Hunter Dietz is working for his future with MLB draft ahead
TRINITY, Fla. (BVM) – Chess is a strategic game that allows you to be creative with every move in order to put yourself in the best possible position. It is a one-on-one matchup with your opponent that will keep the competitive juices flowing.
For Hunter Dietz, it is somewhat similar to when he is on the mound.
“I’m able to work myself out of bad situations, probably not at the level of chess where I’m able to do that yet,” Dietz joked. “You have to be patient on the mound and you have to be somewhat patient in chess.”
Dietz can hold his own on a chessboard, but when he is on a baseball field, he is truly special.
The Calvary Christian High School senior is one of the best left-handed pitchers in the country and he is viewed as a MLB draft prospect. Prep Baseball Report has Dietz as the No. 64 player in the class.
One of the more impressive FBs we’ve seen this week, especially from the left side.
Hunter Dietz sitting 90-94 with 20+”IVB consistently. Creates a tough angle out of an high, over-the-top slot while getting down the mound extremely well. Created a ton of S/M. pic.twitter.com/Wi14ne8I2V
— Ian Smith (@IanSmittyGA) July 22, 2022
He has always stood out even when he was younger, committing to South Florida before his freshman academic year even started. As time went on, he reevaluated his options and ultimately settled on Arkansas as the school for him this past winter.
Blessed to announce my commitment to The University of Arkansas! I would like to thank every coach who helped me along the way! Also my family for supporting me on this journey! @RazorbackBSB #callthehogs pic.twitter.com/ZiwumL1SDy
— Hunter Dietz (@HunterDietz18) December 14, 2022
“I felt like Arkansas was the best place for me,” Dietz said. “It felt like the coaches wanted me there. When I hung out with the players, it felt like I was a part of the team. I didn’t feel that anywhere else.”
Dietz however already plays with plenty of Division I talent at Calvary Christian. The Warriors have a stable of arms with Dietz, Liam Peterson and Landen Maroudis. The former is committed to Florida while the latter is headed to NC State.
“They’re going through the same stuff that I’m going through,” Dietz said. “It makes me want to perform. If I see other people perform, it makes me want to.”
Dietz performed best when he really broke out as a junior. He worked hard the prior offseason by getting lean while putting on more muscle. Then he saw the results.
Hunter Dietz racked up 4 punchouts in National High School Invitational action.
The 6-foot-6 southpaw checks in as the No. 73 @MLBDraft prospect in the 2023 class: pic.twitter.com/D0CKAwZQQU
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) March 30, 2023
He pitched to a 0.49 ERA that year while striking out 73 batters.
Dietz began to receive invitations to showcases with some of the best players in the country. This helped him see the opportunity in front of him.
“I started realizing my potential,” Dietz said. “It clicked in my head that I could have a future, I just need to work for it.”
Dietz followed this up as a senior by going 9-0 with a 1.47 ERA and 102 Ks in 57 innings.
Hunter Dietz (‘23 FL) settling in well after the first for @Calvary_BB. Sitting mostly 88-92 & powering it hard DH at times, tons of comfort spinning it @ 77-78 with 24-2600+ RPMs. #OmaHogs commit. #PGDraft @Florida_PG pic.twitter.com/NxXtiZgIDb
— Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) March 29, 2023
These types of numbers combined with Dietz consistently sitting in the 90s from the left side have scouts pushing their organizations to grab him in the upcoming draft, but that is not something Dietz ponders on at this point in time.
“I try to get it out of my head as much as possible because I have other stuff to focus on like getting in the gym,” Dietz said. “I have such a good opportunity at Arkansas, I don’t need to be super focused on the draft.”
No matter what happens with Dietz a couple of weeks from now, he is excited for what is in store for him, whether that is in Fayetteville or in the minor leagues.
“There’s some things that I can’t control that might not go my way, but there are some things that I can control that will go my way,” Dietz said. “I’m looking forward to whatever path I go on and I’ll keep setting goals after I hit each goal.”
