Top 25 Mets Prospects for 2019: 20, Jordan Humphreys

20. Jordan Humphreys, RHP

Height: 6’2”, Weight: 220 lbs.

DOB: 6/11/96 (22)

Acquired: 18th Round, 2015 Draft (Crystal River High School, Florida)

Bats/Throws: R/R

2018: DNP

Jordan Humphreys impressed on the mound and with the bat while a student at Crystal River High School, in Crystal River, Florida. On the mound, he posted a 2.15 ERA in 78.0 innings, allowing 63 hits, walking 19, and striking out 99. At the plate, he hit .297/.408/.509 in 165 at-bats. The Mets liked what they saw and drafted the youngster in the 18th round of the 2015 MLB Draft. The two sides agreed on a $150,000 signing bonus, $50,000 over slot value, and the right-hander forewent his commitment to St. Johns River Community College to become a professional. Humphreys pitched a handful of innings that season, but his career began in earnest in 2016, with the Kingsport Mets. He had a great deal of success with the Kingsport Mets, posting a 3.76 ERA in 69.1 innings, allowing 65 hits, walking 15, and striking out 76. He made a pair of appearances with the Brooklyn Cyclones at the end of the season and then skipped over short-season ball, getting assigned to the Columbia Fireflies to begin the 2017 season.

In Columbia, Humphreys formed a fearsome 1-2 punch with Merandy Gonzalez, posting a 1.42 ERA in 69.2 innings. Gonzalez posted an equally impressive 1.55 ERA in 69.2 innings himself, making the duo the strongest 1 and 1A in the South Atlantic League for the time they were there. Humphreys was promoted to the St. Lucie Mets in late June but was shut down after just a pair of starts due to elbow soreness. Sure enough, the right-hander was suffering from a torn UCL and the prognosis went from missing a couple of starts to missing an entire season-plus, as Humphreys needed Tommy John surgery.

Before his injury, Humphreys’ fastball sat in the low-90s, topping out around 95 MPH. He showed good command of the pitch and was able to locate it in all four quadrants of the strike zone. His changeup was his best secondary pitch, sitting in the low-to-mid 80s. He maintained his arm speed and didn’t telegraph the pitch, giving it deception, but it didn’t get much fade. He also threw a curveball, which needed to be tightened up from the slurvy form most held.

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Steve Sypa says:

Nothing changed for Humphreys, who was ranked the Mets’ 19th prospect last season, because he did not pitch. I will echo what I said last year: he was a fine pitcher, but a lot of the hype and helium surrounding him was because of his numbers. I saw a guy that was probably physically maxed with his fastball velocity and, at best, had a pair of two averagish pitches. Here’s hoping that he can return to that very same profile, because while it isn’t front-of-the-rotation potential, it is not without value in the system.

Lukas Vlahos says:

Humphreys was almost as exciting as Thomas Szapucki in 2017, with all his stuff ticking up en route to a 10:1 K:BB ratio before blowing out his elbow. Like Szapucki, he missed all of 2018, and his ultimate status depends on how he bounces back post injury. If he bounces back, he’s a righty with three above-average pitches and great control. People who know more than me says that means he has mid-rotation upside, but I see the potential for a lot more here.

Kenneth Lavin says:

After having something of a breakout campaign between two levels of A-ball in 2017, Humphreys ended up missing the entire 2018 season recovering from Tommy John Surgery. If the stuff bounces all the way back post-surgery, Humphreys has a decent shot at remaining a starter long-term. He currently has three average or better offerings in his repertoire, pairing a low-90s fastball with both a change-up and a curveball.