Mets Draft - Pick 2.46 - :LHP - Jonathan Santucci - Duke University

 

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Jonathan Santucci             LHP, Duke 

Scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 45 | Overall: 50 

Massachusetts' top prep pitching prospect in 2021, Santucci cracked Duke's weekend rotation as a freshman and earned an invitation to try out for the U.S. collegiate national team that summer. He struck out 50 batters in 29 1/3 innings as a sophomore before getting shut down with elbow pain that required surgery to remove bone chips. He has a chance to surpass Bryce Jarvis (18th overall in 2020) as the highest-drafted Blue Devil ever, though control woes this spring and missing three late-season starts with a rib injury hurt his chances. 

Santucci misses a lot of bats with his 92-96 mph fastball, creating impressive carry and running action on a flat approach angle from a high arm slot. His low-80s slider can be a wipeout pitch with two-plane break at its best. His fading mid-80s changeup gives him a third weapon, though he doesn't use it very often and can struggle to land it in the zone.

 A premium athlete who also has gotten sporadic at-bats as an outfielder/DH at Duke, Santucci is focusing solely on pitching now. While he hasn't been a consistent strike-thrower, he has an easy delivery and the ingredients to develop average control. He could blossom into a mid-rotation starter.

 

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2024: All-ACC First Team Starting Pitcher … Golden Spikes Midseason Watch List … Started all 13 games he appeared in as Duke’s Friday night ace in 2024 … Missed three weeks due to injury … Tallied a 6-1 record on the mound with a 3.31 ERA … Worked a career high 58 innings striking out 90 batters and holding opponents to a .188 batting average against … Punched out a career high 14 batters against Akron (3/1) and worked a career high six innings against Florida State (4/26) … Tallied back-to-back 10+ strikeout performances against Northwestern (2/23) and Akron (3/1). 

2023: Started seven games for the Blue Devils before having his season cut short due to injury… Posted a 2-2 record on the mound with a 4.30 ERA… Punched out a career high 11 batters against Wake Forest (3/10)… Allowed a season low two hits against North Carolina (3/24)… In his first four starts of the year he tallied 38 strikeouts to just four walks… Hit his first career home run against Princeton (3/4)…

 2022: Appeared in 20 games on the mound, including seven starts ... emerged into a weekend starting role in the second half of the season ... finished with a 2-3 record while tallying 58 strikeouts and allowing just seven extra-base hits in 41.0 innings of work ... led the team in ERA (4.17), opponent batting average (.211) and strikeouts per nine innings (12.73) ... led Duke to set a program record and rank in the top 15 in the country in strikeouts per nine innings (10.60) ... 

….He found his footing in early March, putting together back-to-back scoreless outings including a three-inning showing with just one hit and four strikeouts ... stellar in the month of April, leading the ACC with a 0.57 ERA and .118 opponent batting average ... allowed just one earned run on six hits and seven walks in 15.2 innings pitched in April, striking out 21 batters ... put together strong ACC starts against No. 10 Notre Dame (4/14) and at Georgia Tech (4/23), going 4.0 scoreless innings in each with five and three strikeouts, respectively …

... He had a career day as he earned the win against High Point while allowing just one walk and one hit and striking out a career-high 10 batters ... went 2-for-13 at the plate with two RBIs and a double in nine games, including two starts in the outfield ... recorded his first career RBI against Bucknell (3/4) ... hit a double versus Miami (4/3) ... invited to the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team Camp in Cary, N.C., over the summer.

 

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 Jonathan Santucci is a 6’2”, 205 lb. lefthanded pitcher who just finished his junior season at Duke University. Santucci was the #437 ranked player on the Baseball America draft board for 2021 out of Andover, Massachusetts, though BA had him listed as an outfielder rather than a pitcher. Santucci was seen as someone who would be difficult to sign out of high school due to his strong commitment to Duke, and he went undrafted. 

While Santucci played a little bit of the outfield in the summer leagues prior to his freshman and sophomore seasons, as well as for Duke as a freshman, he is now exclusively a pitcher. He has a quality three pitch mix, with a mid-90s rising fastball, a slider as his out pitch, and a good changeup, all of which project as better than average. He also is a good athlete with a clean delivery, which bodes well for his ability to start.

 Despite the quality pitches, Santucci is expected to last to late in the first round due to a combination of injury issues and control issues. Santucci missed the majority of his sophomore year due to surgery to remove bone chips from his left elbow. This year, he missed time due to a rib injury.

 

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Here’s what Santucci can bring to the Mets organization. 

Jonathan Santucci strengths 

The 6-foot-2, 205-pound southpaw has an arsenal that includes mid-90s fastball, nasty slider and workable changeup. An All-ACC first-team selection, Santucci made 13 appearances as Duke’s Friday night starter, posting a 3.31 ERA. 

Jonathan Santucci weaknesses 

Seven games into his sophomore season, bone chips in his elbow caused him to miss the rest of the season. This year, Santucci missed three weeks with a rib injury. The injury history is concerning, but Santucci’s stuff is worth the risk. He also struggles with command at times. 

Final thoughts on Jonathan Santucci’s MLB future

With two strikeout pitches and a third pitch that will continue to improve, Santucci has the build and stuff to be a solid pitcher as a professional. He’s a solid athlete who has improved in each of his seasons as a strike-throwing weapon.

 

            Mack – There is nothing to dislike here. When he is healthy, he is a dominant Friday night starter with 95 velo and a wipeout slider. The problem is his health history. I have to assume that the Mets did their proper checkups here. You all know I am a big ACC baseball follower. Know this guy well. Hated when Clemson had to face him.

 

Good job here guys.