Cooper Hjerpe
LHP 6-2 180 Oregon State
2021 Oregon State stat line - 17-G, 16-ST, 3-6, 4.21, 1.17, 77-IP, 98-K
Cooper Hjerpe, RHP, Oregon State (No. 90)
After walking four batters in his first start of the season against New Mexico, Hjerpe turned in a strong, six-inning outing against Xavier during week 2. He didn’t allow a run while scattering just three hits and striking out nine batters, compared to one walk.
Hjerpe doesn’t have overpowering stuff, but everything he throws plays up thanks to an incredibly tough slot. He’s a 6-foot-3, 200-pound southpaw who pitches from the first base side of the rubber and drops down to a sidearm delivery, which creates a difficult angle for both righties and lefties alike.
Scouts have wanted to see him throw more consistent secondaries, and a slot that helps his fastball play up could simultaneously make it tough to consistently spin a breaking ball, but through two starts this spring he has posted a 0.82 ERA over 11 innings, while striking out 17 batters (13.9 K/9) and walking five (4.1 BB/9).
Hjerpe has been a fastball-dominant pitcher in his collegiate career and it appears that is still the case through his first two starts, but it’s hard to argue with his results. He’s an intriguing arm with a unique analytical profile that should be exciting for MLB teams whether he remains a starter or has to transition to a bullpen role in the future.
We’re keeping an eye on how his velocity tracks throughout the season and the progress of his secondaries.
2-25-22 - Joe Doyle @JoeDoyleMiLB
Cooper Hjerpe's day is done. 6 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 9 K. 94 pitches, 64 strikes.
3 hits is generous. 2 were late, defensive hacks from righties on the FB that squirted down the right field line. One hard hit ball all day.
Joe Doyle @JoeDoyleMiLB
What makes this so disgusting is the fact Hjerpe can reach back for 94 with hop from this incredibly low slot. Hard to explain just how unique this kid is.
And haven't even brought up the changeup yet, arguably his best pitch.
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COOPER HJERPE LHP OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY:
Standing in at 6-foot-2, 190-pounds., Hjerpe’s long levers paired with his low release height help to create deception in his operation which creates fits for opposing hitters. He demonstrates great control of his fastball which is reflective in his 70-percent strike rate. He commands the pitch well up in the zone and is able to generate lift with the offering despite throwing from a lower release. Similar to Hader, Hjerpe has a flatter approach angle with his fastball which provides him additional resources to be successful in attacking hitters up in the zone. During the 2021 spring season, the fastball sat in the 89-92 mph range. However, he has spent the offseason working on a throwing program with an emphasis on velocity training. If Hjerpe can add a few additional ticks on the fastball and continues to showcase his strike throwing ability combined with his durability, he has a chance to shoot up draft boards in what is now a recently depleted college starting pitching crop on the surface.
31. Cooper Hjerpe, LHP, Oregon State
Timing is said to be everything for comedians; it's true for draft prospects, too. Consider Hjerpe (that's "jerpy"). He would've been dismissed as a reliever as recently as 10 years ago because of his sidearm slot and a so-so arsenal: his fastball sat in the low-90s last season, and he lacks an elite secondary offering. He's a top 50 prospect now because of the marriage between his extreme release point and his fastball's carry. That combination creates tough angles on hitters, and makes him an analytics darling. It doesn't hurt that Hjerpe struck out more than 11 batters per nine last season for the Beavers, or that his fastball was clocked up to 97 mph during the fall. It's to be seen if he can hold that velocity heading forward, but he's one worth monitoring.
1-26-22 - https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/2022-college-top-25-preview-no-11-oregon-state/ -
Player to know: Cooper Hjerpe, LHP
Of the three members of Oregon State’s projected weekend rotation, Hjerpe on paper has the highest chance of becoming a supernova of a star in college baseball in 2022. He emerged as a workhorse last season, coming in behind only Abel on the team in innings pitched (77) and strikeouts (98). His stuff is also nothing short of electric. Coming from a low slot, his fastball last season averaged 91 mph and touched as high as 97 with a low-80s changeup that induced a 46% whiff rate. Any of Oregon State’s three projected starting pitchers could credibly be considered preseason contenders for Pac-12 pitcher of the year, but Hjerpe is the one that stands out as having the best chance of the bunch.
