Left-handed pitching wasn’t a very intriguing position in the Mets’ organization before last season, so they went out and picked up three via the draft, and one from the independent leagues. It helped that a top prospect made his major league debut as well. Here’s how we rank the top five southpaws heading into 2016.
No. 1 – Steven Matz
Ht: 6’2″ Wt: 200 B/T: R/L Age: 5/29/1991 (24)
2015 Level: New York Mets, Triple-A Las Vegas 51s
MMN Top 80 Ranking: Not ranked yet
MLB Stats: 6 G (6 GS), 35.2 IP, 4-0 W-L, 2.27 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, .250 BAA, 34/10 K/BB, 4 HR
MiLB Stats: 19 G (18 GS), 105.1 IP, 8-4 W-L, 2.05 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, .208 BAA, 107/34 K/BB, 6 HR
I don’t know if you’ve heard, but this Steven Matz fellow is pretty darn good. In September of 2014 with Binghamton, Matz took a no-hitter into eighth inning of the Eastern League championship game, and 13 months later, found himself pitching in the World Series. With only six regular season starts under his belt, Matz held the Kansas City Royals to two runs over five innings, striking out five and walking none. His major league career got off to a blistering start in the second game of a late June doubleheader against the Cincinnati Reds, where he scattered five hits and six strikeouts across 7.2 innings pitched. He excelled at the plate as well, setting a major league record for a pitcher with four runs batted in during his major league debut.
As is the case with all the Mets’ young starters, the key to Matz’s success in 2016 will be his health. A former Tommy John patient, he missed a good chunk of his rookie season with a tear of his lat muscle. As he settles down for his first full big league season, Matz should become more comfortable on the mound, and not feel like he has to exert more than he has to. He’ll officially exhaust his rookie and prospect eligibility after pitching 14.1 innings in 2016.
No. 2 – Max Wotell
Ht: 6’3″ Wt: 180 B/T: R/L Age: 9/13/1996 (19)
2015 Level: Rookie GCL Mets
MMN Top 80 Ranking: Number 18
Stats: 9 G, 10.2 IP, 0-1 W-L, 2.53 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, .057 BAA, 16/9 K/BB, 1 HR
To describe the Mets’ 2015 third-round pick in a word, it’s easy: interesting. For starters, Wotell has a funky delivery, where he switches up his footing after beginning the motion, and dips low before exploding to the plate. See what I’m talking about here. His fastball sits around 90 miles per hour, and he mixes in a curveball, which fools hitters when coming from such a low release point. The Mets certainly liked what they saw when scouting Wotell, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see the North Carolinian move quickly up the ranks. He’ll join his fellow 2015 draft mates in Kingsport this season.
No. 3 – Thomas Szapucki
Ht: 6’2″ Wt: 190 B/T: R/LAge: 6/12/1996 (19)
2015 Level: Rookie GCL Mets
MMN Top 80 Ranking: Number 24
Stats: 3 G, 2.1 IP, 0-0 W-L, 15.43 ERA, 2.14 WHIP, .455 BAA, 3/0 K/BB, 0 HR
Szapucki was selected by the Mets in the fifth round last year out of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, and he decided to sign with the team even though he had already committed to pitch as a Florida Gator. Szapucki joined Simon and Max Wotell in the Gulf Coast League, but produced the worst statistics of the trio, albeit in three appearances.
The 19-year-old slings from the left side with a high leg kick and a speedy motion to the plate. He throws a low-to-mid-90s fastball, and complements it with a promising slider. Because he throws hard, Szapucki should be an exciting player to follow over the coming seasons. Hopefully he’s able to fine tune his mechanics in Extended Spring Training, and then head to Kingsport in June.
No. 4 – Josh Smoker
Ht: 6’2″ Wt: 195 B/T: L/LAge: 11/26/1988 (27)
2015 Level: Double-A Binghamton, Hi-A St. Lucie, Single-A Savannah
MMN Top 80 Ranking: Number 27
Statistics: 41 G, 49 IP, 3-0 W-L, 3.12 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, .213 BAA, 60/19 K/BB
Wait… A 27-year-old who spent all of 2015 in Double-A? That’s Josh Smoker. Back in 2007, the Washington Nationals were awarded a compensation draft pick between the first and second rounds for losing OF Alfonso Soriano to the Chicago Cubs, and they took Smoker 31st overall. His career got off to a rocky start, and he ultimately needed surgery on his arm in 2008. By 2011, Smoker had transitioned to a full time bullpen role, but failed to see different results. Fast forward to 2015 – now three years removed from his last job in affiliated baseball – the Mets decided to give the Georgia native a shot at providing left-handed depth in the minor leagues, and possibly a chance at sneaking into the major league bullpen late in the season.
A low-risk move, Smoker did not disappoint. He started off in Savannah in late April, moved to St. Lucie after six appearances, and, in early July, was promoted to Binghamton. Armed with a fastball that reached the high 90s, Smoker showed flashes of his potential before injury, limiting Eastern League batters to a .213 average. He was presumably considered for a September call-up, but played out the season in Binghamton. In 2016, Smoker will head to Las Vegas, but will compete with Dario Alvarez as the next lefty up.
(Galvnews.com)
No. 5 – Jake Simon
Ht: 6’2″ Wt: 175 B/T: L/L Age: 1/21/1997 (19)
2015 Level: Rookie GCL Mets
MMN Top 80 Prospect Ranking: Number 29
Statis: 9 G, 16 IP, 2-0 W-L, 2.81 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, .302 BAA, 12/5 K/BB, 0 HR
The Mets made Simon their 11th round pick in 2015, after selecting two other High School lefties in rounds three and five. He surprised many by signing for $400,000, which was $300,000 over the slot value. The Galveston, Texas native made his professional debut on June 29 in the Gulf Coast League, and threw five consecutive scoreless outings, before allowing runs in his final four appearances. He’s a lanky southpaw with a long leg kick and smooth delivery to the plate, but other than that, there isn’t much information out there on him. As Simon progresses through the minors – likely continuing at Kingsport in 2016 – we’ll learn more about his makeup, velocity, and future role.
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