MMs Top 25: #23 RHSP Robert Whalen

#23 RHSP Robert Whalen (LR: #24)
Bats: R Throws: R
Height: 6' 2" Weight: 200 lb
Age: 20
Acquired: 2012 Rule 4 Draft, 12th round, Haines City HS (Davenport, FL)

2014: (R/A) 6-1, 1.59 ERA, 39.2 IP, 9.3 K/9, 2.9 BB/9, 0.908 WHIP
2013: (R) 3-2, 1.87 ERA, 72.1 IP, 9.5 K/9, 2.1 BB/9, 0.926 WHIP
2012: (R) 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 1.0 IP, 9.0 K/9, 0.0 BB/9, 1.000 WHIP

     When we last reviewed Whalen, we viewed him as a pair with fellow HS draftee Chris Flexen. Both pitched well in 2013 and both skipped Brooklyn and were given surprisingly tough assignments to Savannah piggyback rotation. While Flexen has struggled to adjust to the higher level, Whalen, on the other hand, has excelled and posted even better stats this year.

     Coming out of high school, initial reports pegged him as a potential reliever as his fastball was his only consistent pitch and his slurvy breaking pitch was not viewed very favorably. However, those scouting reports were wrong! Whalen has shown to not only to have an effective low 90's fastball but he worked with Viola last season and has tightened up his slurve into a 10-4 curveball that has been graded by Baseball America's Matt Eddy as the best pitch in the entire Mets minor league system! The combination of these two pitches is racking up over a K per IP and opponents so far have not been able to get good wood on it and are failing to get hits. He also have only given up 2 HR's all season long.

     Whalen suffered an injury in early May but has worked his way back and has picked up right where he left off with back to back solid starts resulting in wins for the Sand Gnats. He's one to keep an eye on in the future, especially, if he can add a 3rd pitch or get a more advanced feel for change-up. His ceiling has been upgraded from a bullpen arm to a potential rotation piece.

Ceiling: Back-end MLB SP for a 2nd tier squad 

Floor: Fails to add a 3rd pitch, becomes a low leverage RP.