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Three Takeaways from Matt Allan’s Press Conference

By Jordan Green

February 26, 2021 No comments

Matthew Allan, Photo by Ed Delany of MMN

Matt Allan, who established that he prefers Matt over Matthew, spoke to reporters for the first time since pitchers and catchers reported to Port St. Lucie. The Mets third round pick from 2019 and number three overall prospect in the Mets farm system seemed poised, mature and confident as he answered questions from the media.

Allan’s poise bodes impressively considering that he’s the organization’s top pitching prospect and with that comes high expectations, especially when looking at some of the arms that have come from the Mets’ farm system over the last few years. Here are some takeaways from his press conference:

Allan Learning Under DeGrom’s Wing

Allan shared that pitching coordinator Ricky Meinhold essentially paired the two right handers together with the intention that, as he put it, “wear deGrom out with questions”.

It was before spring training last year that Allan first met deGrom as the two were throwing to live hitters in the same complex, although he didn’t know the two-time Cy Young winner was going to be present, “I showed up and saw deGrom throwing and I told [Patrick] Mazeika, ‘No way, I wish you would have me this earlier, I would have been able to keep it together a little better.'”

As they’ve been running drills together, Allan has said that it’s always a two-way conversation with deGrom, which has been helpful for him as he’s honing in on sharpening his repertoire. When asked about some of the things deGrom has been helping with, the prospect shared that the biggest piece of advice was to not overcomplicate things and take each at bat one pitch at a time, “He told me to focus on what I can control and not stress about what I can’t control…the moment you start to think about previous pitches or an error that was made, you’re setting yourself up for trouble.”

Allan acknowledged that it’s a huge benefit being able to have the best pitcher on the planet working with him day in and day out on sharpening his overall game during the spring. It could bode very well for the Mets in the near future.

His Changeup Is Getting Better

Allan already came into the spring with a plus-fastball and plus-curveball, but mentioned that he and Ricky Meinhold had worked extensively on improving his changeup. In addition to working with Bones, Allan said he asked deGrom a lot about his changeup since he’s seen deGrom throw it in some unconventional counts, which speaks to the confidence he has using it. 

The biggest issue with the changeup currently was his confidence throwing it, according to Allan. He acknowledged that one of the things he learned this offseason was how to learn the movement profile for his third pitch. So how did he practice the actual pitch? “A squishy softball with elevated seams”, Allan said. Going from the softball to a regular size ball helped him increase his control, which ultimately led to more confidence throwing the pitch. By working on his changeup, Allan has a chance to break into the big leagues with three polished pitches used to get hitters out.

Allan already enters the 2021 season as a top 100 prospect in baseball according to MLB Pipeline (No. 75) and Keith Law (No. 94).

Allan Wants to Keep Winning 

With most promising young stars, their aim is to crack the major league roster and while that’s certainly a goal for Allan, he admitted that his main goal is to win. He referred to the championship clinching game he pitched in for the Brooklyn Cyclones as they won the New York Penn-League and stated that regardless of where he was pitching, he just wants to win. 

“For me, being in Brooklyn two years ago winning the championship, I want to do that again. Wherever I’m at, I want to be part of a championship team.”

It’s a savvy answer from a player whom the Mets have high expectations and while Allan certainly has the stuff to be a potential star, it’s the competitive nature and drive to win that will eventually be the thing that sets him apart, much like the ace he’s been following around all spring. 

If you can’t wait for Matt Allan highlights, here’s a recap of his 17 strikeout perfect game.