Top 100 Countdown: Number 23 Jesse Hahn (Virginia Tech)

– December 30, 2009Posted in: 2010 Top Players, ACC, Cape Cod League, CBD Column

The CBB continues our countdown for the 2010 College Baseball season by checking in on the Top 100 Players in the country. We will be providing one player per day until we reach number 1.

We continue the list today with number 23 in our countdown with Virginia Tech RHP Jesse Hahn. He is from Groton Connecticut and was a teammate of UNC’s Matt Harvey at Fitch High School in Connecticut. As a senior, he went 5-1 with 65 strikeouts and allowing only six walks. He ended up tossing a no-hitter and three 1-hitters on the year. He also set a state record (minimum of 35 innings) with a 0.17 ERA. He picked up several awards including Pitcher of the Year, all-state, all-area and All-Eastern Connecticut Conference honors. As a junior, he had a 3-1 record with a 0.48 ERA while allowing six walks again.

Hahn has struggled during his first two seasons with the Virginia Tech Hokies. As a freshman, he went 3-7 with a 4.64 ERA in 14 appearances including nine starts. He struggled with his control with a 25 walks in 64.0 innings. He also tossed nine wild pitches and hit nine batters on the year. He did not play summer ball during the 2008 summer as he focused on working in the weight room to get his lanky body stronger.

As a sophomore, Hahn was moved to the closer’s role for the Virginia Tech program as he appeared in 17 games including two starts. He went 1-2 including a save with a 6.00 ERA in 24 innings of work. He continued to struggle with his control as he walked 13 batters while tossing six wild pitches and hitting three batters. He spent the summer of 2009 in the Cape Cod Baseball League with the Chatham Anglers. He worked primarily out of the bullpen accumulating a 1-1 record with a 5.28 ERA. He struck out 17 batters in 15.1 innings of work.

People are going to question why I have Hahn so high up on my list and rightfully so. As I always say, this is my projected Top 100 players in the country. Hahn has all the stuff to become an absolutely unbelievable pitcher with a 97-99 MPH fastball and has struggled his first two seasons as he adjusted to the college game. He is now entering his third season with the Hokies and has undergone a major body change during his college days. He was rated as the eighth best player in the Cape Cod Baseball League. These are just some of the reasons that I believe Hahn is due for a breakout season in 2010.

You can check out the rest of out Top 100 countdown by clicking here.

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Tags: 2010 Top Players, ACC, Cape Cod League, CBB 2010 Top 100 Players, CBD Column, Virginia Tech

About Brian Foley

Brian Foley is the founder and Lead Editor of College Baseball Daily since its inception in 2005. He has covered two CWS, multiple NCAA Baseball Regionals, and other special events across the country. In addition to his duties with College Baseball Daily, he has covered games for Inside Lacrosse and been featured in USA Today, Wall Street Journal among other publications. He can be contacted by email at editor at collegebaseballdaily.com and followed on Twitter @BFoley82.

waltgreenberg

Brian, a total joke. People aren’t going to simply “question” this pick, they’re going to laugh out loud. So, anyone who can throw in the upper 90s belongs on your list simply because they throw in the upper 90s? Geez. And to think of all the elite college players who have already proven it on the field time and time again who you’ve left completely off your list. Simply amazing.

News flash: A guy who has underperformed his first two seasons of college ball, but has all the potential in the world and may (someday) be primed to breakout, does not deserve to be on a preseason Top 100 players list. Again, you want to call this a pro prospect listing, go ahead, but it’s anything but a listing of the Top 100 players in college baseball heading INTO the 2010 season.
http://thecollegebaseballblog.com Brian Foley

Walt, your cracking me up.

My projections are based on pro potential, past performance, injury concerns, and other factors.
waltgreenberg

Brian, your picks have had absolutely NOTHING to do with past D-I performance, or you would have a very different list. The sad part is that you refuse to acknowledge it.
BKMHOXX (Aman Reaka)

The way i see it is that Brian is expecting Hahn to have an incredible year this year, so he has moved him up the list. I see this as a list for baseball fans to print out and go to the park and actually watch the players on this list. And trust me, Hahn is going to be a lot of fun to watch. On the professional side of things, I would expect Hahn to possibly be a 1st round pick in the draft this year. I think Brian’s list is a perfect mix of past performance, expected performance, tools and ability as well as the excitement factor of watching that player perform.
But thats just my 2 cents.
http://thecollegebaseballblog.com Brian Foley

Aman,

You hit it on the head!
waltgreenberg

I have asked this question before– give me just one example of a player on Brian’s list who there because of his past D-I performance…and NOT because of his potential, his Summer league performance or his pro projectability? One? I dare you. The truth is his list is based soley on tools, pro projectability and potential, and if the player has proven himself at the D-I level, that’s only icing on the cake. Well over 25% of players on Brian’s list are guys who have yet to distinguish themselves at the college level– on the playing field against D-I competition….and that’s not an exaggeration. Yet guys who have proven themselves– oftentimes far more than players on the list– and who also have the tools (e.g., Brunty, Hague, Sultzbaugh and numerous others from other teams) are left completely off the list.

Again, call the list what it is– a Top 100 prospect list from amongst college players…but don’t call it a Top 100 college players listing because it is anything but.
Toby Ziegler

A good fastball ≠ a good pitcher
Tyler B

Austin Wates is an example of someone with a great D-1 past! He’s number 25 on the countdown and is actually on the same team as Hahn
Aman Reaka

I would dare to say that a large chunk of Brian’s top 100 list are not “pro prospects” whatsoever. I guess i just dont get it. I see a lot of names on this list that are nothing more than good college players.
waltgreenberg

Aman, there are a lot of names on this list who have yet to come close to proving themselves “good college players”; let alone elite college players. That’s the point.
http://thecollegebaseballblog.com Brian Foley

Walt, It isn’t about just PAST performance.

The list is based on who I think will be the Top 100 players during the 2010 season.
John Tanner

Brian,
hard to believe there are no Big Ten players yet on your list. Three players in Big Ten have already been named pre-season All Americans. Maybe we will see them coming up!
http://thecollegebaseballblog.com Brian Foley

There is some Big Ten love coming!!
http://absolutelyobknoxious.com William Knox

I’m still waiting for the more than perfect “Walt Greenberg Top 10,000 players” list to come out. For a guy with an apparent knowledge for who is good and who isn’t, you don’t seem to do much other than to complain.

Why don’t you do something about it. Everytime I see comments, I know for a fact that you are on here running your mouth without ever showing us that you know what you are talking about.

Are you trying to prove something with every negative comment? Is this some vendetta you have against this site or the person who is nice enough to provide a Top 100 list? Are you just a typical Rice fan that everyone in Texas has to put up with for a few months out of the year that your school is relevant in athletics? I’m growing real tired of your comments, as they provide nothing that can be construed as a good argument or critical feedback.

Go cry on some other site.
waltgreenberg

Not based on past performance? Great, Brian– then let’s just randomly pull names out of a hat. Past D-I performance is, unquestionably, the best predictor of future D-I performance; certainly, far more than high school credentials or tools or potential or even pro projectability. I’m the first to agree that tools and potential are important, and should be factored into any projection of a player’s expected next year performance (as college players most definately do develop and progress over their 3 – 4 years). However, the baseline assessment simply HAS to be based on performance to date; otherwise it make very little sense.

And this has absolutely nothing to do with Rice players (opther than Ojala and, I presume, Rendon, being on the list). There are boat loads of proven, elite players from other programs who are not on this list, who have clearly and unequivocably out-performed numerous players on Brian’s list (and in many cases, by a country mile).
waltgreenberg

BTW, Brian, if one does not use past performance as one’s baseline in projecting players’ performance the coming season (upon which you factor in other considerations such as tools and potential) then all you’re doing is allowing personal bias to play an integral role in your projections. That’s not whining; it’s a reality.

http://thecollegebaseballblog.com Brian Foley

Again, you fail to read what I said.

My projections are based on pro potential, past performance, injury concerns, and other factors.

As I always say, Check my track record last year and see if you disagree with the rankings!

Aman Reaka

I guess this site should just start at the top and list the 1st/2nd/3rd team All Americans and call it good. Since stats and last years numbers are the only thing that matters.
waltgreenberg

Brian, your track record last year was NOT that good with regard to predicting breakout years for guys who had yet to distinguish themselves at the college level. And you can say all you want that you include past performance in your projections, but the reality of your listing says the opposite. Certainly, you don’t use past performance as the baseline from which to then factor in other considerations.

BTW, Aman, you appear to have difficult reading what I posted, as I very clearly stated that tools and potential should be factored in. However, the baseline simply has to be past performance or the list becomes 100% subjective. Preseason all-american listings are not based on past performance alone, but also factor in anticipated progression based on tools and potential. One can often debate ommissions from such lists, but rarely can one debate that those included in the various preseason all-american listings are worthy of consideration. That simply is not the case with many (up to 25% – 33%) on Brian’s list. Again, I can understand the logic of a guy such as Vollmouth of USM, who stats last year as a true Freshman do not reflect his emergence the final 6 weeks of the season and his contiued outstanding performance this past Summer. However, guys such as Hahn being included in a Top 100 listing just defies all logic, and is based on tools (his upper 90s heater) and potential alone. His performance over his first two seasons has been totally undistinguished (and that’s being kind), and his past Summer stats in The Cape were more of the same. There is absolutely NOTHING on his resume to anticipate a breakout season in 2010. Is it possible? Sure, anything can happen, but there is no logic in having such an expectation. And to be ranked in the Top 25 is just laughable, especially given all the names of proven players left completely off Brian’s list.
http://thecollegebaseballblog.com Brian Foley

