As we count down the days until the New York Mets start their second-half schedule, let’s continue our look at the rest of their draft picks. Here is a recap of their selections in rounds six through ten.
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.
— Mike Mayer (@mikemayer22) July 12, 2021
Round 6 Selection: RHP Carson Seymour (Kansas State)
Seymour is a mountain of a man at 6’6″ and 260 pounds and brings power to the mound. His frame allows him to sit in the high-90s with his fastball and throw a power slider which sits in the 89-91 mph range. While scouts are not in love with his fastball, they love the potential surrounding his breaking ball. The movement is 12-6 and has a spin rate of 1,800 RPMs, according to Rapsodo. Seymour struggled to keep runners off base in 2021, which led to an ERA over six and a 1.59 WHIP. His control needs plenty of polish after averaging about five walks per nine, but there is a lot of promise in his arm.
Round 7 Selection: SS Kevin Kendall (UCLA)
The Mets went back to the UCLA well by selecting their second position player from there. Kendall is a 5’10”, a 170-pound shortstop who had a solid year batting .356 with four home runs, 18 RBs, and had 88 hits. He is also a speedy player who is versatile enough to play the outfield and play all of his defensive positions very well. Scouts always like his tools but were waiting for him to emerge as a hitter. His slight frame is unlikely to lead to more power, but he projects to be an athletic player the Mets can move all over the field.
Round 8 Selection: RHP Mike Vasil (Virginia)
Vasil is a well-built 6’5″, 225-pound right-handed pitcher ranked 114 on Baseball America’s Top 500 prospects. He is not a power pitcher as his fastball can touch the mid-90s but sits in the low 90s. Vasil also brings a slider, curveball, and changeup as his secondary pitches, but scouts feel his changeup is the best out of the three. This season he pitched 81.2 innings with a 4.52 ERA and allowed just 18 walks. The command is certainly there for Vasil, but an increase in velocity will be his difference-maker.
Round 9 Selection: RHP Levi David (Northwestern State)
David is another 6’5″, 220-pound pitcher, but he pitches to his size. In 61 innings, he had a 4.41 ERA and an incredible 104 strikeouts, and just 34 hits allowed on the season. Those numbers look amazing, but his 46 walks, 23 wild pitches, and 19 hit batters show his extreme lack of command. His fastball can reach the upper 90s, but it leads to control issues. David’s curveball is a dominant pitch that hitters got five hits and struck out 80 times against. He is also a 50-meter freestyle state champion from his swimming days in high school.
Round 10 Selection: LHP Keyshawn Askew (Clemson)
Askew is a lanky 6’4″, 190 pounds left-handed pitcher, the first lefty the Mets took in this year’s draft. In 57 innings, Askew had a 5.84 ERA with 69 strikeouts and a .289 batting average against. He started red hot when the season began but ran out of gas and pitched to an ERA over ten in his last handful of starts to finish the season. Askew projects as a soft-tossing left-handed reliever with a sinking fastball in the high-80s and a sweeping curveball. As he improves in the minors, he has the ability to turn into an Aaron Loup or Pedro Feliciano type of reliever.