2017 Mets draft profile: Picks 31-35

We continue our player profiles from the Mets’ 2017 amateur draft with their picks from the 31st through the 35th round. You can check out all of our draft coverage here.

31: Ryan Selmer, RHP, University of Maryland

A graduate of Riverdale Baptist High School in Maryland, Ryan Selmer was a late bloomer, taking additional time to become an effective pitcher. By the time he was a senior, he had harnessed his physical gifts and helped lead the Crusaders to a 31-6 record. He graduated and attended the University of Maryland. He had a redshirt season in his first year at Maryland, but played in his second year, technically his freshman year. He appeared in 31 games, mostly as a reliever, tying the Maryland single-season record for appearances. He made 27 appearances in 2016, once again a team-high, posting a 4.34 ERA over 37.1 innings pitched, and in 2017, emerged as Maryland’s top option out of the bullpen, posting a 3.05 ERA in 41.1 innings. All in all, the quirky reliever ranks second in Maryland history with 85 career appearances, and ranks fifth with 12 career saves.

Selmer throws from a low three-quarters arm slot, which is hard on right-handed hitters. He hides the ball well during his delivery, giving his pitches added deception. Selmer is a big kid, standing 6’8” and weighing 220 pounds. Though most tall pitchers have trouble repeating their mechanics, Selmer generally does not have such issues, as his delivery is very simple, with a short stride, quick, clean arm action, and few moving parts.

His fastball sits 89-93, but because of his height, appears much faster to batters. The pitch gets a lot of running life due to the arm slot he uses, and gets good sink when thrown in the lower two quadrants of the strike zone. In addition to the fastball, he throws a slider that has improved by leaps and bounds even compared to last season. The pitch sits in the mid 80s and gets late break. Selmer also incorporates a changeup into his arsenal, but the pitch is still his least-effective offering.

32: Kaylor Chafin, LHP, Texas A&M University

A graduate of Sweeny High School in Texas, Kaylor Chafin has gone on to be one of Texas A&M’s most effective relievers. After not seeing any action in 2014, he played for Blinn College, where he posted a 3.19 ERA in 79.0 innings. He returned to Texas A&M in 2016, technically a sophomore, and pitched in eight games for the Aggies, posting a 6.75 ERA in 4.0 innings. In 2017, he posted a team-leading 2.33 ERA in 33 appearances, helping lead Texas A&M deep into a College World Series play, and was voted Texas A&M Pitcher of the Year.

Chafin’s fastball sits 88-91 MPH, which is about average velocity for a left-handed pitcher. He complements his fastball with a pair of above-average secondary pitches, a sharp 1-7 curveball and a changeup. His curveball improved considerably in 2017, as Chafin eliminated his slider from his pitching repertoire and focused only on his curve.

Chafin has indicated that he will return to Texas A&M in 2018, turning down any contractual offers.

33: MacLeod Lozer, RHP, University of Michigan

Mac Lozer graduated from North Central High School in his native Indianapolis, and attended the University of Michigan. Playing for the Wolverines all four years that he attended college, Lozer has been a stalwart for coach Erik Bakich. Appearing in roughly 25 games every year, the reliever has a cumulative 2.43 ERA in 77.3 innings pitched. His best season came in 2017, his senior year with the Wolverines. He posted a 1.00 ERA in 27.0 innings, both career bests. He walked nine, tying a career low, and struck out 37, almost more than double his previous career high.

Lozer does not have an overpowering fastball, sitting 89-91 MPH. He instead pitches off his slider, his best pitch. A pitch that his coach calls a “bastard slider,” his slider gets tight rotation and is almost a cutter. The pitch is extremely difficult against right-handed hitters, against whom it tunnels in and then breaks away at the last moment. He also throws a changeup, the development of which as a game-effective pitch is in part why his 2017 season was so excellent.

34: Jake Eder, LHP, Calvary Christian Academy

Jake Eder was selected #1,027 overall, but many analysts saw the left-hander being drafted within the top 100. Eder transferred to Calvary Christian Academy from Delray Beach Atlantic High School and despite having an up-and-down spring, posted a 1.25 ERA in 56 innings with 81 strikeouts in his senior year. He came within a few outs of helping pitch Calvary into the state finals, but saw the bullpen blow the game from the bench.

At 6’4”, 210 pounds, Eder has a strong pitching frame. At times, his fastball has been up to 95 MPH, though it generally sat in the low 90s. His curveball, a 2-8 offering in the mid 70s, is at least an average pitch, and his changeup has shown flashes of being at least an average pitch as well. Mechanical issues and a current lack of durability due to age and inexperience often backed his fastball up, both within starts and throughout the season, and caused his curveball and changeup to be less effective. He tends to use his curveball with his arm only, flattening it, and slowing down his body when throwing his changeup, telegraphing it. While there are flaws, Eder has good mechanics and a more-than-solid base to work off of.

Eder has a strong commitment to Vanderbilt, the primary reason why the first-round talent was not selected until the 34th round. There is virtually no chance that he does not attend college.

35: Kyle Wilson, RHP, Crowder College

A graduate of Raymore-Peculiar High School in Missouri, Kyle Wilson was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 19th round of the 2015 MLB Draft. The right-hander did not sign with them, instead honoring his commitment to Crowder College, a junior college in southwestern Missouri. Wilson red-shirted his first year at Crowder, and posted a 9.72 ERA in his first year playing. In his sophomore year, technically his third year at college, Wilson posted a 2.27 ERA in 15 appearances, striking out 58. He pitched 39.2 innings in total, starting six games and appearing out of the bullpen in nine.

Wilson throws from a three-quarters arm slot. The angle gives life to his fastball, a pitch that sits in the low 90s. He supplements the fastball with a high-70s curveball with tight 12-6 break that is generally regarded as an average or better pitch. The curveball is sometimes inconsistent, as he does not always get on top of the ball. He also throws a changeup, but the pitch is still inconsistent and will likely never be graded as even an average pitch.