(Jacob Resnick/Mets Minors)
One of the most forgotten high ceiling lottery ticket prospects within the organization is now healthy and ready to shine. The New York Mets drafted right-handed pitcher Cameron Planck in the 11th round of the 2016 MLB June Amateur Draft from Rowan County High School in Morehead, Kentucky. Planck later signed with the Mets on July 13, 2016 and received a $1,000,001 million signing bonus.
After the signing, in an exclusive interview with MMN on January, 14, 2017, Planck explained the organization made the decision to shut him down for the season due to a heavy workload during Senior year of high school. He was instead provided with a specific throwing program and routine to follow after joining the organization to work towards building arm strength, fitness and adjusting to pro ball through his participation in the instructional league.
In an MMN follow-up interview in April 2017, Planck was prepping to make his debut while pitching in extended spring training. He spoke about inching closer to his debut and fulfilling a dream he has had for as long as he can remember.
However, disaster struck again, and Planck would later go on to make the decision to shut down, this time for shoulder surgery, ending another season before it even started and prolonging the wait to start his dream. Planck once again found himself back into the down time, knowing only training facilities, rehab trainers and the backfields, while learning and growing throughout it all.
A little more than a year later, June 2018, Planck was once again looking to make those final steps to making his so long awaited pro debut. With the love and support of his family, friends and fellow rehabbing teammates and coaches, Planck was back at the Port St. Lucie training facility going through the grind and fighting for his chance at his lifelong goal. Then, as it had before during this journey, in only his second outing of the season pitching in a rehab assignment with the Gulf Coast League Mets, Planck was removed from the game with reports he simply wasn’t able to throw another pitch.
After fearing the worst, it was later determined during this current off-season Planck and his issues could be explained medically with normal “wear and tear” following his surgery rather than feared new issues or torn ligaments. It’s now March 2019 and a soon to be 21-year-old Planck is fully cleared and feeling better than ever. He is once again training and prepping for a new season ahead, knowing his past struggles but looking forward.
Planck has been in Port St. Lucie most of the off-season training and prepping, currently in a workout regime that of a starting pitcher, showing the team’s faith in Planck going forward and into the season to start logging innings as a starting pitcher. His talent and projections remains solid, being a young man with a strong build and frame. At 21, he’s at an age when some prospects are looking to get drafted out of college.
Through all the rehabbing and training he also learned how to pitch, not throw. He has been fine tuning his fastball, change up and slider recently and is looking to get back to what he was, a man with a 95 mph + fastball. His confidence and will to succeed have increased immensely through all the adversity. This is one young man who should no longer be forgotten in the world of prospect rankings and hype. If he gets a chance to put together a full healthy season, we can very well see him once again considered one of the better prospects in the Mets organization.
