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Sam Huff has been named the Texas Rangers Minor League Player of the Year by Baseball America.
Huff, 21, has had a breakout campaign this year. The 21 year old 2016 7th round pick dominated the low-A Sally League for Hickory to start the season, putting up a .333/.368/.796 slash line in 114 plate appearances, earning himself a promotion to the high-A Carolina League. Since moving to Down East, he has slashed .273/.339/.460 in 357 plate appearances.
Huff is large for a catcher — he’s listed at 6’4”, 230 lbs. — but he has a terrific arm and the general reviews you see from those around the team suggest that he should be able to stick behind the plate. There are some swing-and-miss concerns with Huff, who has a career 31.4% strikeout rate, though he’s lowered it to 27.2% since joining Down East. That said, with his power, if he can handle the catching position defensively, he should be able to carve out a successful major league career.