The Mets finished the second day of the MLB Draft by taking three senior college pitchers with their final three picks.
With their eighth selection, the Mets drafted RHP Trey Cobb out of Oklahoma State University. Cobb profiles as a reliever according to Jim Callis. He has a solid sinker-slider combination and was drafted in the 12th round last year by the Cubs. He had a 3.37 ERA in 26.2 innings this season with 36 strikeouts and a 1.12 WHIP
With the ninth selection, the Mets took RHP Cannon Chadwick out of the University of Arkansas. He is ranked out of the Top 500 on Baseball America. He had a 3.66 ERA in 32 innings this year with a 1.16 WHIP and 38 strikeouts. He has been a reliever the last few years despite experience as a starter.
Their final selection of the day was RHP Stephen Villines out of the University of Kansas. He is an unranked prospect and like many of the previous picks, he is a reliever. In 43.1 innings, he had 54 strikeouts with only five walks. He had a 2.70 ERA and 1.08 WHIP. His is a sidearmer.
The last five selections were college relievers who should move quickly and all save the Mets some money.
Trey Cobb
Baseball America (#452)
Sporting a mustache that wouldn’t look out of place on Wyatt Earp, Cobb finished off an excellent four-year career as a Cowboy by going back to the bullpen. After stepping to a rotation spot in 2016 as a junior, Cobb moved back to his best role this year, as the senior once again worked as a very effective sinker-slider reliever. Cobb’s low-90s sinker and average slider play well because he is able to locate them, even though his stab in his delivery is normally indicative of a pitcher who struggles to repeat. Cobb turned the Cubs down as a 12th-round pick last year. This year he’ll be a bargain as a senior sign.
Cannon Chadwick
Baseball America (2014)
At just 6-foot and 200 pounds, the stocky Chadwick doesn’t have the ideal build of a prospect, and with a fastball that sits at 89-90 mph, he doesn’t have the eye-popping velocity of a prospect. But what he does have is a deceptive delivery and a true plus slider that devastated opposing hitters this summer and during his freshman campaign at Paris (Texas) JC. Chadwick struck out 68 hitters and recorded a 1.14 ERA in 71 innings with the Dragons, and he didn’t miss a beat this summer, posting eight saves and 25 strikeouts in 20 innings for Brazos Valley. The Arkansas commit has the chance to make an immediate impact at the back end of the Razorbacks’ bullpen next season, as he has exceptional polish for a young pitcher and the right mentality to go along with his excellent repertoire.
He commands both his fastball and slider very well, throws both for strikes consistently, and uses both pitches at any point in the count. His fastball is effective because it’s heavy, and the small hitch at the top of his delivery adds deception that disrupts the timing of opposing hitters. But his slider is his go-to out pitch, as he is capable of throwing it 83-84 mph with sharp, late break that often leaves hitters flailing at the pitch. Bombers coach Curt Dixon also raved about his bulldog mentality and his willingness to go right after hitters in pressure situations. He would be more effective if he added some velocity, which could be possible if he commits himself to the weight room once he gets to Arkansas. But his two-pitch mix and ability to command both pitches should make him an effective reliever in the SEC almost immediately.
