Mets Draft - Rounds 26 to 40 - Five Post-Teenage Arms

Mets Draft - Rounds 26 to 40 - Six Post-Teenage Arms

As noted yesterday, the last 15 draft rounds (26 through 40) tend to consist of:

a) organizational filler - older guys who did not warrant higher round selection

b) gambits on young arms

c) gambits on youthful position players

One would think with the number of college seniors (ten of the 40 draft slots) drafted without much negotiating leverage, if any, since they can't skip the draft and return to play more college ball, monies saved in signing those guys below slot could entice drafted high school seniors and very young collegians to sign with the Mets this year, rather than passing on the draft this year and resurfacing for next year's draft, hopefully more educated and in a higher draft position.

Rather than continuing the sequential draft round-by-round analyses that we've done for the first 25 rounds over the past few days, I am breaking the last 15 rounds by type:

1) YESTERDAY - 18 year old teenage arms in rounds 26-40 - 5 tossers

2) TOMORROW - young hitters in rounds 26-40 - 4 hombres

3) TODAY - pitchers close to 21 years old or older in rounds 26-40 - 6 gents

BILLY OXFORD - ROUND 27 - 6'1", 220 RHP.  The 21 year old Oxford just completed his junior year at Azusa Pacific U.


His high school town of Quincy wrote:

Billy Oxford was a right-handed pitcher for the Quincy Gems in 2015, Oxford pitched at Saint Mary's College and Azusa Pacific University. With the Gems, Oxford went 3-3 with a 4.50 ERA. He had 37 strikeouts in 42 innings.




RYAN SELMER - ROUND 31 - 6'8", 220 RHP. 23 year old just completed his junior year at Maryland. The Maryland Baseball Network website notes:

Right-hander Ryan Selmer, the Terps closer in 2017, departs College Park after having been a mainstay in the Maryland bullpen for three seasons. As a freshman in 2015, he tied a program record for most appearances in a season, working in 31 games (27 relief appearances and four starts) while compiling a 2.18 ERA.

Over the next two seasons, the 6-foot-8 righty took the mound 54 more times. As a junior in 2017, Selmer pitched 41.1 innings at the back end of the Terps bullpen, registering eight saves and a 3.05 ERA. Although he was nominally the closer, he had eight appearances in which he pitched multiple innings, including two games that he went at least four frames.

Arguably (his) best game of the season came on one of the biggest stages, as Selmer entered the Big Ten Tournament semifinal against Northwestern in the 2nd inning and proceeded to hurl 5.2 IP of one-run ball against the Wildcats, while striking out three and giving up just four hits.

KAYLOR CHAFIN - ROUND 32 - 5'11', 180 LHP. 22 year old just completed his junior year at Texas A&M.  The school's news (The Batt) wrote favorably about Chafin:

Chafin has emerged as one of the steadiest and most effective relief pitchers in college baseball. Watch him pitch just once, and it’s easy to see him as a soft-tossing left-hander who relies on deception and smarts to get batters out. But while he does have impeccable control and a nice feel for pitching, he also possesses an electric repertoire that can unexpectedly overpower opposing hitters.

“The dude is just a gamer,” says A&M sophomore starting pitcher Stephen Kolek. “You watch him pitch and I don’t think he’s getting too many scouts excited but he just finds a way to win and I love that about him. His stuff has gotten a lot better this year — he’s worked really hard to get a lot better — and just seeing him do well, I’m glad for him.”

Chafin does not light up the radar gun — he usually sits 88-to-91 mph with his fastball — but he complements his fastball with a sharp curveball and a devastating changeup. In the past he had thrown both a slider and a curve, but in the offseason he worked with head coach Rob Childress to eliminate the slider and focus on perfecting his curveball.

Now that he does not have to work on two different breaking balls and worry about confusing the arm slot for each one, his curveball has developed into a nearly unhittable pitch.  “One wasn’t great,” Childress says, “and we just decided to make one great.”

For the season, Chafin is 7-1 with a team-best 1.76 ERA. He has struck out 57 in 56.1 innings while only surrendering 38 hits. Opponents are hitting a paltry .191 against him in 2017 and he has been the guy Childress trusts most out of the bullpen for much of the season.

