Would you believe there is a 24th round pick in the Mets organization that you should care about? Believe it. Meet Erik Goeddel.
At 6’3” and 185 lbs, Erik Goeddel was drafted in the 24th round of the 2010 MLB draft, and the Mets paid over-slot for this kid by far. He ended up getting paid $350,000 – more than anyone received in that round. In fact, Goeddel received double what anyone else in that round got. See, now I know I have your interest – the Mets overpaying for a draft pick recently? Yeah. He is worth your attention for a multitude of reasons.
The talented right-hander throws four quality pitches: A fastball, curve, slider, and change-up. His fastball is his best pitch, as he can ramp it up to 95 on occasion and it sits at 92-93 throughout an entire game. It shows occasional sink based on his arm slot and he backs it up with what I have heard to be a plus curveball. His slider receives mixed reviews, and his changeup is passable more often than not. Upon further investigation, I hear that the changeup is being used more in his minor league time with the Mets than it was during his college career. His hard curveball and slider sometimes become used interchangeably, so it becomes very hard to get a solid scouting report on him. The secondary pitches, as always, look much better once the fastball is working.
It is worth noting that he is already post-Tommy John surgery and has had a second surgery to clean out scar tissue from the original TJ procedure. His arm motion is fairly easy, so the potential for injury is not alarming. Let us take a look at his tale of the tape so far in professional play.
He was shut down after one inning in his draft year (2010) to prevent over working him. He went through his first full year in 2011, and was quickly promoted from the Rookie League to Savannah after a mere three starts. He went on to start 13 games in Savannah that season, posting a 3.39 ERA with a 24/67 BB:K ratio in 71.2 innings. He held opposing hitters to a .217 average and allowed only five home runs, leading to an 0.63 HR/9 rate. Nice.
He was promoted to St. Lucie Advanced-A, for the 2012 season and posted an eerily close stat line to the one he posted in Savannah. Good news? You bet. He eclipsed the 100 inning mark, racking up 98 Ks in 108 innings. His overall BB/9 and H/9 numbers did go up a little, but he stayed steady overall and only got tagged for four home runs on the season, besting his 2011 mark. Opposing hitters batted .258 against him.
The thing about Goeddel is that the continued development of his secondary pitches will basically determine his future with the Mets. He was originally drafted with the idea that he might get through the system quickly. If his secondary pitches stay strong, and he can further improve his change-up, Goeddel can potentially become a solid number 2 or 3 pitcher. If not, I still think he can become a very successful late innings relief pitcher with the solid offerings he already possesses.
ETA: 2014 September callup
