Torii Hunter Jr. will be following in his father’s footsteps as a professional baseball player with the Los Angeles Angels.
Hunter announced his intention to pursue an MLB career instead of returning to Notre Dame’s football team for a fifth year:
Hunter’s father, Torii, enjoyed a long and successful MLB career. In 19 seasons with the Angels, Minnesota Twins and Detroit Tigers, he won nine Gold Glove awards, played in five All-Star Games and captured two Silver Slugger awards.
The Angels drafted Hunter in the 23rd round of June’s draft. Los Angeles manager Mike Scioscia believes in Hunter’s athletic talents helping him to play baseball.
“I’m excited,” Scioscia said, per MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez. “This kid’s a great kid; he’s a great athlete. As good a football player as he is, I know he loves baseball. Hopefully he’ll get that chance.”
Hunter eventually signed with the Angels on June 29 but opted to keep his football career at Notre Dame going. As a redshirt senior in 2016, he had his most productive season with 38 receptions, 521 yards and three touchdowns.
Hunter was previously drafted by the Tigers in the 36th round coming out of high school in 2013, when his father was playing for the team. He did play baseball part time at Notre Dame in 2015 and 2016.
Odds are against Hunter turning into a big leaguer as a 23rd-round pick who hasn’t played baseball full time since high school, but his athleticism and bloodlines certainly make him capable of overcoming those hurdles in his way.
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