2013 MLB Draft Profile: RHP Ryne Stanek

Ryne Stanek

(Photo Credit: Bruce Thorson - US PRESSWIRE)

Ryne Stanek was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 3rd round of the 2010 Amateur Draft out of high school, but elected instead to attend the Univerisity of Arkansas. Today, Stanek is a bit thicker than he was out of high school, and still has room to put some mass on, meaning that in the near future he might be able to add some additional velocity on his fastball, which already sits in the low-90s and tops out in the mid-90s. In addition, he gets good sink and movement on the pitch. He complements his heater with a slider that has the potential to be a plus pitch, and a change-up and curve that are both average offerings.

There are a few red flags in his pitching motion that could cause injury or ineffectiveness. He slings the ball, which adds deception to his pitches, but seems to throw off the repeatability of his release point. He also telegraphs his pitches, winding up faster when throwing his fastball and slower when throwing his other offerings. He uses different arm slots for each, as well: the slider and curve are thrown almost from an over-the-top angle, while the fastball and change-up are thrown from a much more horizontal plane.

Video (via PerfectGame Baseball):

What the scouts/analysts are saying:

Jim Callis, Baseball America:

"The prevailing belief in the industry is that New York wants a bat such as Peterson, Mississippi State outfielder Hunter Renfroe, one of the Georgia high school outfielders or California prep first baseman Dom Smith. But after taking high school position players in the last two first rounds (Brandon Nimmo, Gavin Cecchini), the Mets may choose to go after a college pitcher such as Stanek or (Alex) Gonzalez."

Matt Garrioch, Minor League Ball:

"He just looks like a reliable pitcher. He doesn't have pinpoint command or any crazy knockout pitches. His presence on the mound makes me think he will play better than his stuff and his stuff is at the level of a solid #3 starter with potential to be a #2 if the change develops and I don't see any reason it won't."

What Alex is saying:

Ryne Stanek is an enigma. He’s been considered an elite draft prospect since high school, but the Arkansas product hasn’t really evolved since those days. The raw talent still makes him a prospect worth heavy consideration, even at the eleventh pick, but teams need to know that he’s not quite there yet. The fastball is fantastic: he’s been clocked as high as 99, and he pairs it with a slider that, when it’s on, is a true two-plane pitch that will generate whiffs left and right. Unfortunately, it’s rarely on and often looks soft, resulting in mediocre college strikeout rates. He might benefit from raising his arm slot from three-quarters, but frankly his problems run deeper. Command is also often an issue for Stanek. Unfortunately, I also don’t see a whole lot to fix with Stanek’s mechanics. He could land a little smoother, his arm sometimes leads in front of his body, and I think he pronates a little late, but his arm action isn’t too long, and there’s nothing else to fix that’s too obvious. He’s a guy I really don’t know what to make of.