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MMN Exclusive with Mets Pitching Prospect Thomas McIlraith

By Michael Mayer

April 2, 2016 2 Comments

(James Durbin/MRT.com)

(James Durbin/MRT.com)

The Mets took right-handed pitcher Thomas McIlraith with their 20th pick in the 2015 draft out of Oklahoma University. Before OU, he pitched two years for Midland College, striking out 147 in 143 innings for them. He was also an All-Conference Second Team his senior year in high school when he played some third base.

He made his pro debut pitching for the Kingsport Mets of the Appalachian League last season. He went 6-1 with a 1.71 ERA in 58 innings that spanned nine starts and three relief appearances. He had a 1.16 WHIP, allowed only 48 hits and struck out just 34 compared to 19 walks.

MMN – Thanks for taking the time to answer some questions and congrats on a good pro debut last year.

Thomas – Thank you I appreciate it!

MMN – When did you know that the Mets were interested in drafting you and how did it come about on draft day?

Thomas – Well I knew they were interested in me a few weeks before the draft so I thought there was a chance I could be taken by them. When I heard my name called it was such a relief.

MMN – For people that haven’t seen you pitch can you give me an idea of what you throw and how you like to attack hitters?

Thomas – I mostly just throw fastballs early and try to get a lot of ground ball outs. My fastballs sinks a little bit so I just try to get hitters to swing early in counts that way I can work deeper into the game. I also mix in a slider, and change up and a split. I like to mix these in every once in a while to keep hitters guessing.

MMN – Do you prefer to start or relieve and have the Mets told you the game plan going forward in that regard?

Thomas – I prefer to start, but I am also comfortable relieving because I pitched in relief a little bit in college. I haven’t been told what the plan is for me with that but I will do whatever they want me to do going forward.

MMN – Have you been given any indication where you could start the 2016 season and what are you goals and expectations for yourself this year?

Thomas – I will be starting in Columbia this year in low A. My goal for this season is to grow as a pitcher and pick up where I left off in my first year. I just want to stay healthy for a long season and help the team reach the playoffs in the end.

MMN – Great, congrats on getting to play with the Fireflies first team!

Thomas – Thank you! It’s definitely going to be fun. We’ve got a great team so it should be a good year.

MMN – When did you know you had a chance to be a pro baseball player? Did you play any other sports growing up?

Thomas – I played football in high school but I knew I always wanted to play baseball. My first year in junior college was a really good year for me and that is when I first realized I had a chance to play professional ball. I still had some room to grow as a player then, but I still knew that in a couple years I would be ready.

MMN – What are some things you think you need to work on to get closer to becoming a big leaguer?

Thomas – Just being consistent on the mound and not trying to do too much. I think this year will be important for me to work on that since it will be my first full season and I will have a lot of chances to start.

MMN – What is a typical day like in minor league Spring training for a pitcher? Do you guys still take BP although you won’t hit at all?

Thomas – No we don’t take BP unfortunately, but we do a lot of bunting. Other than that we do our throwing for the day and then we go through stations of drills and then we watch the games.

MMN – Who was your favorite MLB team and player growing up?

Thomas – I grew up watching the Rangers! My favorite player was always Michael Young just because he was such a good player and he was consistent.

MMN – Thanks for answering all my questions and good luck this season!

Thomas – Thank you!

The Fireflies begin their inaugural season with Patrick Mazeika, Kevin Kaczmarski, Dash Winningham, Witt Haggard, Tyler Badamo, and Johnny Magliozzi confirmed to be joining Thomas on the first roster for Columbia.

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