Carson Seymour, RHP
B/T: R/R HT: 6’6 WT: 210LB
Age: December 16, 1998 (22 years old)
Acquired: Mets 2021 6th Round Draft Pick (Kansas State)
2021 Stats (FCL): 0-0, 4 G, 4.1 IP 2.08 ERA 2.077 WHIP, 12.5 BB/9, 8.3 K/9
The old moniker goes “Don’t scout the stat-line”. And that’s all well and good for the Mets 6th round pick Carson Seymour and the Mets amateur department that identified the talented big right-handed pitcher from Kansas State.
After seeing Seymour walked six batters in his first 4.0 pro innings at the complex after being drafted (he also walked 32 in 56.0 innings his draft spring at Kansas State), you’ll have a pretty good idea of the main foible in Seymour’s profile. But before we get there, let’s back up and take a look at the talent. There’s some reason to have some high hopes and real intrigue.
Mets take right-handed pitcher Carson Seymour from Kansas State with their sixth round pick.
His fastball is up to 99 mph. He also has an usual breaking ball that has touched 91 with 12-6 shape and 1800 rpms.
— Michael Mayer (@mikemayer22) July 12, 2021
Seymour’s arm speed and arm strength is oh so real. Just look at the clip above of him shoving mid to high 90’s heat.
He get’s down the mound well with what appears to be a fairly well-controlled delivery for a guy his size. Lack of feel for commanding his fastball will have to improve, but Seymour is likely a relief prospect anyways, so he only needs to reach fringe-average command with his power stuff.
Seymour’s fastball, which gets average raw spin around 2300 rpm, is complemented by his high-spin, power slider, that he throws in the upper 80s gets spin rates over 2600 rpm, info courtesy of the Kansas State Baseball Analytics twitter account. Both pitches are prototypical of what modern MLB teams are looking for, and creates a great foundation to start from.
But maybe what makes the whole package here most interesting is his curveball, a true 12-6 shaped offering that gets outlier low-spin of only 1800 rpm. While not necessarily a good thing in and of itself to spin a curveball so little, one of the most sought-after traits among modern pitching programs is uniqueness. The ability of Seymour to give a different look to batters, along with some scouting accounts of the pitch having good swing and miss potential, make his two breaking pitch arsenal a potentially impactful one.
They always say not to scout the stat line. Seymour didn’t miss too many bats in college despite loud stuff. But not hitting spots and falling behind batters consistently will completely cloud an arsenal that could one day dominate at the highest level.