1-18-22 - https://www.baseballamerica.com/rankings/2022-mlb-draft-top-100-prospects/ -
90
Cooper Hjerpe
Oregon State LHP
Notes:
Ht: 6-3 | Wt: 200 | B-T: L-L
Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 21.3
Hjerpe attacks hitters from a tough, lefthanded slot and a 6-foot-3, 200-pound frame. During the 2021 spring with Oregon State, Hjerpe threw 77 innings and posted a 4.21 ERA, while striking out 98 batters and walking 27. He pitches heavily off a fastball that sat in the low 90s last spring, but his velocity was reportedly much better in the fall, sitting in the 93-97 mph range. If that sort of velocity sticks over the course of the 2022 spring, he will move up draft boards, but scouts also want to see improved secondaries out of him. He’s largely found success by attacking hitters from a difficult attack angle with a high-spin fastball, and some evaluators believe his low slot will make spinning a consistent, quality breaking ball a challenge.
12-30-21 - https://www.prospectslive.com/prospects-live/2021/12/29/2022-mlb-draft-top-300-prospects -
#52
Cooper Hjerpe LHP Oregon State Capay, CA
Hjerpe is a polished lefty with a low-90s heater, a cutter, a slider and a changeup. He limits walks and gets a ton of swing-and-miss. He's been a mainstay in the OSU rotation since arriving to campus and represents one of the more consistent forces in the class. That said, he's currently a pitch over "stuff" arm with some traditional starter characteristics with loads of deception in his operation. Hjerpe spent this past winter working to add zip on his fastball and optimizing the slider, work that has paid early dividends in 2022.
Cooper Hjerpe, LHP Oregon State
A funky sidearm lefty from the baseball powerhouse of the Pacific Northwest, Hjerpe offers one of the more unique looks in the 2022 class. The de facto ace of the Oregon State staff has the type of data that could draw the interest of several analytically-driven front offices. After coming out of the bullpen during his pandemic-shortened freshman campaign in 2020, Hjerpe made the jump to the Oregon State rotation with 16 starts in 2021. His unique release characteristics coupled with the angle he gets on his pitches make him a very uncomfortable at-bat for opposing hitters. Overall, Hjerpe was productive in 2021, but his line was marred by a pair of rough outings versus UC Irvine and Arizona State.
His unique operation starts fairly pedestrian with a semi-windup before a long arm stroke gives way to a sidearm slot, creating a deceptive sweeping angle, even as his fastball and changeup run arm side. It’s his combination of a low side arm slot and his drop and drive mechanics that allow him to deliver the ball from a sub-4-foot release height, which creates an elite vertical approach angle. His 3.9-degree approach angle would be among the flattest in the majors, and his 6 feet, 6 inches of extension would rank top 10 among MLB starters. These unique elements of Hjerpe’s operation allow a low-90s fastball to play up out of the hand. Each of his four pitches benefit from this unique release point.
11-20-21 - Brian Recca -
44. Cooper Hjerpe
Position: Left Handed Pitcher
School: Oregon State
There are starter elements with the build (6’2/190), three pitch mix, and the ability to throw strikes. Hjerpe’s delivery isn’t typical for a major league starter and he’s currently more control > command. He’s had some trouble remaining consistent with the quality of his secondaries (especially with the breaking ball). It’s also kind of odd how he wasn’t able to string multiple high-quality starts in a row in 2022. That may point to a future in the bullpen (arm barn?) but luckily, we have a full college season ahead of us to make that determination. Two of my favorite pitcher evaluation tools are FaBIO and DIGS which incorporate elements like command, batted ball events, and strikeouts to paint a more comprehensive picture of a pitcher’s abilities. Hjerpe was terrific under both grading systems with a FaBIO score of 99 (100 is the max) and a DIGS grade of 89 (again, 100 being the max). I would love to find out what his pitch data looks like, especially on that fastball, because to the naked eye the whole operation looks extremely unique. Hjerpe will most likely end up in a tier below the top draft-eligible college lefties (Hubbart, Barco, Whisenhunt, etc.) but should do well on draft day as college lefties typically do. Hjerpe fits the mold of a 2-3 round type arm.
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