Mack Ade – The Forgotten Mets Draft Pitcher Picks

Morning folks.

I needed to, first , remind myself, and then, remind you, that there are six Mets pitchers we haven’t seen more than a lick from so far in their professional career. They were all high round picks with stellar backgrounds:

Michael Fulmer –  2^nd round – 6-3, 200, RHP – 18-yrs. old - Fulmer finished 2011 with a 10.13 ERA for the GCL Mets… calm down, it was a total of 5.1-IP.  He was pretty much of a mystery man to me on draft day since I had not seen one piece of paper on him up to draft day. It turns out that he was not on the radar because his fast ball in 2010 was 5-7mph less than he’s throwing it now. He now throws in the mid-90s, but has a plus slurve that seems to be his bread and butter pitch. You can thank Pedro Feliciano and the New York Yankees for this one.  The full-season Mets affiliates are pretty clogged up with starters right now, so I see no reason to rush the kid. I have him being showcased in Brooklyn come summer.

Alex Panteliodis – 9^th round - 6-2, 235, LHP –  21-yrs. old - “Johnny Pants” is a natural for the tri-state area. Can you imagine the headlines with a nickname like that? They’ll have him sitting in front of that Pizzaland store in Jersey. He hasn’t thrown a pitch for the Mets let, but, being three years older than Fulmer, I expect him to start with a full season team in the spring. He’s a control pitcher who I had as the 59^th top RHP in the draft.

Christian Mongomery – 11^th round – 6-1, 230, RHP, ???-age – Montgomery is a prep horse who I had as the 33^rd top RHP in the draft. Throws: 88-95 FB, plus 72-81 CB, 80-81 CU. This is a flat out first round draft pick where most pundits had him ten months before the draft. Then, he couldn’t get away from the buffet table. The Mets may have a real steal here if they can control his weight.

Tyler Pill – 4^th round – 6-1, 185, RHP, 22-yrs. old – Pill just tore it up for three years with Cal Sate Fullerton: 21-8, 3.18, 1.05, 90.2-IP, 99-K, 19-BB. He throws 89-92 FB, 77-78CB, plus-CU 82. I had him going into the draft as the 45^th top RHP. He managed to toss it a little at the end of last season for both the GCL Mets and Brooklyn, with combined stats of: 1-0, 4.00, 1.11, 9-G, 1-ST, 9-IP, 10-K, 3-BB. He should start or piggyback at either Savannah or St. Lucie come April.

Logan Verrett – 3^rd round – 6-2, 170, RHP, 22-yrs. old – The oldest of the six featured here, Verrett went 19-10, 3.54, 1.34, 246-IP, 257-K, 73-BB for the three years he pitched for Baylor. A quality control pitcher with three good pitches, Verrett projects out as a back of the rotation guy. His fastball can hit 95, but he sits in the 88-92 range, but it’s his control of this pitch, a 12-6 curve and a plus slider which got him picked this high. I had him going into the draft as the 28^th top RHP.

Jack Leathersich – 5^th round – 21-yrs. old - 5-11, 205, LHP – 21-yrs. old – Leather did get some games (9) in for Brooklyn and his stats were scary: 26-Ks in 12.2-IP. Pants went 23-10, 3.81, 1.22, 227-IP, 172-K, 48-BB in three years for Florida. He started out as a rotation guy for the University of Mass. But finished as as one of the premier Division II relievers in baseball.  His fastball as a starter was in the 88-92 range; however, once he was turned loose as a reliever, he now sits at 95. I’m sure he’ll begin 2011 with a full season team and my guess would be St. Lucie. Scouts have told me he could be ready as early as 2014.

So…

We talk all day about Matt Harvey, Zack Wheeler, Jenrry Mejia, and Jeurys Familia.

Then, we discuss Akeel Morris, Domingo Tapia, Rafael Montero, Luis Mateo, and Juan Urbina.

Through in these six names and, well… life is good in the Mets pitching future.