The Keepers - #21 - SP - Mike Antonini

22. Mike Antonini – SP – AA –

Antonino’s senior year stats at GC&SU were 7-6, 3.97 in 15 starts, 91.0 IP, 89 H, 19 BB, and 89 Ks.

The Mets selected Antonini in the 18th round (573rd overall) of the 2007 amateur draft out of Georgia College & State University. He has been assigned to Kingsport to kick off his pro career. Antonini is a native of Aston, PA

In 2007, Antonini started the season with Kingsport (1-1, 3.71, 1.06 in 5 appearances, 3 starts), but finished it with Brooklyn (0-0, 0.46, 0.92 in 7 appearances, 2 starts).

In late January 2007, Baseball America ranked Mike as the 26th overall Mets prospect, adding: "Paul loduca caught antonini at brooklyn and proclaimed his changeup big league ready"

Antonini had a meteoric rise in 2008, pitching for Savannah (4-4, 2.71), St. Lucie (4-0, 1.84), and Binghamton (1-3, 3.74), all of which combined for 9-7, 2.77.

In October 2008, Toby Hyde on Mike Antonini: Antonini had a great year, earning his promotions first to St. Lucie and then to Binghamton. The night I saw him in Binghamton, Antonini worked off a fastball that was 87-91, but mostly 88/89. He commanded it to both sides of the plate. He faced a lineup with eight batters who hit from the right side and featured his changeup as his second pitch. It was inconsistent, without great movement and often elevated. He allowed a homerun on an elevated changeup at 83 mph. He was cautious about throwing his slider to the RHH, and with good reason, since it was a little sweeping. Note that once Antonini reached AA, his homerun and walk rates spiked, while his strikeout rate was 6.3 K/9, the lowest of any of his three stops in 2008. Likely 09 Start: AA

From Toby Hyde: Antonini graduated from both full-season A-ball leagues in his first full professional season, and that success from a left-hander counts for something. His fastball is fringe-average from the left side, sitting at 88-89 when I saw him in July. He touched 91, but did not pitch at that velocity. The fastball plays up thanks to good command as he can spot it to both sides of the plate. His changeup is his second pitch, but when he didn’t finish the pitch, it stayed up, and got hit hard in AA. 2008: SAL? Check. FSL? Check. AA? Working on it. Winter ball? No problem. That’s a great year. Projected 2009 Start: AA Binghamton rotation

February 2009: MYOB on: Mike Antonini LHP - drafted in the 18th round, he had a solid year playing at three different levels. He finished with an overall 2.71 ERA. He doesn’t throw hard and he lacks the stuff to be a top of the rotation starter, but he could be an effective back man. Currently pitching in Puerto Rico where his ERA is 3.60 in eight starts. One concern is that he gave up 10 homeruns in 45 innings pitching at AA Binghamton.

Forecast: Antonini seemed to get his game back on track at the end of the 2009 season, and it will be interesting to see if he is: A) sent to AAA to start, B) sent back to AA to start, or C) sent to the pen.