Sam Hilliard made one of the biggest jumps between the mid-season 2017 and pre-season 2018. The 23-year-old lefty outfielder is intriguing for a number of reasons. First of all, he was a two-way player at Wichita State, though the Rockies picked him as a hitter in the 15th round of the 2015 draft. Secondly, he’s a 6’5”, 220 player built like a small forward with plus speed and arm grades. Finally, though Hilliard has been a little old for his level at each minor league stop to date, he has consistently put up strong offensive numbers.
In fact, Hilliard’s three minor league campaigns have produced 134, 128, and 126 wRC+ marks in order: his final line in 2017 with High-A Lancaster was .