Walt,

Name someone that I was so far off last year. Just one! Couple of them got injured which was unforeseen of course.

http://thecollegebaseballblog.com/past-seasons/2009-season-coverage/top-50-players/

I NEVER stated that past performance was the baseline. You put those words on this site NOT me.
Jay

John Tanner, who do you like from the Big Ten. I’ve got Alex Wimmers – RHP – Ohio State – PreSeason All-American 3 sources – As the number one pitcher out of the Big Ten and scouting reports and other sources has him to be picked in the top 8 in the 2010 draft. Who do you like?
http://thecollegebaseballblog.com Brian Foley

Wimmers is clearly the best pitcher in the Big Ten
Toby Ziegler

Willie Argo from U of Illinois could be a special talent. I saw Joe DeBernardis (Penn State) and Dominick D’Agata (Purdue) play in high school. They’re both very good players.
Baseballfan

I sort of agree with walt. Example: if past performance is at all factored in, how would hahn and harvey be ahead of someone like Tyler holt?
http://thecollegebaseballblog.com Brian Foley

FYI, Perfect Game Cross Checker has named Hahn a preseason All-American.

http://www.pgcrosschecker.com/articles/DisplayArticle.aspx?article=2066
waltgreenberg

Yes, Brian, and PGCrosschecker very clearly qualifies their preseason all-american listing as players who have not only played in a Perfect Game event (which in itself dramatically narrows the field), but who are considered top pro prospects in the next draft. Consequently, it’s limited to upperclassmen who have the tools/potential to be high draft picks. Very, very different from a listing that claims to project the top college players in 2010.

http://thecollegebaseballblog.com Brian Foley

Walt,

They INCLUDE all players that have particpated in Perfect Game events. The listing they have is very similiar to what I have included. the only difference is the fact that all the players on PG’s list are draft eligible which they are not partculary draft eligible on my list.

Again, the point is that I am not the only person in the country that believes Hahn is goign to have a HUGE season.

Scott

I agree with Brian, but I understand what Walt is saying. Hahn started as a freshman and had a good year. He was injured as a sophmore and saw limmeted action as a closer. I don’t know if thats why they moved him to the closer role. But it’s the old what have you done for me lately in some rankings. I saw Hahn at the cape and he can pitch.
waltgreenberg

No one is saying Hahn cannot pitch. So, too,can many,many others who do not appear on Brian’s list. However, to rank him as the #23 player in all of college baseball based on his resume to date seems beyond ludicrous to me.
scott

From what I understand this list is more of a prediction than past preformances. Hahns upside is tremendous. It would not suprise me if he was the number one pick in the draft this year. I watched in the cape this year and he was the best pitcher I saw up there.
Geoff

Brian,
Looks like you might have nailed this one. Hahn is off to a tremendous start and his command is back. He could be one of the best college pitching prospects out there.
Nice Job

http://thecollegebaseballblog.com Brian Foley

Same with Harvey

http://tbirdbaseball.net/ Bob Broughton

Just had a look at the Hokies’ schedule, and they’re at Virginia April 16-18. Should be worth watching.

Brian, did you notice that they are hosting Bryant March 9-10?
http://thecollegebaseballblog.com Brian Foley

Update: Jesse Hahn is 5-2 with a 2.28 ERA in eight starts. He has struck out 54 batters in 51.1 innings.

scott

Nice call Brian on Jesse Hahn,
Only I would have him in the top ten. I went to watch VT vs VA. and after the first inning when Hahn figured out the umpires strike zone he was lights out. He throws 4 pitches for strikes and sat 94-97 and had 10 strikeouts. this kid can pitch.
Scott

http://thecollegebaseballblog.com Brian Foley

The only thing that holds Jesse back has been his control. Once he figures that out, he will be dominating on his way to the majors.

scott

I looked at Hahns stats today and he only has 14 walks in 57.2 innings. It seems he pretty much has good control. I think you did a good job on your top 100 list. I also looked at Hahns freshmen stats and his record dosn’t tell the whole story, he pitched well just had no run support. his run suport was under 1 run a game,you can’t win like that. I was most impressed by the coastal carolina, georgia tech, and north carolina games he pitched as a freshmen. I also want to know what you think of Justin Wright? This kid has pitched well but isn’t getting much love
Scott.

http://thecollegebaseballblog.com Brian Foley

Justin is your typical number 1 college starter that gets guys out without being flashy.

Hahn has had some injury concerns over the last couple of weeks. If he comes back to his midseason form, VT could be in Omaha this season.

scott

I went to VT to see them play Duke this past weekend, and I understand what you state about Justin Wright, He’s a good college pitcher. Jesse Hahn was back and was on a pitch count and looked a little rusty but he can bring it. I got to talk to him and he said his arm was fine.