MMs Top 25: #22 LHP Brad Wieck

#22 LHP Brad Wieck (LR: not ranked)

Bats: L Throws: L
Height: 6' 9" Weight: 255 lb

Age: 23
Acquired: 2014 Rule IV draft, 7th round, Oklahoma City University

2014: (SS-A) 1-1, 1.40 ERA, 25.2 IP, 13.7 K/9, 2.1 BB/9, 0.896 WHIP

     Wieck is a interesting, albeit, relatively unknown commodity. One thing we do know though is that he is a BIG MAN! At 6' 9" and 255 lbs, Wieck is the largest prospect in the Mets system right now besting fellow 2014 draftee and 6' 8" monster himself, Josh Prevost. Wieck had a tumultuous college journey which took him from the University New Mexico to Frank Phillips College, then to Cisco College, and finally to NAIA participant OCU. That's right....NAIA....not NCAA Division I or II or even III.....NAIA. Facing inferior talent, Wieck racked up 118 K's in only 69.2 IP while only walking 23 both as OCU's closer and as a starter down towards the end of the 2014 season.

     Weick signed immediately after being drafted and was sent to Brooklyn to build on his 69 IP this season and to prove that he's capable of sticking with NCAA caliber talent. Not only did he prove himself, but he flat out dominated the New York-Pennsylvania League. As a reliever for the Cyclones, Wieck struck out nearly 40% of the batters he faced and held batters to a .181 Batting Average Against including only 1 HR against him thanks to a ground-ball rate of 32.7% vs. a fly-ball rate of 21.8%.

     Wieck's size combined with his stuff is what makes him so intriguing. His fastball clocks in between 92 - 94 mph, which is plus velocity from a left handed pitcher, and his size and release point generate a ton of downward movement on it which generates ground-balls. His primary secondary pitch is a curveball that clocks in between 74-76 mph. The pitch has pretty solid two-plane movement break and he has the ability to throw it for a strike or bury it low in the zone to get batters to chance. He also has a change-up in his arsenal, however, the pitch is viewed as poor to below average at best. While the speed differential is pretty good (92mph fastball vs. 78 mph change), he tips the pitch at times slowing his arm speed and the movement on it is a pretty flat downward motion that most batters can pick up on.

     His size and two pitch arsenal could make for an excellent MLB LOOGY and maybe even a late inning, double play specialist MLB reliever. His dominance in Short Season A tells me that, if the team decides that RP is the route to go, he could move quickly like Josh Edgin did when he was drafted. In that scenario he would start 2015 in St. Lucie, but, if the Mets think they can work with him on his change-up and develop a 3rd pitch so that he can start, then he'll be in Savannah come April 1st.


Ceiling: MLB LOOGY/Ground Ball specialist. (Brett Cecil)
Floor: Taxi Squad RP
Anticipated Assignment: (A+) Port St. Lucie 8th inning reliever setting up Akeel Morris