunter Pence has risen to the top of the Astros prospect rankings by his own merits and through a few present minded trades. He’s a big time slugger who could be looking at some playing time in Houston this season.
Strengths
Pence
can swing a bat. He has demonstrated plenty of power and has more power
potential. He chokes up on the bat which limits the power he generates.
Pence has a fairly open stance and he uses that to help cover the
inside half of the plate. He is able to drive the ball anywhere if it’s
on the inside half of the plate but can struggle with pitches away.
The powerful right hander also knows how to control the zone. He has quick hands and a fairly good eye. He is able to catch up to most fastballs but also has the pitch recognition to sit back on a changeup. At each level in the minors, he has been able to draw walks in over 10% of his plate appearances.
Pence can steal a base from time to time. He doesn’t have incredible speed but he uses it well. He is able to move around the bases well but, in general, his lack of natural speed holds him back.
Pence has a good arm, strong and fairly accurate. It is an asset in the field and will certainly make him valuable to Houston.
Weaknesses
Pence has been criticized for poor range. He doesn’t have the greatest vision in the world in the field but has improved over the course of his professional career. Pence has played all over the outfield but will likely end up in right field.
He needs to improve his consistency at the plate both in his approach and his swing. From time to time, he is erratic and doesn’t maintain consistent footwork. This can contribute to a moderate disposition of streaky play on his part.
Future Outlook
Pence will likely start the season in Triple-A Round Rock. With Carlos Lee, Chris Burke, Jason Lane and Luke Scott already in Houston, there is no reason to expect the Astros to rush him to the big leagues.
When he is called up, Pence should be able to hit for power and field adequately. He could hit .280 in the big leagues, but he needs to cut down on his strikeouts before he can fully realize that potential. His discipline at the plate and eye give him added value.
Koby Schellenger can be reached at koby.schellenger@gmail.com.