Jack Hurley
OF Virginia Tech
2021 VT stat line - 58-G, 232-AB, ,375, 1.116-OPS, 14-HR
1-23-23 - Tyler Jennings @TylerJennings24
Hokies Baseball's Jack Hurley will look to join Gavin Cross as a first round pick this summer. Lots of bat speed with loft to his swing, intriguing power/speed combo w/ athleticism. Would like to see s/m + chase rates come down. One of the front-runners for ACC POY. https://t.co/0wXnz1GAed
1-23-23 - Ian Smith @FlaSmitty
I am uncomfortably high on Hurley. VT looks to have yet another quality bat go high in the MLB Draft.1-9-23 - FIVE SUPER-SLEEPERS WHO COULD GO NO. 1 IN THE 2023 MLB DRAFT
JACK HURLEY, OUTFIELD, VIRGINIA TECH
Hurley enters the 2023 season as a bit of a hidden gem, veiled by the likes of Gavin Cross, Cade Hunter, Tanner Schobel and Nick Biddison last season; all eventual Top-5 round selections last July out of Virginia Tech. Hurley is coming off a massive sophomore campaign where he slashed .375/.452/.664 with 14 homers and 10 stolen bases. He manned left field for much of the season, but could patrol centerfield in 2023 with Biddison having moved on.
Hurley has a track record of being a swing-first-ask-questions-later slugger. It’s led to some streaky periods of swing-and-miss, but when he gets rolling, he is one of the most dangerous bats in the country. Despite being just 6-foot, 185-pounds, Hurley ranked inside the 95th percentile for all college hitters last season with a max exit velocity close to 112 mph. Over 40 percent of his balls in play exceeded 98 mph. That’s fairly elite, again, right in that 95th percentile range. These aren’t outliers either. His average exit velocity and barrel percentage last season both rank well above average amongst his peers. The approach at the plate will need some fine tuning, and Hurley will need to cut down his chase rate. But if he’s a bit more selective in 2023, his already gaudy offensive numbers could soar higher.
Hurley’s pure tools are representative of a guy who could justifiably go first overall. He has above average speed and uses it well, running strong routes in the field and stealing bags. If there’s one wart, Hurley’s throwing arm is fringy. He’s destined for centerfield or left field as a pro, the latter being the more fitting role.
If Hurley’s bat takes another step forward in 2023 and shows more polish, he’s a name you who could slowly buoy his way up boards. Once you get into that Top 5 discussion, anything can happen.
12-6-22 - 2023 MLB DRAFT - MOCK DRAFT 2.0 - https://www.prospectslive.com/prospects-live/2022-mlb-mock-draft-n78w7-st9r4-wa35p-2n5ls-8addg-ed27s?s=03 -
27. Philadelphia Phillies
Jack Hurley, OF, Virginia Tech
Hurley is as steady as they come offensively with enough tools on defense to stick in centerfield long-term. He impresses metrically too with above average batted-ball data and big exit velocities. He’s more than talented enough to go earlier than this, but it goes to show how deep the class is.
11-4-22 - 2023 MLB Mock Draft 1.0 - https://www.perfectgame.org/articles/View.aspx?article=21422 -
13. Minnesota Twins | Jack Hurley, OF, Virginia Tech
Minnesota stays on the college side here and grabs one of the top collegiate bats available. Hurley’s a projectable plus hit tool with a consistent track record of high-end performance on one of the best offenses in college baseball. It’s a mature approach with solid average power and real feel for the barrel. He’s one of the safer options at this point in the year. -IB
11-28-22 - 2023 MLB Draft: College Top 100 Prospects - https://d1baseball.com/prospects/2023-mlb-draft-college-top-100-prospects/ -
24 Jack Hurley OF Virginia Tech ACC
11-12-22 - 2023 MLB Draft – Top 50 College Prospects -
https://www.prospects1500.com/mlb-draft/2023-mlb-draft-top-50-college-prospects/
20. Jack Hurley, OF, Virginia Tech – Hurley is as tough an evaluation as there is for me right now. The hands and feet aren’t in sync, there are a lot of moving parts in his swing, and he has put up concerning strikeout numbers. On the other side, a vast majority of those strikeouts have come on offspeed offerings, and he has shown the ability to barrel up quality fastballs. He was arguably the best offensive contributor on a Virginia Tech team that featured the number nine overall pick in Gavin Cross a season ago. The ball really jumps when he makes contact and he hit for a .375 average a season ago while showing an approach that allows him to use all fields and drive the ball all over the ballpark. The arm probably won’t let him play right, but he has enough speed he might be able to stick in center long term.
11-9-22 - 2022 Fall Report: Virginia Tech - https://d1baseball.com/fall-report/virginia-tech-2022/ -
The headliner of the group is junior outfielder Jack Hurley, who batted .375/.452/.664 last season with 23 doubles and 14 home runs, and spent his summer with USA Baseball’s Collegiate National Team.
He has a knack for hard contact, both to the gaps and in terms of traditional home-run power. He’s a plus runner, which makes him a potential fit as a replacement for Cross in center field—a position he played for Virginia Tech as a freshman— but he has the arm for right field, and if nothing else, he can slot back into left field, where he played last season. Suffice it to say that Hurley checks a lot of boxes.