“The kid’s a stud, he’s unbelievable,” says A&M second baseman Braden Shewmake. “He’s awesome to play behind. We know when we bring him out of the ‘pen he’s going to do his job, he’s going to throw strikes. Not many people have put him in play but when they put him in play it’s not going to be hard contact.”

“He’s been gigantic,” Childress says of Chafin. “The numbers that he’s put up are incredibly special. I think he has just grown up as a young man, matured and handled everything in stride. His success is a result of him growing up.”

MCLEOD LOZER - ROUND 33 - 6'0", 190 RHP. 21 year old just completed his junior year at the U. of Michigan.

The university wrote: An All-Big Ten Third Team selection, Lozer was dominant as the Wolverines’ set-up man this season, recording a 1.00 ERA with 37 strikeouts  in 27.0 innings and a miniscule opponents’ batting average of .138.

- those numbers look nice to this writer.


KYLE WILSON - ROUND 35 - 6'1", 185 RHP.  20 year old just completed his first JC year at the Crowder College.   It appears he throws in the low 90's.  Sign a contract and get on out there, Kyle.

JOSHUA WALKER - ROUND 37 - A 6'6', 225 lefty pitching at the U of New Haven as a 22 year old senior.

A local newspaper carried the following excerpted article:

Josh Walker was shagging fly balls for a summer-league game in Bristol, Conn. when called in to the dugout.  One of his best friends jumped on Walker before he could reach the bench. The news that Walker had been waiting to hear all day had finally come. The Mets had picked the U. of New Haven’s 6-foot-6 lefty pitcher in the 37th round.

“They were the team that had the most interest but it’s surprising either way to have your childhood dream come true,” said Walker, 23, of Otisville. “It was definitely an awesome surprise.”  The Mets had sent multiple scouts to watch Walker, a lifelong Yankees fan, pitch this spring. Walker threw during a Mets pre-draft workout at Clark University in Worcester, Mass., two weeks ago and a scout also saw Walker in his first outing for the Bravehearts.

“Not a lot of people get the opportunity,” said Walker, who was 3-1 with three saves and a 2.40 ERA for New Haven. He pitches from a three-quarters angle with a fastball in the low 90s. “Nothing is a guarantee no matter how much you’ve been talking to a ballclub leading up to the draft.”

Walker has worn No. 21 in honor of Yankees outfielder Paul O’Neill throughout his high school and college career. Walker’s family is filled with Yankees fans from his grandfather, father and two brothers to his mother’s side. They may have to change their loyalties.

“If it comes to playing ball for another team, I don’t have any problem with that whatsoever,” said Walker on being drafted by the Mets. “I would have been happy with any club that would have given me a chance. The Yankees would have been awesome but I’m very happy with the Mets, the other New York team.”

Walker received texts from family and friends Wednesday reminding him one of the Mets’ Class A teams is the Brooklyn Cyclones of the New York-Penn League. He was waiting to hear his assignment on Thursday afternoon.  “That would be awesome just for the fact that family and friends could come there and support me,” Walker said.

“…Last year (13 2/3 innings, 5.93 ERA, 12 walks with New Haven) was tough coming back and getting the confidence back.  Finally, I flipped the switch this year and got things working the right way and that led to this opportunity presenting itself. It’s a blessing for sure.”

Walker is Minisink Valley’s second Major League Baseball draft pick. The first was Dave Telgheder, Walker’s assistant principal in high school. Telgheder, drafted by the Mets in 1989, spent six seasons (1993-98) with the Mets and Athletics.  “It’s a crazy coincidence and a little ironic,” said Walker of his and Telgheder’s Mets ties. “Hopefully, I can make it to the show like he did.”

One thing is clear - Walker needs to renounce all ties to the Great Satan, the NY Yankees - LOL.

So that's it for the older pitchers from the later rounds.  I am sure none feel old - but the clock is ticking.  Tomorrow, my friends and comrades, we journey onward to drop in on the 4 position players selected in the 26 through 40 draft slots.