Mets Draft - #19 Pick - RHP - C.J. Van Eyk - Steinbrenner HS

C.J VAN EYK

 



Last summer, Van Eyk was a member of the USA Baseball 18 and under team's pitching staff, helping the squad win gold at the Pan American Championships as a pitchability type right-hander.

 

A jump in velocity early this spring had teams pouring in to see him, though some arm soreness left his Draft status a bit up in the air. While Van Eyk showed a tremendous feel for pitching over the summer, he opened some eyes by cranking his fastball up to 95 mph this spring, thrown with good life with a very fast arm.

 

When it is down in the zone, it has heavy sink. He complemented the fastball with a breaking ball that flashed above-average at times, but not consistently. With his improved velocity, Van Eyk did lose some of his pitchability, impacting his overall command, with scouts feeling he'll need to find a balance as me moves forward.

 

The biggest question mark with the Florida State recruit came when he was shut down earlier this spring after an outing that saw him start the game at 94 mph but finished in the low-80s. If he can show he's healthy, he could hear his name called in the top five rounds.

BA #109 - Firmly in the Top 100 earlier in the season, Van Eyk has fallen a bit because of injury concerns after he left a start this spring due to a forearm injury.

 

The medical situation obviously clouds his draft stock, but he began throwing again

and the specifics of his health will factor heavily into where he is drafted.

 

Before his injury, Van Eyk was one of the more polished prep pitchers in the class, throwing strikes with a fastball that gets into the mid 90s as well as a sharp curveball that scouts grade as an above-average or plus pitch.

 

His stuff and current pitchability give Van Eyk a fairly high ceiling, and he was one of the top prep pitchers in a Florida state that is loaded at the demographic. He struck out 55 batters in 38 innings this season, issuing just nine walks.

 

So - a young guy who's had some arm health concerns but throws hard - I'd say that is well worth a 19th round gambit. Welcome aboard - and the icebags are in the fridg.