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Ty Bashlor, a shortish righty out of South Georgia College, was selected by the Mets in the 11th round, and I think he might be someone to keep an eye on. Once a quite short two-way player in high school, Bashlor upgraded his prospect status with a late growth spurt and a similar bump in velocity.
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Standing at just six feet and 200 pounds, Bashlor doesn’t bring size or projection to the table. He throws as hard as he’s going to, and he doesn’t look durable enough to start as a professional, and no scout realistically expects him to despite a stretch in South Georgia’s rotation this year. Bashlor’s velocity has 89-92 this season, but he can bump 97, and I’d expect him to sit 92-95 if placed in a short relief role. That’s plenty of velocity to succeed.
As far as I know, he only has one offspeed pitch, a slider that he’ll throw in the low-80s, though some reports suggest he also throws a curve. With young pitchers, it’s often hard to determine what’s a curveball and what’s a failed slider, but in any event, the slider is the better pitch and the one he should stick to. He still needs consistency with the pitch, as the pitch doesn’t always have tight rotation. When it’s on, it’s above average. There’s no changeup to speak of, and it’s something he’ll need if he ever wants to be more than a righty specialist.
I can’t speak for his mechanics because I haven’t seen him pitch, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re rough. As a kid who didn’t get heavily recruited and ended up at a subpar JuCo program, I wouldn’t be shocked if his coaching to date hasn’t been top-notch. At the very least, his command and control need plenty of work. As with many of Tommy Tanous and company’s selections, Bashlor does bring athleticism to the mound, giving hope that he might take to whatever mechanical adjustments are necessary.
As a JuCo sophomore, Bashlor’s committed to Division II Georgia College and State University, but there’s no expectation that he’ll attend, as he’s already announced his intention to sign. He has some work to do, but the velocity and arm strength are a definite plus and I think he has a real chance at his joining a big league bullpen at some point.