2015 Mets Draft Profile: LHP Jake Simon

Jake Simon was the Mets’ 11th-round pick, a prep lefty out of a Galveston high school. Although he’s not terribly tall at 6-foot-2, there’s still some projection left, and it’s reasonable to think he could add a mile an hour or two to his fastball. Like many Mets picks, he’s also an extremely athletic pitcher; he plays first base when he’s not pitching and also starred as Galveston Ball’s quarterback. It’s clear, however, that his future is on a diamond, not a gridiron.

Simon has solid stuff. His velocity is already fringe-average for a lefty, sitting in the high 80s and creeping as high as 92. If he adds any velocity, it’ll be gravy. Unfortunately, I don’t know much about the rest of his repertoire at all, other than to say he throws a curve and a changeup. I can’t speak to their current status, other than to warn that they likely need substantial work.

Mechanically, Simon looks pretty good. He has a pretty smooth arm action that’s a little too long, ensuring there’s some effort in his delivery. He does mitigate the damage thanks to turning the ball over early and by having a lightning-quick arm. He takes a very aggressive stride toward home and has a clean follow through with a firm glove-side. He looks smooth, methodical, and athletic.

In much the same way that I can’t speak to his off-speed stuff, I can’t speak to his command, other than to say I don’t see anything that would particularly affect it negatively. I wish I could offer more, but every so often my resources are limited. This is one of those occasions.

Simon probably projects more as a reliever, but I think he has a chance to establish himself as a back-of-the-rotation starter. Unfortunately, I also don’t know how signable Simon is. He has a commitment to Rice, a good school with a bad history with pitchers. The Mets do have at least $100,000 to offer him, but how much higher they can go probably depends on available funds after the rest of their class signs.