Yankees left fielder Aaron Hicks made headlines by making the fastest outfield throw ever recorded on Wednesday night -- a 105.5 mph rocket to get the A's Danny Valencia at home plate -- but it's not the first time he has drawn attention with his arm. Our own Keith Law saw Hicks' arm on display dating back to when Hicks was a skinny 16-year-old at Woodrow Wilson High School in Long Beach, California. Here are some of Law's scouting reports from Hicks' days as a top pitching and outfield prospect; he was selected as an outfielder by the Twins with the No. 14 pick in the 2008 MLB draft and became a top prospect in Minnesota's farm system.
Aug. 14, 2006: Two rising [high-school] juniors who earned some attention at the Area Codes were outfielders Isaac Galloway (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) and Aaron Hicks (Long Beach, Calif.). ... Hicks is a little more raw than Galloway but has an even better arm and a good, simple swing with some power potential of his own.
Aug. 10, 2007: Hicks is a superstar athlete, but his play this week was very disappointing. His bat is quick, but his swing has gotten longer since last year, and he looked like he was trying to hit every pitch 500 feet. He has easy power in his swing if he concentrates on centering, but that wasn't his game plan. He's a good defensive outfielder with the best outfield arm here -- he's up to 97 mph on the mound but didn't pitch this week. He could easily go in the top 10 picks next year as a hitter if he turns it around, but if not, he'll go in the first round as a pitcher instead.
Aug. 12, 2007: Hicks didn't pitch well at all, walking two batters and throwing two wild pitches with men on third base, but his arm is lightning quick, and he threw an easy 91-93 mph. He's a better prospect as a hitter, but given that he's thrown up to 97 mph in the past and that this year's high school pitching crop isn't strong, he'll be considered as a pitcher as well.
May 6, 2008: Hicks probably will be selected as a toolsy outfielder with a plus arm and big raw power, but he's also a serious prospect as a pitcher. His arm is very quick and he works consistently in the 91-93 mph range, occasionally flashing better than that. He also gets good action on his power slider and his changeup. His delivery isn't clean, and he's as unpolished on the mound as he is at the plate.
May 21, 2008: The consensus is that he'll be selected as an outfielder because of his five-tool potential, but Hicks throws consistently in the 91 to 93 mph range and gets good action on both his power slider and changeup.
May 30, 2008: The Twins (and Cardinals) have been linked to [Christian] Friedrich, but he seems less likely to fall here than he did a month ago. Minnesota has cast a wide net, looking hard at Martin and Zach Collier, but Hicks' emergence as a potential No. 1 starter and/or middle-of-the-order bat has run him back up most draft boards.
June 1, 2008: Aaron Hicks and Anthony Gose are both willing to sign only as hitters; Hicks has already turned down first-round offers from teams interested in signing him as a pitcher. Meanwhile, Hicks had a stellar workout at St. Louis' stadium on Saturday.
June 5, 2008: The Twins are on all of the athletic, high-upside high school bats, including Anthony Hewitt and Zach Collier. Hicks is the best of the lot.
June 5, 2008: In terms of tools, Hicks is one of the top three or four players in the draft. He's first-rounder as an outfielder and a pitcher. He is relatively unpolished, so he should take a long time to get to the majors. He's gotten by a lot on strength and bat speed for now. The Twins will have to work with him on his hitting approach. He has a chance to be a switch-hitting Andrew McCutchen, one of the top prospects in the minors.
Aug. 10, 2008: Mychal Givens could be next year's Aaron Hicks or Anthony Gose, high-ceiling two-way players who preferred to stay as position players.
Jan. 22, 2009: No. 56 in Keith's Top 100: Hicks was the best two-way prospect in the 2008 Rule 4 draft, sitting 92-95 and hitting 97 repeatedly as a pitcher, but indicated that he wanted to go pro as a position player. At the plate, Hicks is exciting but unpolished. He's a switch-hitter with tremendous bat speed, loading deep but accelerating his wrists and getting plus plate coverage. He's legitimate from both sides of the plate, with more loft in his left-handed swing while he gets his power from his wrists and forearms when swinging right-handed. His pitch recognition was lacking during his high school career, and perhaps it still is, but he drew 26 unintentional walks in a little more than 200 plate appearances in the Gulf Coast League while making plenty of contact. It's not definitive, but it's a start. The Twins have him playing center field, the right spot for a guy with his tools and speed, although his arm will play in right field (duh) if he has to move out of center. This ranking is pretty conservative because of the limited pro experience, but Hicks has explosive talent and the early returns point to stardom as a No. 3 or No. 4 hitter who adds value on defense.
Jan. 28, 2010: Keith Law's No. 19 prospect: Hicks remains one of the premium tools prospects in the game, with a ways to go to convert those tools into baseball skills -- but he has shown glimmers of polish that give hope of a major step forward in the next year or two. A two-way star in high school, Hicks has an 80 arm if he ends up in right field but has the speed to handle center with work on his reads. At the plate, he's a true switch-hitter with great wrist acceleration; he loads his hands deep but gets great leverage in his swing, and he should be a plus-power guy when he fills out and gets more reps against higher-quality pitching. For the second year in a row, Hicks showed a strong walk rate, and he did so this time while playing in a full-season league at 19. Hicks' ceiling is one of the highest of any player in the low minors, but he needs to play a full season outside of extended spring training to show us just how far along he is.