6/7/18

2018 Draft - Mets Pick #2: - RHP - Simeon Wood-Richardson - *** NEW STORY***




Simeon Wood-Richardson - R/R, HS 9/27/2000 - Kempner HS (TX) - 6'3" 200 lbs



***NEW***

Sportsmap - 

People spend their entire lives chasing their dream Simeon Woods-Richardson has achieved it at the ripe old age of 18 years old. The 2018 Major League Baseball amateur draft saw over 20 high school prospects receive the opportunity to become a professional in the first two rounds alone.

"This has been a dream for me and it actually came true like words can't describe" says Simeon Woods Richardson on being drafted.

After a senior season that had games packed with scouts with reports as many as 14 for one game, the question was more where not if Simeon would get the call. Woods-Richardson heard his name called near the top of Round 2 at pick #48 overall (6th in Round 2) as a right handed pitcher, he is now in the New York Mets system.

Woods-Richardson is committed to the University of Texas, but pitching in the high 90's on a consistent basis made him a high end prospect on pro scouts radar a few years ago, and this season confirmed Woods-Richardson was more than hype as he delivered dominant starts all season averaging 10 striekouts a game.


ABC-13:

The next dominant pitcher might be playing at Kempner High School. Kempner Senior Simeon Woods-Richardson is just 17 years old, but he has a major fastball the scouts can't get enough of. Simeon has major league stuff and a big league attitude.

3rd Man:

Woods-Richardson’s development has positioned himself for a bright future in baseball. Committed to Texas, Woods-Richardson is also a well-regarded prospect for June’s MLB Draft. Baseball America ranks him as the 84th-best prospect in the class.

“It’s actually a blessing, but sometimes it can be overwhelming,” he said. “I just try to keep my head down and look on to the next day because everything is a new day. I just keep my head down, stay humble, keep working and playing, and not focus on the future.”

Considered a legitimate two-way player, Woods-Richardson’s primary position is on the mound. It’s also where professional scouts project him long-term.
An aggressive pitcher who prefers to work quickly, Woods-Richardson throws a fastball – four-seam and two-seam – changeup, cutter and a sharp 12-to-6 curveball.

He attacks the zone and has impressive command for his age. In the 2017 Area Code Games, Woods-Richardson caught scouts’ attention when he struck out four straight batters in 13 pitches out of the bullpen in his first appearance in the event.

MLB Draft Pipeline:

           Fastball        50       60       (90-95)         
Slider             30       50      
Changeup    30       50                
Mechanics   50       60      
Control         40       55      
Command    40       55

Baseball America (#76) –

           One of the youngest players in the 2018 draft class, Woods-Richardson is a 6-foot-4, 210-pound righthander out of Texas who impressed scouts at multiple summer showcase events last year. At both the Area Code Games in Long Beach, Calif., and Perfect Game’s World Wood Bat Association world championships in Jupiter, Fla., during the fall, Woods-Richardson pitched with a low-90s fastball that touched 93 mph at times. He features both a four-seam and two-seam fastball, as well as two breaking balls—one a sweeping slider in the upper 70s and the other a mid-70s curveball with an 11-to-5 shape. He showed the makings of a plus breaking ball at the Area Code Games and even flashed a potential plus changeup during the Tournament of Stars in Cary, N.C. After all the flashes of upside over the summer, Woods-Richardson has continued to trend up this spring, with his fastball velocity ticking up. Scouts have noted, however, that he doesn’t always hold his velocity into starts as long as they would like to see. As a younger, athletic righthander out of Texas who has trended in the right direction this spring, Woods-Richardson has checked enough boxes on his scouting report to get him drafted quickly in June. If he did make it to campus at Texas, he would be a two-way talent with some impressive raw power with the bat as well.

5-4 1 save, 0.84 ERA, 58.2-IP 38-H 15-R 7-ER 13-BB 107-SO

Hit .446 in 24 games, 5-2B, 3-3B, 6-HR 22-RBI 14-R, Walked 21 times struck out 7, 10 errors.

16 comments:

Mack Ade said...

