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Draft  | Prospect Scouting Reports | 12/16/2024

PG Draft Spotlight: River Hamilton

Tyler Kotila
River Hamilton

 Position: RHP 
Height: 6-3 
Weight: 185 
Bats/Throws: R-R 
Birthdate: October 4th, 2006 
High School: Sam Barlow
City, State: Woodvillage, Ore. 
Travel Team: Baum Bat Scout Team 
Commitment: Louisiana State 




Frame/Delivery/Arm Action 

Hamilton is a 6-foot-3, 185-pound frame and build with good length to the build. Long levers, a slender build, and room to keep filling out are what champions this frame/build. Hamilton projects well moving forward, especially as he continues to add more strength and muscle. Whether it is with a pro organization or with LSU, Hamilton should continue to refine the build and add to it with the remaining projection. 

From the wind-up, he starts squared to the plate with the hands at the face before side-stepping into a leg lift just above the belt with a good coil to it, finding ways to gather himself over his center of mass before riding the slope downhill. The arm works well through the back, with a full arm circle working through his release. He reaches with the front side and pulls through the delivery with some aggression to it. The arm works from a higher three-quarters slot, and there’s no shortage of arm speed, with a good whip through release. From the stretch, it's a similar operation with a quicker and full leg lift, good arm speed, and a whip downhill. It’s very much a slow-to-fast delivery with traits to like moving forward. 

Arsenal/Pitch Mix 

Hamilton has a quality arsenal that starts with his fastball. The pitch has worked up to 95 mph on the circuit and can get into the mid-90s, holding that low- to mid-90s band in most outings. The pitch spins above 2,100 RPMs and gets around 17” of IVB, and it can be quite challenging for right-handed hitters to pick it up. Given the arm speed, the heater gets on hitters quickly and surely is tough, no matter how you look at it. 

However, Hamilton has plenty to like outside of the heater. The slider and curveball are both weapons. The slider works in the low to mid-80s, with spin up above the 2,500-RPM threshold and good sweeper traits. The pitch generates good lateral depth/sweep and is one he can locate well. It’s a pitch that can miss bats and pairs well with the rest of the arsenal. He’ll also mix in a curveball in the upper-70s/low-80s that has spin above 2,400 RPMs, showing a bigger shape and depth to it. The pitch gets a good bite and is one he can land for strikes. Mostly shows an 11-5 shape and depth to it, being a pitch he can locate for swings-and-misses.  

The changeup is a distant third offering but a pitch he can utilize in certain spots. It’s one I’d like to see improvements upon moving forward. With LSU or a pro organization, they will be able to tinker with it, giving him four offerings to throw at hitters. The changeup works in the mid-80s with a spin down into the 1900s, showing some depth to it. It’s the fourth offering in the mix, with the fastball-slider-curveball being his go-to pitches.  

Abilities/Traits To Like 

Hamilton has plenty to like about him, from the frame to the arsenal to the projection that remains. The arm speed stands out. Hamilton has a ton of arm speed and whip-through release that projects really well moving forward. He’ll be someone that teams are intrigued by with his operation on the mound, paired with a healthy arsenal and room to keep growing, which will make him someone that teams check in on as we look ahead to the spring. Hamilton’s shined on the circuit, coming out and throwing strikes in many looks. A loud performance in the spring could seal the deal for some organizations with Hamilton on their draft boards. 

“The Buzz” 

Personally, the buzz started in 2023 when I saw Hamilton throw in Jupiter for the Baum Bat Scout Team. He came out and showed off good stuff with plenty to like. Looking back on this year, he showed up and showed out at PG National, being up to 95 mph with the off speed on display. He earned a PG All-American nod this year and represented Team West, working 92-95 mph in his outing, flipping the curveball, and flashing the slider, with plenty to like. He’s performed in big spots on the circuit before, and there’s some buzz about his name. He flipped his commitment from Oregon State to Louisiana State this fall, which drew some attention. While Hamilton has a lot to project on, there’s plenty to like with his profile currently.  

Summation 

Hamilton came in at 57th in our first rendition of the PG Draft Board for the 2025 Draft Class. However, this spring could change things. Still, the stuff and athlete he is will get plenty of interest from pro organizations. A high-level athlete up to 95 mph on the fastball, with good secondaries, will check off boxes. Hamilton has a lot to like, and whether he makes it to campus or not, he will be a name to keep eyes on moving forward. Folks should keep eyes on Hamilton this spring, leading up to the 2025 MLB Draft, as one of the premier prep arms on the circuit. 
- Tyler Kotila 
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Draft | Mock Draft | 4/3/2026

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