The Royals selected Hardy in the 22nd round of last year’s draft out of college. He’s 6’2, 195 lbs. and a lefty. He has a reputation for throwing strikes consistently with a fastball that usually sits at around 86-87 mph. He also has some ok, but unimpressive breaking stuff. (this info is from a 2008 scouting report, so he may well have improved velocity and/or secondary pitches). He pitched well in a short stint with rookie league Idaho Falls last year after he signed. He’s 22 years old this year, so he’s a little old for low-A ball, which is common for college draftees. So he should do well there and hopefully move up pretty quickly where he’ll get a real test at Wilmington or NWA hopefully in the not too distant future. He projects as a lefty reliever, but not necessarily a LOOGY.