Tuesday, June 7, 2011

With their 13th Round pick...

...The Astros select 6'1" 180lb junior 2B out of Clemson, 22-year old John Hinson.

Hinson, out of Asheville, NC, was Clemson's team co-captain in 2011 and went into 2011 as the team's starting 3B. He was drafted in the 13th Round in 2010 by the Phillies, but clearly chose to go back to Clemson, and got drafted in the exact same round by the Astros.

In 2011, Hinson started 60 games for the Tigers, hitting .331/.338/.514, with 24 XBH/41RBI, and 34K:24BB, to go along with 21 errors.

CollegeBaseball360 listed Hinson as a College 3B to Watch in 2011, saying:
Hinson is a guy who had question marks coming into the 2010 season. He played a little as a freshman in 2008, batting .264 with one home run and 11 RBIs. He missed all of 2009 with a back injury, so just what he would bring to the table in ’10 was a great unknown. Hinson played in all but two of Clemson’s 69 games last year though, batting .351 with 17 HR and 75 RBIs. All of those numbers were the second-best on his team for the College World Series participants. He also led Clemson with 25 stolen bases, while sporting a 1.008 OPS.

According to Hinson's dad, 20 teams showed interest in his son. Hinson, Sr.:
“I think the bargaining power has a big thing to do with getting drafted in professional baseball. If you're a senior, they can say, ‘Well, we'll give you $1,000. You can play or go home.' You know, the bargaining power does have a big part in this.”

In 2010, he was a first-team All-ACC player by SEBaseball.com, and hit .351 with 17HR, 75RBI, and a team-leading 25 steals in 56 games.