BDPP79, Matt Hobgood of the Baltimore Orioles, Bowman Chrome Autograph
Buy or Sell: Sitting on the Fence
Projected Value: High(ish)
Hobgood’s an interesting selection for the autograph checklist. On one hand, the Baltimore Orioles did make him the fifth overall selection in 2009′s draft. On the other hand, Hobgood could’ve slid further in the draft even if quite a few teams were tantalized by his physical make-up and arsenal.
Hobgood’s got the build to handle his low-to-mid 90′s fastball with ease. There’s definitely some room for improvement on the heater, but velocity will be secondary to control and improved movement.
Baltimore’s putting together one hell of a staff and there’s always the potential that Hobgood moves to the pen. Thankfully, he’s shown more than a grip it and rip it approach.
Hobgood’s definitely got the raw-tools to shoot up in the Baseball America Rankings, which would equal pretty solid profits.
He’s gotta keep his curveball tight while he works on developing the change-up, or he’ll get type-cast.
The ceiling’s definitely there for Hobgood assuming he can put together his change-up. If he can post even half decent numbers while getting a feel for all three (or four) of his pitches, Hobgood could be a wise investment.
Just remember, in addition to Hobgood’s skillset, his signability drastically effected his draft-stock. If Hobgood starts fetching 5th overall selection money on cards, I’d stay away.
I get the feeling that Topps (Bowman) also added Hobgood to the checklist due to signability issues.
