1/27/15

Mack - 2015 Prospect List - #10 – RHSP – Robert Whalen



My rankings is solely subjective and based on nothing more than what is in my head at time I’m writing this. I’ve followed the Mets minor league players for many years and I feel I can recognize talent at various levels of their development. What I have failed at is how to determine when this talent seems to diminish. It’s amazing how many first round picks never make it in this game.

I’m old school, so you won’t seem much SABR-discussion here, I do research and, when I find a good quote or two, I’ll add them to my analysis, but, like I said in the beginning of this post, most of this us subjective.

Let’s get started.


#10 – RHSP – Robert Whalen – 20-years old – 6-2, 200 – R/R

           12th round draft pick in 2012 – signed for slot, $100K

           Haines City High School (FL)

                       2012 – K-Port -  1-G, 0.00, 1.00, 1.0-IP, 1-K

                       2013 – K-Port -  12-starts, 1.87, 0.93, 72.1-IP, 76-K

                       2014 – GCL/Sav – 14-G, 12-starts, 1.94, 0.00, 69.2-IP, 63-K

                       Career – 3 seasons – 27-G, 24-starts, 1.89, 0.96, 143-IP, 140-K


What they said about Whalen at the time of his draft –


           Tampabay.com –

Meanwhile, Whalen, an FAU commit, hit 90 several times with his fastball and located his 74 mph curveball for strikes. The Eagles (17-8), though, pushed across the only run they would need thanks to three hits in the fourth inning, though it did come with a scare.


           Perfect Game –
Robert Whalen is a 2012 RHP/3B with a 6-2 200 lb. frame from Davenport, FL who attends Haines City HS. Solid athletic build, good present strength. Well paced hands over head delivery, high 3/4's arm slot, arm works well, tends to drift out in delivery at times, good leverage and angle when he stays back. Fastball to 91 mph, cuts fastball very effectively at times. Flashes hard curveball spin and bite, will drop release point on curve at times and get under it, nice feel for change up as well. Rushes from the stretch and loses stuff at times. Inconsistent mechanics but flashes some very nice pitches, could really improve with some pretty easy adjustments. Follow carefully. Verbal commitment to Florida Atlantic.

           Not in BA’s top 500

As you can see from above, Whalen has yet to have a bad professional season. He did have an infection on his pitching hand in May 2014 that did cost him part of the season. He rehabbed in GCL and got back on the horse in Savannah.


Outlook –


Everything is based on his heath and we all know how stealth the Mets are when it comes to the conditioning of their pitchers. Normally, he would be on to Binghamton in April 2015, but that will probably be determined when camp opens.


Right now, I see the Mets having five starters that are locks for a future rotation. Whalen is one of the… probably in the back end… probably 2018. 

5 comments:

Unknown said...

I think this kid is a dark horse to be a beast.

I would have liked to see a slightly higher K-rate in Savannah, but the rest of his numbers were fantastic

Especially when you factor in his age - he was the 2nd youngest (Flexen is 6 months younger) and was 1.7 years below league average.

Reese Kaplan said...

Minor league success is a good indicator but no guarantee. Take Rafael Montero, for example. He was a beast in the minors, particularly his pinpoint control. In the majors his biggest issue thus far has been throwing strikes.

Tom Brennan said...

I ain't bailin' on Whelan. Future MLB starter.

Mack Ade said...

I consider Whalen and Molina the 'third wave' of starters past Matz and Syndergaard

Unknown said...

Reese - That is why scouting reports combined with numbers is the only way to evaluate prospects.

Guys can put up great numbers in the low minors with good control or a good fastball - but they tend to peter out in high-A or AA when the hitters get better.

With Whelan, the scouts like his fastball and his curve ball - he isn't living on one pitch.

Monterro dominated with an average fastball and great control - that is harder to translate to the MLB - and it is even more difficult to be good in the ML with that recipe.