Orioles Pick Matt Hobgood, First HS Pitcher Taken in Draft

The Baltimore Orioles used the #5 overall pick in the MLB amateur draft to select Matt Hobgood, a pitcher from Norco High School in California. Hobgood is a right handed power thrower with decent size; he’s listed at 6′4″. He’s really a bit of an oddball pick, as I hadn’t seen any mock draft boards with Hobgood in the top 10, or even the top 25 until the past few days. I’m not sure what caused his sudden climb, but let’s hope it works out in the O’s favor. One of his favorite pitchers is Tim Lincecum, and you’ll see some influence Lincecum has probably had on Hobgood in the following video clip. Watch how he really explodes towards the batter as he brings his weight forward: