Hayden Birdsong - 3/20/24

A closer look at the Giants promising right-handed pitcher

Prospect Spotlight 🔦

Hayden Birdsong – Age: 22 – B/T: R/R, 6’4” 215 – Giants (Double-A)

• Born: 8/30/2001 in Mattoon, IL

• Draft: 2022, San Francisco Giants, Round: 6, Overall Pick: 196

• College: Eastern Illinois University

One of the most difficult parts of scouting at the amateur level is figuring out which pitchers can start, and which are more likely to end up being relievers. In general, pitchers who were relievers in college are relievers in pro ball. It takes a high level of creativity to see a starter out of a mid-major reliever, and yet that’s what the Giants were able to do in the 2022 draft. They took Hayden Birdsong out of the bullpen of Eastern Illinois in the 6th round, and turned him into one of the Giants’ best starting pitching prospects right now.

Physical build doesn’t necessarily guarantee durability, but Birdsong’s XL frame suggests that he’ll be able to handle a starter’s workload. He isn’t an especially twitchy athlete and his on mound athleticism is average at best, but he moves well enough that his physicality doesn’t hinder him. Birdsong is high waisted and has long arms, which is especially apparent when he throws the ball. His arm circle is long, and while he has the requisite arm speed to make this arm action work, it’s a more difficult action to control. He throws from a generic 3/4 arm slot, but he hides the ball well, making it hard for a hitter to pick up on the ball coming out of his hand. His lower half is pretty quiet, he has a medium high leg kick, but doesn’t get a deep load and is more of a “tall and fall” type of pitcher. Throughout the delivery Birdsong is fairly upright, and generates most of his power through raw arm speed. There aren’t many starters with this arm action, and it is likely that it causes some of his command issues, but overall it isn’t so violent that it guarantees that he ends up a reliever.