15. Luis Cessa, RHP
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 190
DOB: 4/25/1992 (Age:21)
Bats/Throws: Right/Right
Fastball: 45/55 Change-Up: 55/60 Curveball: 35/50 Control: 55/60 Mechanics: 60/60
Out of all the starters on Savannah’s staff last year, Luis Cessa is probably the most underrated. Steven Matz and Gabriel Ynoa received the most attention for their dominating campaigns, but Cessa is not too far behind them. During the last two years, Cessa has excelled as a starter. For the Brooklyn Cyclones in 2012, he impressed with a 2.49 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP in 73 innings pitched. In his first full season last year with Savannah, Cessa posted a solid 3.12 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP to go along with an 8-4 record.
While Cessa lacks the upside of a frontline starter, his poise and control allows him to find success. Cessa aggressively attacks the zone, and has excellent control. Cessa walked only 19 batters in a total of 130 innings last year. He features a low 90’s fastball, and a devastating changeup. He has recently developed a curve ball, but the pitch still needs more seasoning in order to become effective.
What is most impressive about Cessa’s performance is that he is a recently converted position player. The Mets signed Cessa in 2008 as an infielder, and 2011 was his first professional season as a starter. Since he is still a very inexperienced pitcher, it is very encouraging to see him achieve this much success
Prospect Outlook: Cessa likely profiles as a back of the rotation starter or a relief pitcher. Durability and his lack of electric stuff is what prevents him from ranking higher on this list. Some scouts feel he may be better suited for a relief role, since he reportedly loses velocity late in games. However, he still has plenty of time to prove his doubters wrong, and will likely start for advanced A St. Lucie in 2014.
MMN Top 40 Prospects
While Cessa has a good arm, he’s about 10 to 15 spots too high on this list. 2014 will be a pivotal year for him to prove himself outside of the extremely friendly confines of Savannah. Not sure what exactly is supposed to make him a better prospect than Mazzoni, Fulmer or Tapia for example who have all pitched at higher levels and have better pure stuff…
While I agree that Cessa may not have the pure stuff of a Fulmer, I think the fact that he’s produced results helps his case right now. Although I don’t like scouting stat lines, it’s encouraging to see a player take direction and have it lead to promising results.
Also, FWIW Sickels has Cessa ranked #17.
Fulmer posted similar, if not better numbers in Savannah in 2012, so Cessa has mastered the same level that Fulmer has, albeit with lesser secondary stuff.
Again, Cessa is a nice young arm with upside.
But the fact that he was left unprotected in the Rule V draft this winter and went unclaimer should give an indication that he’s not valued all too highly.
Obviously, ratings like thes are highly subjective.
But I’d just like to know what separates Cessa from arms like Fulmer, Tapia or Mazzoni who have already pitched at higher levels (and put up similar or better numbers as Cessa in Low A ball) and seem to have better stuff according to most scouting reports.
Cessa has a live arm, can throw in the low to mid 90s and seems to have pretty good control, so he’s certainly a prospect to keep an eye on. But from what I’ve gathered, neither his secondary stuff looks special nor does his statline in an extremely pitcher friendly environment. And while he’s rather new to pitching, it’s not as if he’s rather young for the level he has played at.
The projection for now is “future setup reliever” – and maybe more if the secondary stuff improves. Again, I’d just like to know the motives for putting hin ahead of Fulmer, Tapia and Mazzoni for example, just out of interest or whether I’ve missed something…
Keep in mind that no one person put together these rankings. So the person writing it may have Fulmer higher. I personally had Mazzoni 13th, Fulmer 15th, Tapia 17th and Cessa 18th. But I think looking back I may jump Cessa over Tapia.
However I think they’re all close enough to make the argument for any of them to be above the other.
As for the Rule V thing, I don’t think him not being picked says anything about him. He’s 21 and has never pitched above A-ball, why would a team waste a 40-man spot on him and keep him on the major league squad?
Agree that most of them are close – though I’d put Fulmer one tier ahead along with Matz, Ynoa and DeGrom as arms with a very realistic SP projection whereas Cessa – to me – is in a tier with Mazzoni, Tapia and Lara, live arms with – for now – probably a bullpen projection but the upside to improve that projection. It’s a very similar tier with young arms like Whalen, Flexen or Morris who probably have a higher upside but are further away.
Again, it’s a highly subjective task to rank prospects. And other than the Top 3 or 4 one can come up with all sorts of valid rankings here. The Mets have a pool of at least 35 prospects who are valid candidates for a Top 25. And the difference between # 15 and # 25 probably is marginal.
I just believe that Michael Fulmer clearly sticks out among those prospects listed so far and probably should be in the Top 10 to 15 range based on stuff, upside, age and results. And at least vs. Cessa, there’s really no reason to rank Fulmer below at this point.
As for the Rule V, if teams were really high on Cessa, he’d have been picked, put into the bullpen in a low leverage role and then be sent to Double A to open 2015. Basically the reason why Matz had to be protected, even though lefties with Matz’ velocity certainly are a lot more rare than righties with an arm such as Cessa.