This kid not only looks like Judge, he hits like him too.

He's at least 4-5 years away.

Let us not assume yet that he will be developed as a pitcher.

Mike Freire said...

So our first two picks are HS kids?

You may be right Mack......it could signal a rebuild.

Tom Brennan said...

Hopefully a much higher, faster rising arc than Desmond Lindsay has been so far.

Tom Brennan said...

I know it is just high school, but AI like the low # of strikeouts at the plate, so maybe he is not automatically a pitcher.

Mack Ade said...

Mike -

I would draft 8 more high school players today.

Then, I would fill in the holes with the college players left in the draft by Day 3

My only worries are if:

1. The Mets have the stones to do this

2. Did they invest in the scouts to cover the high school games

3.. Did they rightfully put Omar in charge of this

There is nothing you can do to predict if a high school player is going to make it in the long run. Draft 10... get 5. I will take these results.

Tom Brennan said...

In this chart, is the left column where he is now, and the right column where they see him progressing to?

MLB Draft Pipeline:




Fastball 50 60 (90-95)

Slider 30 50

Changeup 30 50 –

Mechanics 50 60

Control 40 55

Command 40 55

Anonymous said...

it was a good 1st day!! but I'm wondering since they went HS did they save money, for later? Wilcox and Rocker are still available? id really like the Mets to draft and be able to sign either of those HS arms

That Adam Smith said...

You don’t generally save money on HS picks. They’re the ones with the most options - they are generally looking at a full ride to a major university, and can enter the draft two more times. It’s college seniors for whom it’s the last chance to be drafted who usually have to take whatever’s offered.

Anonymous said...

yes I agree Adam but, kelenic was ranked 10th goes to #6 and Wood-Richardson was ranked 160 went #48 ? maybe reaching deals with players for less than slot to save on other HS players later?

Tom Brennan said...

Draft all high school kids, and in 2 years, promote them all, lose a lot through the growing pains, get the # 1 pick a few years running, and have a powerhouse.

Hey, Judge struck out 8 times yesterday, so I am really glad we didn't draft him :)

Mike Maar said...

I hate the idea of tanking for a few years on purpose, but I don't necessarily think you need to in order to rebuild in parallel and draft the best young talent available.

The Mets have 3 young position players in Conforto/Nimmo/Rosario that should be here a long time. Hope 1B gets covered by either Smith or Alonso, and 2B by either Guillermo (sic, lol) or Rivera. That doesn't leave a lot that has to be filled long-term via trade or FA.

I've seen a lot of long names fit on the backs of jerseys, but this one will be interesting.

Mack Ade said...

1, convert this kid to RF

2. Rocker is going to Vandy

3. 3rd round... so much for ++ high school players

Pablo Grullon said...

So far theyre 3rd, 4th and 5th round picks all college guys. When will they learn? Smh i hate how the Mets draft

Charles said...

You’d think so. Then again, their second pick may feel he can better his draft position by going to college and dominating. They WOULD NOT have picked him if they didn’t know his number already and were willing to meet it. So, while he will be signed, it may be for slot or a little under.

Kelenic doesn’t have many options. Yes he could go to school but he was picked 6th. You’d have to have the biggest balls in the world to think you could beat that draft position in three years. He’s signing and probably for a little under slot.

I doubt they’ll save millions on these two.

Charles said...

They’ll saved money in rounds 3-10 by picking all college seniors. Those savings will go towards signing a few high upside hs players.

I bet their first few picks on day 3 are hs.

Robb said...

The best player on the Mets was a 9th round pick out of college. The draft is both highly subjective (art more than science 90% of the time) and a mathematical puzzle. Unless you are picking ken griffey jr or Kris Bryant its hard to know what you are getting.

I like the first two picks, bc they took the best available hitter with the first who will probably come in a little under slot and a high upside rhp with the second who will probably come in near slot.

Considering the developmental curve required for pitching if you put 4 rhp who are 6'3 - 6'5 who all throw low to mid 90s and line up 4 evaluators you'll probably get 4 different orders of preference. this was the dude they liked more than the other dudes.