2013 Mets Draft Scouting Reports: Rounds 26-30

Continuing our draft reports:

26th round: C Owen Spiwak, Cawthra Park S.S. (Ontario). After selecting nine straight right-handed pitchers, Tommy Tanous finally broke the streak by taking Spiwak, a Canadian catcher. Spiwak has a lean build at 6-foot-2 and 195 pounds with room to add strength as he matures, and his athleticism shows behind the plate. His feet are quick, and he displays solid mechanics behind the plate. His arm is above average and accurate. I think he’ll stick back there. The question is his bat. He has a smooth, left-handed stroke, but right now it’s a little too simple, without much of a hand load. He also needs to learn how to wait on pitches better. He has the batspeed to produce power but he needs to put his hands in a position to drive toward the ball when it approaches. I think he’s very interesting, but expect him to fulfill his commitment to Florida International.

Mets Draft Pick Results Tracker

Scouting reports and signing statuses for all 41 picks.

27th round: RHP Austin Coley, Belmont. I’ll be honest here: Coley’s completely off my radar. I’ve never seen him pitch, and I’m shooting in the relative dark here. He’s a strike-throwing righty without a whole lot of projection (6 feet, 3 inches and 200 pounds). He moved into Belmont’s rotation this season after spending his freshman year pitching admirably in the team’s bullpen. The results were very positive. He stayed around the strike zone and missed bats, fanning 65 hitters in 57 innings. His repertoire includes a fastball, curve, and change, and his velocity is below average. The change is the better of the two offspeed pitches. Health may also be a concern, as Coley broke his pitching hand late in the season. As a draft-eligible sophomore, signability might be an issue.

28th round: RHP Robby Coles, Florida State. Coles joined Florida State after a couple seasons at Chipola Junior College, and he projects as a possible bullpen piece. He stands 6 feet, 2 inches and weighs 180 pounds, so there may be a little left in the tank but not much. He throws sidearm, and he’ll get his fastball up to around 89. It’s not great velocity, but he’s always going to be a guy who relies more on deception anyway. He also throws a sweeping slider and a changeup. He pronates a little late, but considering his fringy velocity and the fact that he’ll never be more than a reliever, I’m okay with him stretching as much as he can out of his arm as possible. He’ll never be effective against lefties, but with some luck, he could still become a righty specialist.

29th round: LHP Anthony Kay, Ward Melville H.S. (NY). For their first(!) left-handed pitcher of the draft, the Mets turned to local prep product Anthony Kay. He’s small at just 5-foot-11, but that isn’t the kiss of death for southpaws that it is for righties. He commands his 87-89 fastball well, and it’s touched 92. He also shows an advanced feel for a changeup, which he’ll throw 77-80. The breaking ball needs bigger break and more velocity; it’ll take some work, especially with his low three-quarters armslot. Mechanically, there’s effort in the delivery as you’d expect, and the arm action is a little long. Otherwise, he’s pretty clean. With his size, stuff, and mechanics, he projects more as a reliever down the road, but the pitchability and changeup are encouraging. Personally, I expect him to fulfill his commitment to UConn, and not just because he’s a Yankee fan.

30th round: RHP David McKay, Viera H.S. (FL). McKay is a strong, physically mature kid at 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds. Unfortunately, that means there probably isn’t a whole lot of projection left for him, and he’s only throwing in the high-80s from his true three-quarters arm slot right now. He does show a pretty good curve that just needs a little more consistency, and scouts praise his pitchability. The changeup needs time. Mechanically, he’s not pretty; he needs to firm up his glove side, and his long arm action with late pronation causes his arm to lag behind his body, undermining the good done by a nice, long stride. He’s committed to Florida Atlantic, and if I were him, I’d go to college.