Blake Hunt
| Blake Hunt | |
|---|---|
| Baltimore Orioles – No. 81 | |
| Catcher | |
| Born: November 10, 1998 Costa Mesa, California, U.S. | |
Bats: Right Throws: Right |
Blake Evan Hunt (born November 10, 1998) is an American professional baseball catcher for the Baltimore Orioles of Major League Baseball (MLB).
Career
[edit]Amateur
[edit]Hunt attended Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California, where he batted .394 with six home runs, 28 RBI, and nine doubles as a senior in 2017.[1]
San Diego Padres
[edit]Hunt was selected by the San Diego Padres in the second round of the 2017 Major League Baseball draft.[2][3] He signed for $1.6 million, forgoing his commitment to play college baseball for the Pepperdine Waves baseball team.[4]
Hunt made his professional debut with the Arizona League Padres, batting .241 over thirty games. He spent the 2018 season with the Tri-City Dust Devils where he hit .271 with three home runs and 25 RBI over 56 games, and he played 2019 with the Fort Wayne TinCaps, slashing .255/.331/.381 with five home runs and 39 RBIs over 89 games.[5] He did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[6]
Tampa Bay Rays
[edit]On December 29, 2020, the Padres traded Hunt, Francisco Mejía, Luis Patiño, and Cole Wilcox to the Tampa Bay Rays for Blake Snell.[7] He split the 2021 season between the Bowling Green Hot Rods and the Montgomery Biscuits, slashing .205/.288/.375 with nine home runs and 48 RBI in 76 games.
In 67 games split between Double–A Montgomery and the Triple–A Durham Bulls in 2023, Hunt hit a combined .256/.331/.484 with 12 home runs and 41 RBI.
Seattle Mariners
[edit]On November 6, 2023, Hunt was traded to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for Tatem Levins; he was subsequently added to Seattle's 40-man roster following the trade.[8] Hunt was optioned to the Triple–A Tacoma Rainiers to begin the 2024 season.[9] In 23 games for Tacoma, he batted .293/.372/.533 with four home runs and 20 RBI.
Baltimore Orioles
[edit]On May 22, 2024, Hunt was traded to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for Mike Baumann and Michael Pérez.[10] On July 30, Hunt was promoted to the major leagues for the first time.[11] He did not make an appearance and was optioned back to the Triple–A Norfolk Tides the next day, becoming a phantom ballplayer.[12]
References
[edit]- ^ "In the Hunt: San Diego Padres give Blake his shot". Los Angeles Times. June 16, 2017.
- ^ "Padres top prospects: No. 25 Blake Hunt". San Diego Union-Tribune. March 25, 2020. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
- ^ "In the Hunt: San Diego Padres give Blake his shot". Daily Pilot. June 16, 2017. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
- ^ "Padres top prospects: No. 25 Blake Hunt". March 25, 2020.
- ^ "Padres get big win in Blake Snell trade: Jim Bowden hands out grades".
- ^ "2020 Minor League Baseball season canceled". MLB.com.
- ^ "Padres' blockbuster trade for Snell official". MLB.com. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
- ^ "Mariners' Blake Hunt: Moved to Seattle". cbssports.com. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
- ^ "Mariners' Blake Hunt: Optioned to minors". cbssports.com. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
- ^ "Mariners Acquire Mike Baumann". mlbtraderumors.com. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
- ^ "Orioles Designate Cole Irvin For Assignment". mlbtraderumors.com. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
- ^ "Orioles' Blake Hunt: Demoted, but with taxi squad". CBS Sports. July 31, 2024. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
External links
[edit]- Career statistics from Baseball Reference (Minors)
- 1998 births
- Living people
- Arizona League Padres players
- Baseball catchers
- Baseball players from Orange County, California
- Bowling Green Hot Rods players
- Durham Bulls players
- Fort Wayne TinCaps players
- Mesa Solar Sox players
- Montgomery Biscuits players
- Sportspeople from Costa Mesa, California
- Tacoma Rainiers players
- Tri-City Dust Devils players