The MLB Draft is absolute crap shoot… more so than any other professional sport. The MLB Draft, which used to be 40 rounds, now sits at 20 rounds, though that hasn’t lessened the difficulty of finding good players. In the 2023 draft, the Astros rolled the dice on a relief pitcher (at the time) out of South Carolina, right-hander James Hicks.
Hicks was drafted by the Astros in the 15th round after being one of the best relievers from a very good South Carolina team. But 2023 wasn’t the first time he was drafted. In 2022, Hicks was selected in the 13th round by the Baltimore Orioles after only appearing in two games due to Tommy John Surgery.
“I had it [surgery] my second start of the season. So seven innings, that was pretty much the biggest factor [on returning to school]”, Hicks said. “Growing up, I was always a fan of SEC baseball and then finally got to go and just threw seven innings.”
Prior to South Carolina, Hicks pitched at Crowder College in Missouri for two years. Crowder is a smaller school, at just under 4,000 students. Despite being a smaller school, the baseball program has developed many draft picks including a 2nd rounder in 2022, Jacob Misiorowski.
“I was a kid in high school. I graduated, I was like six foot and 150 lbs and was just an immature kid,” Hicks said. “So JUCO was the perfect thing for me to really grow up and learn a good work ethic. I think my freshman year I put on like 20 lbs and went from throwing 83 [MPH] to 90 [MPH]. My command was really the thing that go me to Carolina.”
Hicks senior season at South Carolina, he appeared in 25 games with 19 of those being out of the pen. Since being drafted by the Astros, Hicks has been used as a starter and his relief appearances have come in a piggy-back role where he is still throwing a starter’s worth of pitches. The conversion from college reliever to professional starter has gone well though.
“Definitely like starting more, but last year prepared me how we do the piggybacking thing,” Hicks said. “At first I was really not a fan of the bullpen. Now I’ve gotten a little more used to it so I don’t mind it.”
Following the draft, Hicks appeared in 3 games in the Florida Complex League totaling 5.2 innings. This year, Hicks was assigned to Fayetteville, which is the Single-A affiliate in the Astros organization. But he made quick work of the Carolina League striking out 25 in 18 innings while allowing just 9 hits and 1 run, good for a 0.50 ERA.
“I really came to a conclusion that it was a confidence thing because in Spring Training my pitches were good but I still wasn’t pitching my best and I just kind of had to take a look here and realize I can do this,” Hicks said. “Just kind of give it my all and don’t hold back at all. Just pitch the way I pitch.”
Hicks was promoted to High-A Asheville on April 29th, and even with the stiffer competition and tough environment in Asheville, he has continued to put up really good numbers. In 5 outings for the Tourists, Hicks has totaled 21 innings racking up 27 strikeouts and posting a 3.00 ERA.
“The biggest thing for me is the difference in discipline with the hitters. They don’t chase near as much or as far out as in Low-A,” Hicks said. “I had to kind of relearn where to throw each pitch and how to compete with everything in the zone more. The coaches and teammates did a great job explaining that to me and made the transition really smooth and easy.”
Hicks mixes a fastball, among a plethora of pitches. With some of them being new additions since joining the Astros system.
“I’ve got a sinker and four-seam, and then a cutter, sweeper, curveball and changeup. As soon as I got drafted I pretty much picked up three or four new pitches,” Hicks said. “I made a jump [in velocity] and I was touching 96 in Spring Training.”
On the mound, Hicks pitches with fire. He comes right after hitters and doesn’t try to pitch around guys, something you want to see from pitchers with his level of experience.
“It’s kind of changed. Last year I was weak contact, get outs in as many pitches as possible”, Hicks said. “And now with the new pitches, I have the ability to strike more people out so I try to do that when I can but my roots are just getting outs and weak contact as fast as possible.”
Hicks, at 23-years-old, probably will see a promotion to Corpus Christi at some point this season. While he is wearing #13 on the mound, maybe the Astros rolled a 7 with him and will come out with a big win. If he continues to pitch like he has been this year, he will start flying up the prospect rankings, and the organizational ladder.
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