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Bats/Throws: R/R
Height/Weight: 6’3”, 195 lbs
Acquired: 24th round, 2008 draft
Born: 2/12/90 (Lajes Field, Azores, Portugal)
Why Ranked Here: Allen, who’s well built at 6’3” and 195 lbs, sports a fringy fastball with an unusually well developed offspeed repertoire. Allen’s heater hit 91, but was more regularly 89. Both his changeup and curveball approach average MLB movement, although his command of both, particularly his change, is below average. In terms of pitching sequence to hitters, especially rookie ball hitters, Allen fell too in love with his offspeed stuff. He actually had more success working off his fastball, which is the pitch he commands best.
2008: Six of Allen’s first seven appearances came out of the bullpen, while his final four appearance of the year came as a starter. All told, he had a very strong K/BB ratio (4.5) and struck out more than a batter an inning with a groundball to flyball ratio approaching two. In short, it was a fine statistical year.
Dr. Pangloss Says: Allen’s feel for a breaking ball could make him a bullpen asset. Should he add life on his fastball (not out of the question at age 19 on Opening Day ‘09) he would instantly become a starting rotation candidate.
On the Flipside: If Allen’s fastball doesn’t progress, his ceiling will be rather limited.
Projected 2009 Start: Savannah rotation.
| W-L | ERA | G/GS | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | K/BB | BB/9 | SO/9 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GCL | 1-1-2 | 2.12 | 11/5 | 34 | 24 | 13 | 8 | 1 | 10 | 45 | 4.50 | 2.65 | 11.91 |
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If Obama were a pitcher, I bet he’d throw a changeball too
Likely. And mix it with a “hopeball”.
Can he K you?
Yes he can.
obamas pitch would be the empty suit fraudball
Did Kyle Allen piss you off or something?
The kid can produce K’s. Are you basing your projection on him on a single outing?
I’m curious. I have a high regard and respect for your words and observations, but here, you’re about as off-base as one observer can be.
Obviously you didn’t read what Rick Waits said about him.
Um, I like Allen a fair amount for a guy who’s just made a few appearances in the GCL.
I can’t project stardom for a guy without an average MLB fastball and Allen didn’t show me that.
I don’t recall Rick Waits comments about Kyle Allen.
Define AVERAGE MLB FASTBALL please!
Does 91-92 meet that criteria?
Since it comes from another site…here’s an excerpt per Rick Waits (Pitching Coordinator – NY Mets).
If you don’t know this kid, then he is a sleeper. Now if you know him, you wouldn’t look at him as a sleeper, as he is one of the ‘most’ polished high school kids to come out of the draft that I’ve seen in a long time. His changeup is probably his best pitch.
He’s a competitor, he has a great makeup and has the pitches to take him a long way.
Now, that from his Pitching Coordinator, is the total OPPOSITE of what you’re saying.
He even goes on to comment about how GREAT his changeup is and that you RARELY see that out of High School.
Toby, in the end, your assessment maybe a Jekyl and Mr Hyde series…LOL a few years down the road
Where would you rank him?
Pitching cood”s. have to be PC when evaluating their own.
a conservative projection is realistic at this point. “polished” is key. Where do you go from there? If he was “raw” maybe youd project more as he refined.
I don’t rank players in any order.
Rather I look at a player and their projection to play at the MLB level.
Raw = Needs refinement (could lead to arm problems) on the mound and or has tools but doesn’t necessarily mean they are going to pan out.
In the case of Allen, you have a former two-way guy (OF/P) who is similar to a Rick Ankiel. If he doesn’t get it done on the mound, unlike a Scott Moviel or most other pitchers, he ends up with a bat in his hands.
In High School he was a two-way player and Rawlings All-American who was projected to go in the Top 4 rounds. He ran 6.7 60s according to a site I looked at and is very athletic. This translates to projection and growth.
Now had Allen been drafted in those rounds and not been a hard commit to NC State, we have the ‘over-hype’ on him.
By the way, the term *Polished* = Good mechanics and command (which means more projection and less chance of arm trouble).
