LNG

Sam Huff, C

Edit player ✎
FanGraphs → MLB →

Scouting report

Huff has goofy all-fields power and will hit some titanic blasts to the opposite field. He's also become a solid defender despite his size. At 6-foot-5, 240 pounds, Huff is the biggest catcher in baseball. He receives on one knee with the bases empty but moves to a traditional crouch with two strikes and with runners on. His lateral quickness and footwork on throws to second weren't really tested during his 2020 debut, but Huff is good at blocking balls right in front of him and has enough raw arm strength to catch. While a pair of early-2021 lower half injuries (first a hamstring strain, then knee surgery to "remove loose bodies") may give one pause when viewed in concert with his size, Huff feels like a pretty sure bet to stay at the position. Instead, questions now surround his ability to make contact. Huff has K'd at a 30% career rate. He's a long-levered free swinger, and struggles to lay off well-placed sliders. The bar for offense at catcher is so low that I think Huff will be able to approach or clear it solely by doing huge damage on the mistakes he sees, but his statistical track record is an awful lot like Jorge Alfaro's, an indication that Huff's ability to do that will vacillate wildly. I expect he'll eventually be in a timeshare with Heim that includes starts at 1B/DH and pinch hit opportunities.