9/1 Minors Thread: Marteen

Don’t get too excited about college draftees. For every Hunter and Moreland there are 10 Doyles and Mendoncas

Jared Hoying is a solid shortstop from Toledo University. Hoying came to Toledo from Fort Loramie High School in Fort Loramie, Ohio, a small western Ohio town north of Dayton. He was a solid high school player, but more of a future college than pro player, so he went undrafted and headed to Toledo.

As a freshman, he played most of the year as the Rockets’ starting shortstop, and while his numbers were only decent, the amount of pop he showed meant there was something to look forward to in his bat. He improved steadily as a sophomore, and that meant he was expected to really turn the lights on as a junior, when he was to be draft-eligible again. However, he’s gone backwards this spring, still showing the same pop, but still struggling with plate discipline issues. That weakness likely means he’s best as a future utility player, as his ceiling is limited by his bat. At the plate, he’s plagued by an inability to make contact at times, and it’s not due to lack of aggressiveness. His hit tool, which is solid-average, is actually fairly good, as he has the mechanics to be a decent hitter, but he lacks that fundamental ability to read a pitch and hit it where it comes in.

His power is average, as well, so he’s a solid hitter on paper. Add in an above-average run tool, and you should have one solid offensive weapon. However, the plate discipline issues overshadow it all. Defensively, he’s not good enough to stick at shortstop, and his hands are bad enough that third base might not be an option, either, as he’s a below-average fielder. His arm is above average, so he might handle an outfield corner in the future. As a college player with solid tools, he could go in rounds seven to ten, where he should be signable.

Some of the shine of Marteen has come off for me this year.