Detroit Tigers' under-the-radar prospect not so anonymous after championship season

LAKELAND, Fla. — Sometimes, the best way to gauge a player, especially when it comes to a prospect, is to simply listen to what others are saying about him.

And that’s the case with Brant Hurter, who finished last season as the Tigers' No. 4 pitching prospect, according to MLB Pipeline.

“I love Hurter,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “I mean, he's a big, physical dude, man.”

Love him?

OK, Hinch had my attention. He doesn’t throw around words like that very often about prospects.

“His stuff is good,” Hinch said. “His demeanor is good. From what the minor league people tell me, his routines are incredible and very advanced, and he believes in his stuff because he throws a ton of strikes. I wish all of our development guys would throw as many strikes as he does and challenge the strike zone. Now we're going to refine it. It's way easier to refine the quality of strikes if you're already a strike thrower. It's really hard to convince you to go in the strike zone, if you're afraid of the strike zone.”

I don’t think Hurter is afraid of anything. He threw a live bullpen on Tuesday on the backfields at TigerTown and looked confident and comfortable.

The first batter he faced? Jake Rogers, a guy who hit 21 homers in the majors in 2023.

“He's good,” Rogers said later. “He's funky.”

Hurter looks massive on the mound — he’s 6 feet 6, and he lines up on the far-left side of the rubber so his slider actually starts out behind a lefty.

“I’m glad he’s a lefty,” the right-handed Rogers said.

Hurter faced Rogers, Carson Kelly, Zach McKinstry and Andy Ibanez — and nobody hit the ball hard against him, just mostly fouls and softly hit grounders.

Granted, it’s early in camp for the hitters — this was the first live batting practice in TigerTown. And granted, none of those hitters are Miguel Cabrera in his prime. But still, it was impressive.

“He just has so many pitches that move so much,” said Donny Sands, who caught the session. “For him, it's all about knowing where to start those pitches, and pounding strikes, but that's what he did today. He looked nasty and they all move a ton.”

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Let’s stop right there. Because important details should be highlighted, especially when I hear about a young pitcher who is “nasty” with pitches that “move a ton” — one who pounds the strike zone and isn’t afraid to throw strikes.

“I felt good,” Hurter said after his outing. “Changeup's not where I'd like it, but everything else felt good.”

Already a winner

There’s another thing that Hinch loves about Hurter.

He helped the Erie SeaWolves to the Double-A Eastern League championship. In fact, he started the championship game, striking out seven in seven scoreless innings as the SeaWolves beat the Binghamton Rumble Ponies, 10-0.

“It was a blast,” Hurter said. “I mean, obviously, when you win a championship at the Double-A level, everyone's excited. Everyone's popping champagne. So it was a really good time.”

OK, so it wasn’t a World Series victory.

It wasn’t even an big-league playoff game.

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But it was a game that mattered to his team and mattered inside the organization, and Hurter was able to control his emotions and perform — that’s something that is important in the big picture.

“I love the fact that he got to pitch in a season-deciding game,” Hinch said.

“Does that matter?” I asked Hinch.

“Sure does,” Hinch said. “I mean, anytime you're competing against somebody else, for something, it matters. So at the development stage, where these guys are at, I would wish for all of them to pitch in high-intense innings”

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Just getting a taste right now

This is the first time the Tigers have invited Hurter to the big-league camp.

He is using a portable locker set up in the middle of the clubhouse — a telltale sign that he is among a group of players who are not expected to make the Opening Day roster.

Not this year at least.

His main mission right now is just to get comfortable being around this team and around this coaching staff, because his future looks obvious.

“It’s pretty cool just being in the same clubhouse with certain guys like Kenta Maeda and Jack Flaherty, knowing they have a bunch of really good years, being big leaguers,” he said.

“Is it intimidating?” I asked.

“No, I'm not intimidated,” he said, quickly.  “I think it's just one of those cool experiences in life, just get to be around them and learn from them. It's cool being around all the guys and learn a lot. Just trying to figure out how to become them. And so I'm asking a lot of questions and just being around the environment. It's pretty cool."

Hurter was taken in the seventh round of the 2021 draft — the same draft that brought the Tigers Jackson Jobe and Ty Madden near the top of the process.

And Hurter is turning into a tremendous success story for the Tigers' development staff.

“I've completely changed,” Hurter said. “My delivery is way more consistent. I've developed a changeup that I'm actually confident in. I have a four-seam that I'm confident in now — because I tinkered with the four-seam in college and I hated it, never threw it — but actually learned a four-seam grip here. That helps with my slot. So I mean, I've just become a more confident and a complete pitcher.”

He exudes a comfortable confidence, and nothing seems to faze him.

Hurter is not expected to make the Opening Day roster.

But if he stays away from injury and continues to develop — tweaking his usage — he is going to make it to Detroit one day.

Soon.

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Contact Jeff Seidel at jseidel@freepress.com or follow him @seideljeff.

To read Seidel's recent columns, go to freep.com/sports/jeff-seidel.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers' Brant Hurter draws raves from A.J. Hinch, Jake Rogers