Conservative is ranking Allen at #33. I’m interested to see how this year pans out for all the NY Met prospects. Nickles ranks Allen at #20, Mets.Scout.com has Allen at #40.
You can’t teach arm speed or running speed as we all know.
My comments are purely based on Mr Hyde’s observation of his below average comments on his change and curve (which actually is listed as a slider in other reports), which was the total opposite of comments made by Rick Waits.
But then again, Rick Waits is going to say he’s the next best thing since sliced bread because he’s his pitching coordinator, right?
Dont think Waits quite compared him to sliced bread but youd expect a kid coming out of IMG to be polished and have a better change up then most pitchers coming out of high school. He is obviously advanced for his age.
Most every pitcher was a good hitter and 2 way in high school and I dont put much stock in the Rawlings All american award.. its pretty political.
He does run well {the site i saw a 60 time posted wasnt quite a 6.7} but to compare him to the one guy that made the transition from pitcher to player and made it to the bigs in recent years is a bit of a reach. Most org.’s start 2 ways as position players first if they think the bat will play. If it doesnt pan out then they are converted to pitchers.
He basically at this point sounds like a lot of pitchers in this org. nice pitchers body …fringy fastball… polished…. but not a lot of room for projection except fo his age. and thats why there is such a disparity in where he is projected or ranked. . Beauty is in the eye of the beholder so to speak.. but because he’s younger he will zoom up the prospect lists next year with a decent showing at a higher level.
Correction: typo…Waits didn’t refer to him as the next best thing to sliced bread….what he did say that contradicts Mr Hyde is that he is a player, competitor and a FB pitcher with advanced stuff for someone out of HS.
Mr Hyde’s assessment of a Fringy FB and below average change up is inaccurate according to reports I’ve read.
Next, Allen attended IMG Academy for 1 year. Are you telling me that IMG *POLISHED* Allen more than guys we’ve had in the system for years who still have mechanical issues and years of professional and college instruction.
I have to disagree with Troubleman saying that bat over arm.
#1 – Scouts assess what will get the player to the majors the quickest vs bat 1st. Arms are ALWAYS in need. Ankiel, Bat or Arm 1st?
#2 – This year will be a vaulting for a lot of our prospects.
We’ll see as the year goes along who goes up and how doesn’t.
One last question. Rawlings All-American being political? Please do tell me who on that those lists get political? I’m at a loss with this comment and can’t figure it out since the list normally contain the TOP PROSPECT in the country.
Who says FRINGY FB? Answer: Mr Hyde, not Rick Waits.
Who says below average Curve (really reported as s a slider) and below average Change Up? Answer: Mr Hyde, not Rick Waits.
Also, you’re 100% absolutely incorrect about BAT 1st vs Arm.
Scouts select players based on what they THINK will get the PLAYERS they select FASTEST to the Majors.
Also, typo by me, Rick Waits isn’t (vs is) saying Allen is the next best thing to sliced bread. Excuse the typo. What he is saying, is competitor, polished delivery, is a FB pitcher with a bright future if he continues to produce and learn.
What I’ve read, is that he is a PLAYER who is a competitor, wants to win and has the stuff to get that done.
How many FLAME throwers do we know that throw 100+ that never make it to the Majors? I can name 3 of them from a single minor league team that were combined 0-12, because they don’t have the stuff to out think the hitter. How hard is it to hit a flat 100+MPH FB for a PRO player?
As far as your comment of IMG vs a regular HS, you’re 100% right. They train in a specific sport according to their website http://www.imgacademies.com. Does that mean that the single year he was at IMG according to their site made him POLISHED? Amazing stuff they do at IMG. We have people in our Mets system that have to change their UNPOLISHED deliveries after 3 or 4 years of college and a few years of professional instruction in our minor league system.
Again, this is a mute issue until the numbers are put up this year.
Mr Hyde assessment goes back to my 1st sentence…what did Kyle Allen do to piss him off? LOL.
John Nickles says (Sleeper #20). Mets.Scout.Com has him projected as a #2 or #3 starter with his projection and advancement with a possible #1.
Best pitching prospect in our system….Brad Holt right now. If he can develop a breaking pitch. Otherwise, will be a huge asset in our bullpen in a few years.