MMs Top 25: #10 RHSP Cory Mazzoni

#10 RHSP Cory Mazzoni (LR: NR)
Bats: R Throws: R
Height: 6' 1" Weight: 200 lb
Age: 24
Acquired: 2011 Rule 4 Draft, 2nd Round, North Carolina State University

2014: (AAA) 7-2, 4.69 ERA, 71.0 IP, 8.2 K/9, 2.5 BB/9, 1.338 WHIP
2013: (AA) 5-3, 4.36 ERA, 66.0 IP, 10.1 K/9, 2.6 BB/9, 1.348 WHIP
2012: (A+/AA) 10-6, 3.93 ERA, 144.1 IP, 6.5 K/9, 2.2 BB/9, 1.316 WHIP
2011: (SS-A/A+) 2-1, 1.38 ERA, 13.0 IP, 12.5 K/9, 2.1 BB/9, 1.154 WHIP
  
    Look....I'm not perfect. I have a tendency of jumping on some band wagons too late and others too early. That's what happens when you get into the business of ranking prospects. In Cory Mazzoni's case though, his lack of placement on our previous list was a massive error in my part. I literally just completely forgot about him.

     Unfortunately, many people did as well. The former 2nd round draft pick came out of college with a plus fastball that could reach 97 mph and an already MLB average slider with 2 plane break. While his fastball did not have much downward movement, its horizontal movement was considered one of the best in the draft and still generated groundball rates of near 60%. The major knock on him was that when he did crank up his fastball to the 96-97 range, it straightened out an became hittable. He also had a hybrid change-up/splitter that scouts did not like.

     Mazzoni was chugging right along after being drafted and reached AA within his 1st 12 months of professional baseball. However injuries struck in 2013 and it was feared that some pain originating from his knee area would cause him to go under the knife. Luckily, it was only some nerve pinching and and the team cautiously shut him down for the remainder of the 2013 season. 2014 also provided us a bit of a scare as Mazzoni went down after the final spring game of the year with discomfort in his tricep. The fear was that he would become another Tommy John candidate but Mazzoni was only diagnosed with elbow tendinitis.

     Mazzoni took the spring off but is now back and pitching for the Las Vegas 51's. He has reduced the velocity on his fastball to the 92-93 mph range but has improved his control and vertical movement of the pitch. He has also tighten up the spin of his 3rd pitch to make it a true Split-Finger and is racking up more K's and groundballs. The Mets front office still thinks that Maz has the ability to be a solid #3 SP in an MLB rotation with his 3 plus to average pitches despite the massive depth of high level young pitchers in the organization. At the bare minimum, Mazzoni has the stuff and the arm slot to at least be a middle leverage relief pitcher. At the same time he could very well end up being a secondary piece in a trade to acquire a bat.

Ceiling: #3, high ground-ball rate, MLB SP. (Homer Bailey)
Floor: Medium Leverage ground-ball specialist (J.P. Howell)