Luke Hochevar
From BR Bullpen
Luke Anthony Hochevar
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 5", Weight 205 lb.
- School University of Tennessee
- High School Fowler (CO) High School
- Debut September 8, 2007
- Born September 15, 1983 in Denver, CO USA
Pitcher Luke Hochevar was picked three times in the draft before signing but debuted in the majors just a year after he inked his first deal with a team in Organized Baseball.
Out of high school, Hochevar was taken in the 39th round of the 2002 amateur draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was asking for $700,000, or else would have been chosen earlier, and went off to college. He was 6-5 with a 4.64 ERA in an unimpressive freshman year. As a sophomore, he improved to 4-2, 2.86. He joined Team USA's college division and went 1-0 with a save and a 2.73 ERA, striking out 38 in 33 innings but walking a team-high 11. He went 1-0 with a 3.46 ERA in the 2004 World University Championship, posting the highest ERA on the Gold Medal team while tying Ricky Romero for the team lead in innings pitched.
Hochevar was a consensus All-American in 2005, going 15-3 with a 2.26 ERA. In 140 innings, he allowed 104 hits and struck out 154. He tied Lance Broadway for the NCAA Division I lead in wins, tied Mike Pelfrey for second in innings pitched and was second to Ian Kennedy in strikeouts, four back, and 3 ahead of #3 Broadway. Tennessee made it to the 2005 College World Series but was quickly eliminated. He won the Roger Clemens Award.
He was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2005 amateur draft, falling to 40th overall after having been slated to go higher; salary demands were a concern as he was being advised by Scott Boras. The Colorado Rockies had wanted to take him 7th but he did not agree to their $2.3 million bonus offer.
On September 2, Hochevar joined teammate Eli Iorg at Iorg's mother's birthday party. Luke agreed to appoint Iorg's agent Matt Sosnick as his adviser. Sosnick arranged a $2.98 million deal with Dodgers scouting director Logan White. Hochevar verbally agreed, but changed his mind after speaking to Boras. Even though it would have made him one of the 5 highest-paid players from the draft, he said it was "a very bad contract". On September 14, Los Angeles withdrew its offer. Luke considered returning to Tennessee but then signed on with Boras as an agent, becoming a pro.
He played with the Fort Worth Cats of the independent American Association in 2006, alongside another player to be drafted multiple times amidst salary disputes, Matt Harrington. He was 1-1 with a 2.38 ERA for Fort Worth.
He was then chosen by the Kansas City Royals with the first overall pick in the 2006 amateur draft. Hochevar signed for a $3.5 million bonus and a guaranteed $5.3 million. It was a major league deal, the 4th #1 pick overall in the past 20 years to make such an arrangement (following Alex Rodriguez, Pat Burrell and Delmon Young).
After signing with the team, Hochevar made four starts for the Burlington Bees of the Midwest League, posting a 1.17 ERA. He spent the fall with the Grand Canyon Rafters, posting a horrid 8.64 ERA in three starts.
In the 2007 Futures Game, Hochevar pitched a perfect fifth for the USA as the only American pitcher not to allow a baserunner to the World team in a 7-2 loss. Overall, Hochevar was an unimpressive 4-9 in the minors in 2007. He went 3-6 with a 4.69 ERA for the Wichita Wranglers and 1-3 with a 5.12 ERA for the Omaha Royals. He did strike out 138 in 152 innings, but allowed 163 hits and 24 home runs.
He was called up to the Major Leagues on September 3, 2007 by the Kansas City Royals. He debuted five days later, relieving Ryan Braun while Kansas City trailed the Yankees, 11-2. He allowed a single to his first batter, Robinson Cano, but went on to toss 3 scoreless frames to close out a 11-3 loss.
Sources: 2003-2007 Baseball Almanacs, The Baseball Cube, ESPN.com article on the 2005 draft, MILB.com