11-4-22 - Perfect Game 2023 MLB Mock Draft 1.0 -
https://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View.aspx?article=21422&src=hmrep&s=03
13. Minnesota Twins | Jack Hurley, OF, Virginia Tech
Minnesota stays on the college side here and grabs one of the top collegiate bats available. Hurley’s a projectable plus hit tool with a consistent track record of high-end performance on one of the best offenses in college baseball. It’s a mature approach with solid average power and real feel for the barrel. He’s one of the safer options at this point in the year. -IB
11-2-22 - https://baseballprospectjournal.com/jack-hurley-hopes-to-build-on-last-season/ -
Jack Hurley has played a valuable role for Virginia Tech since his freshman year in 2021.
As a first-year player, he was a regular in Virginia Tech’s lineup, showing flashes of his potential. After his freshman year, Hurley knew he needed to make tweaks to continue his evolution as a baseball player.
The Virginia Tech outfielder altered his swing mechanics leading up to his sophomore season last year. The work paid off significantly, as Hurley posted monster numbers. He was Virginia Tech’s best hitter in a loaded lineup, which included Gavin Cross, the ninth overall pick in the 2022 MLB draft.
Hurley hit .375 with 23 doubles, 14 home runs, 55 RBIs and 10 stolen bases in 232 at-bats last year. Scouts noticed Hurley’s success and development. Entering his junior season, Hurley is one of the top players in college baseball and a potential first-round pick in the 2023 draft.
10-19-22 - https://www.prospectslive.com/prospects-live/2022/1/15/2023-mlb-draft-prospects-fx4td?s=03 -
19. Jack Hurley
Outfield, Virginia Tech
Hurley is a bit of a five-tool player who can impact the game in every aspect. He's got the hit tool and the raw power, and he's got the speed to steal double-digit bases as a pro. If there's one critique here, it may be that the throwing arm is below average, maybe a touch better than that. Hurley comes packed in an athletic frame with well-proportioned strength and organic loft built into his swing. He doesn't have to sellout for power or force things to his pull-side. He does a good job staying up the middle of the field and letting his bat speed handle the rest. Hurley has gone through occasional periods of swing-and-miss, coming almost exclusively by way of the changeup, but that's a development piece that should come as he ages. This is a big league regular bat.
9-19-22 - Top 20 college prospects for '23 Draft -
https://www.mlb.com/amp/news/top-college-prospects-for-2023-mlb-draft.html -
12. Jack Hurley, OF, Virginia Tech
Hurley put up monster numbers in a loaded Virginia Tech lineup last spring, batting .375/.452/.664 with 14 homers and 10 steals and outperforming No. 9 overall pick Gavin Cross. He makes a lot of hard contact despite a busy left-handed swing, and he also has plus speed and a shot at playing center field.
9-7-22 - https://www.prospectslive.com/prospects-live/2022-mlb-mock-draft-n78w7-st9r4-wa35p-2n5ls-8addg -
27. New York Yankees
Jack Hurley, OF, Virginia Tech
Hurley is a five-tool type of guy, though none of his tools are specifically loud. He does everything well and he’s been a consistent performer inside a powerhouse lineup for two years now. Hurley has the ability to handle centerfield, but may be better suited for left field where his throwing arm won’t be challenged quite as much. Hurley’s got a good shot at being a solid big league regular who can contribute in a number of ways and become a staple at the top of a lineup for a decade.
8-29-22 - Joe Doyle @JoeDoyleMiLB
The 2023 MLB Draft Show has ARRIVED
We're kickin' things off with Jack Hurley (@jhurlz5), an ultra-talented OF with Hokies Baseball. Hurley is a potential 5-tool guy who hit .375 with 14 homers and 10 stolen bags in 2022. A BIG name to know.
8-3-2022 -
Ranking the Top 30 2023 MLB Draft Prospects -
22 Jack Hurley, OF, Virginia Tech
7-28-22 -
2023 MLB DRAFT - TOP 150 PROSPECTS -
https://www.prospectslive.com/prospects-live/2022/1/15/2023-mlb-draft-prospects -
15. Jack Hurley
Outfield, Virginia Tech
Hurley is a bit of a five-tool player who can impact the game in every aspect. He's got the hit tool and the raw power, and he's got the speed to steal double-digit bases as a pro. If there's one critique here, it may be that the throwing arm is below average, maybe a touch better than that. Hurley comes packed in an athletic frame with well-proportioned strength and organic loft built into his swing. He doesn't have to sellout for power or force things to his pull-side. He does a good job staying up the middle of the field and letting his bat speed handle the rest. Hurley has gone through occasional periods of swing-and-miss, coming almost exclusively by way of the changeup, but that's a development piece that should come as he ages. This is a big league regular bat.
All the 2023 Draft Prospects in the Mack’s Mets database can be viewed by going to www.macksmets.blogspot.com and clicking on 2023 DRAFT PROSPECT DATABASE found on the top, left of the front page of the site.
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