Orioles outfield prospect Hudson Haskin began his 2021 season with the Low-A Delmarva and earned a call-up to High-A Aberdeen in July, marking the first call-up of his professional baseball career. He made his High-A debut against the Hudson Valley Renegades July 20.
“I was really excited to have the opportunity to come here and continue to challenge myself and try and get better every day,” Haskin said on Glenn Clark Radio July 23. “Definitely the first time I’ve ever been promoted, so kind of some bittersweet feelings just leaving guys that you’ve built relationships with and spent a lot of time with over the past two-three months, but [I’m] also really excited to go forward and kind of reconnect with a lot of the other guys here.”
Despite leaving behind several strong relationships, the 22-year-old eagerly awaited reconnecting with old friends, particularly teammates Gunnar Henderson and Jordan Westburg, calling them “two of my favorite guys in the organization.” Haskin, Henderson and Westburg all began the season with Delmarva.
Haskin, a right-handed batter, hit .276/.377/.415 with five home runs, 33 RBIs, 13 doubles and one triple across 57 games in Delmarva. Haskin has hit .269/.321/.365 with three doubles and five RBIs through 13 games in Aberdeen entering play Aug. 5.
Haskin’s solid production has come through an unorthodox, contact-oriented swing at the plate. As he has played with and against a variety of pitchers over the years, the New York native continues to seek ways that will allow him to improve as a hitter.
“I think as I’ve gotten older, I’ve matured a lot and kind of taken ownership of what I do may be a little different,” Haskin said. “I’m going to continue to make adjustments and refine my approach, but the thing I’ve learned is … how can I be the best version of myself?”
Haskin has also developed a reputation as a dominant base stealer (he has recorded 20 stolen bases this season). He hopes that his new environment will allow him to continue developing this skill and become a player who “can steal a base at any time to put himself in scoring position.”
Haskin’s strengths go beyond hitting and baserunning, as he prides himself as a strong defensive player. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound outfielder constantly searches for ways that allow him to assist the team in any way.
“I think that ability to play center field, there’s something that’s really important and something that doesn’t slump, so no matter how you’re feeling, you can bring that to every game,” Haskin said.
With his ability to be a five tool player, it is no surprise that the Orioles drafted Haskin out of Tulane as an age-eligible sophomore last June. Baltimore selected Haskin with the 39th overall pick of the 2020 MLB Draft.
Haskin hit .363/.457/.612 and tallied 11 home runs, 66 RBIs, five triples and 25 doubles while playing for the Green Wave from 2019-2020. He finished fourth on the team in batting average and third in total hits during his sophomore season.
Now, Haskin is excited to be part of Baltimore’s organization and is grateful for the support that they have provided him with thus far.
“You’re always trying to refine stuff, no matter who you are. I think I’ve made some big strides over the offseason coming into this year and even this year I’ve made some good adjustments,” Haskin said. “My goal is to just continue to do that and just keep trying to get better every day. I think over time I’m going to put myself in a position to be successful and hopefully play for a long time.”
For more from Haskin, listen to the full interview here:
Photo Credit: Caroline Hurtt