Scouting Report

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Scouting grades: Fastball: 50 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 50 | Overall: 40

If Hynes wanted to find some high school pitchers to follow in their footsteps, he doesn't have to look too far back to find some fellow Ontario natives. Just a year ago, the A's took Josiah Romeo in the sixth round, and Mets 2022 seventh-rounder Jonah Tong has become one of their better pitching prospects. With strong performances for the Canadian Premier Team against professional teams in Arizona in March and then with the Junior National Team in Florida in April, Hynes has put himself into mid-Day 2 conversations.

Scraping 6-foot-2 and turning 18 just days before the Draft, Hynes offers an interesting combination of projection and feel for pitching. He's up to 94-95 mph with his fastball, a heater that has a mix of run and sink to it, helping it play up. His high-spin slider will register 2,700 rpm and elicits good swing-and-miss. His changeup is a bit behind the other two, but there's some feel for the offspeed offering, even though he doesn't throw it much.

Hynes has shown a penchant for throwing strikes and pitched well against the Giants and Guardians in Arizona, then held his own against the Blue Jays and Yankees in Florida, albeit in shorter stints. There's some upside here, with perhaps more velocity to come as he physically matures, something teams will be sure to consider when deciding if they can sign him away from his Wake Forest commitment.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 50 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50 | Overall: 40

Hynes took a leap as the top Canadian prep pitcher in the 2025 Draft by adding four ticks of velocity last spring and performing well against professional teams, including a group of Guardians prospects. Months later, Cleveland drafted him in the second round and signed him away from his Wake Forest commitment for $950,000. He did not pitch after signing, similar to how the club has treated high school hurlers in the past.

Considering how few reps he had as a teenager from Ontario heading into pro ball, Hynes has quite a good feel for his delivery and creating spin. His best pitch to date is a potentially plus slider that operates in the low 80s with plenty of horizontal movement from his low three-quarters release. Hynes' sinking fastball now touches 95 mph and figures to have another gear in it, as he has a lot of room to fill out his 6-foot-2 frame. His changeup fits his arsenal well with sink and run but has a ways to go to reach its potential.

Hynes is a quality strike-thrower, and his athleticism and sound delivery portend above-average command to pair with his promising control. The Guardians are generally cautious with prep arms, so he will likely start in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League, but he has the pitchability to take off pretty quickly and a solid chance to stick as a starter. While Hynes lacks the high-end traits of 2024 picks Braylon Doughty and Joey Oakie, he's a nice combination of the two.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 50 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50 | Overall: 40

The top Canadian prep pitching prospect in the 2025 Draft, Hynes impressed scouts when pitching for his nation's 18-and-under teams against professional teams from big league organizations in Arizona during March and in Florida during April. His best outing may have come against a team of Guardians farmhands, setting the stage for Cleveland to select him in the supplemental second round. He turned 18 just a week before the Draft and gave up a Wake Forest commitment to sign for $950,000.

Hynes' best pitch is a low-80s slider with high spin rates that could become a plus offering once it's fully developed. He presently works in the low 90s and tops out at 95 with downhill plane and sink on his fastball, which should add more velocity once he fills out his projectable 6-foot-2 frame. He already shows some feel for a mid-80s changeup with fade and sink.

Hynes is a quality athlete who gets down the mound, creating deception with a low arm slot and extension. He has a clean delivery and repeats it well, which could make him an above-average strike thrower as he gets stronger. He has more pitching aptitude than most 18-year-olds and is the type of mound prospect the Guardians have done a good job developing.

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	03/05/2026	RHP Will Hynes assigned to Cleveland Guardians Prospects.
	08/04/2025	ACL Guardians activated RHP Will Hynes.
	07/25/2025	RHP Will Hynes assigned to ACL Guardians.
	07/24/2025	Cleveland Guardians signed RHP Will Hynes.
	06/10/2025	Canada Jr. Team activated RHP Will Hynes.
	06/10/2025	RHP Will Hynes assigned to Canada Jr. Team.
	06/03/2025	RHP Will Hynes assigned to College Workout.
	09/21/2024	Team Bautista activated RHP Will Hynes.
	09/21/2024	RHP Will Hynes assigned to Team Bautista.
	09/16/2024	High School Workout activated RHP Will Hynes.
	09/04/2024	Royal activated RHP Will Hynes.
	09/04/2024	RHP Will Hynes assigned to Royal.
	09/22/2023	RHP Will Hynes assigned to Navy.
	09/22/2023	RHP Will Hynes assigned to Team Jays.
	09/24/2022	RHP Will Hynes assigned to Team Francis.
	09/10/2022	RHP Will Hynes assigned to Navy.