2015 GIF’s and Stats: Upper Level Right-Handed Relievers

Akeel Morris, Zack Thornton, and Chase Bradford

The top-five bullpen-only righties I saw between AA and AAA last year

Note: Order does not reflect relative ranking

       1)   Akeel Morris

       2015 with St. Lucie: 24 G, 32 IP, 1.69 ERA/2.01 FIP, 11 H, 6 R, 46 K: 14 BB (38.3 K%: 11.7 BB%), .104 AVG, .170 BABIP, 80.5 LOB%, 0.28 HR/9

       2015 with Binghamton: 23 G, 29.1 IP, 2.45 ERA/2.86 FIP, 17 H, 8 R, 35 K: 15 BB (29.9 K%: 12.8 BB%), .167 AVG, .242 BABIP, 78.4 LOB%, 0.31 HR/9

Akeel is more of a known relief prospect, especially given he his one bad major league relief appearance to his name from last year. He throws a low-to-mid-90’s fastball, a slider and a changeup that all get good swing-and-miss results, but he’s always needed to improve his command. He lives around the strike zone enough to be effective in the minors, but he’ll need to command his stuff better at the major league level. After an initial transition phase when he reached AA, Akeel went back to dominating like he do, finishing the season with just 2 ER allowed over his final 18 appearances (25 IP) for a 0.72 ERA. He also had a 32.3 K%: 10.8 BB% down the stretch, and allowed a mere 11 hits. He finished the season ready for AAA, and close to ML ready, but it’s not that big of a deal if he starts the season back with the B-Mets if there's a bullpen crunch in Las Vegas.

       Astromets Mind Coverage

2014 GIFs
2015 with Binghamton
6/30 – 1 IP, H, BB, 2 K
Swinging strike
Swinging strike
Swinging strike

7/5 – 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, BB, 2 K, 2 Balks, 1 FO
Balk #1
Balk #2

8/14 – 2 IP, H, R, BB, 2 K, 1 GO: 2 FO
Swinging strike
Swinging strike
Swinging strike
Called strike

8/25 – 2.2 IP, 3 K, 3 GO, 3 IR – 0 S
Mechanics

9/2 – 1 IP, 3 K
Swinging strike
Swinging strike
Swinging strike
Swinging strike

       2)   Zack Thornton

       2015 with Las Vegas: 63 G, 61.2 IP, 3.94 ERA/3.50 FIP, 59 H, 29 R (27 ER), 55 K: 24 BB (20.5 K%: 9 BB%), .244 AVG, .308 BABIP, 68.1 LOB%, 0.29 HR/9

The Mets acquired Zack Thornton as part of the Ike Davis trade in early 2014, and he’s been a reliever with the 51s since. With the 51s, his walk rate has gone up and his strikeout rate has gone down, but he still could be useful. Thornton has a nice sinker-slider combo that he uses to attack the bottom of the zone for groundouts, and had induced strikeouts at an above average clip before 2015. His problem has been consistency, as he’ll go a few weeks without allowing a run, and then allow 6 in one week over a few appearances. He’s more of a AAAA reliever, but he could help the Mets as a middle-innings reliever if injuries get bad.

       Astromets Mind Coverage

2014 GIFs
2015 with Las Vegas
4/9 – 0.2 IP, H, K, GO, 1 IR – 1 S
Swinging strike

4/11 – 2 IP, K, 2 GO: 1 FO
Called strike
Swinging strike
Swinging strike

4/15 – 1 IP, 2 K, FO
Swinging strike
Called strike

5/10 – 1 IP, 2 K, GO
Called strike
Swinging strike

3)   Chase Bradford

       2015 with Binghamton: 53 G, 63.2 IP, 4.10 ERA/3.62 FIP, 86 H, 35 R (29 ER), 46 K: 14 BB (16 K%: 4.9 BB%), .320 AVG, .377 BABIP, 69.1 LOB%, 0.42 HR/9

Bradford has the stuff to work in middle relief in the majors, he just went through a rough stretch during 2015, maybe missing his best chance at relieving for the Mets. He throws a 93-94 MPH fastball with a good changeup and good control. He was really hurt by the .377 BABIP allowed last year, so I expect him to bounce back some in the same role with Las Vegas this season.

       Astromets Mind Coverage

2014 GIFs
2015 with Las Vegas
4/15 – 1.1 IP, H, K, 2 GO, 2 IR – 0 S
Swinging strike

5/5 - 1.2 IP, 2 GO: 2 FO
Swinging strike

6/21 – 2 IP, H, 3 K, 3 GO, 3 IR – 0 S
Swinging strike
Swinging strike
Called strike

       4)   Beck Wheeler

       2015 with Binghamton: 45 G, 61.1 IP, 3.52 ERA/3.24 FIP, 48 H, 27 R (24 ER), 59 K: 29 BB (23.2 K%: 11.4 BB%), .213 AVG, .281 BABIP, 67.8 LOB%, 0.29 HR/9

Beck Wheeler did an enormous job turning his season around last year, and his great stretch from mid-May on earned him a spot in the AFL. Wheeler had allowed 16 ER on 13 BB and 18 H through his first 9 appearances (16 IP), which had me thinking he was about to be cut. But after taking 4 days of rest, Wheeler came back a new pitcher, allowing just 8 ER on 30 H and 16 BB over his final 45.1 IP (including an EL playoff appearance), with a 24.7 K%: 9.2 BB% and .190 average allowed. He throws a low-90’s fastball that can touch 95 MPH, and a big mid-70’s curve that made EL hitters look foolish at times. The pitcher Wheeler was from May on can pitch in middle relief at the major league level, but he’ll have to prove he can be that pitcher that again. The bullpen crunch probably sends Wheeler back to Binghamton this year, but he should be ready for AAA if a spot opens.

       5)   Paul Sewald

       2015 with Binghamton: 44 G, 51.1 IP, 1.75 ERA/2.43 FIP, 34 H, 12 R (10 ER), 56 K: 10 BB (28.7 K%: 5.1 BB%)

Sewald doesn’t wow with stuff, but he’s relentless in his approach to attacking the bottom of the zone, and it works great for him. He primarily throws his 88-90 MPH sinker, but also mixes in a low 80’s slider and changeup. The stuff plays up because he has great control and uses a deceptive, low ¾ arm-slot. He’s maintained a strikeout rate near 30% in the minors, and AA is the point when results like that start to matter. I’m not sure there is much refinement left after what I saw last year, especially at AA, but as I’ve been saying, we’ll have to see how minor league bullpens shake out. I’m not saying he’ll be a stud at the major league level, but I think his stuff will play up as a strong ROOGY/middle-relief guy.

       Astromets Mind Coverage

4/11 – 2 IP, BB, 2 K, 1 GO: 1 FO
Swinging strike
Called strike
Called strike

5/15 – 1.1 IP, H, R, 2 K, HR, 1 IR – 0 S
88 MPH Sinker
Backdoor slider
91 MPH Sinker
Called strike

5/19 – 1 IP, 2 H, R (0 ER), BB, K, 2 GO: 1 FO
Swinging strike

7/21 – 1 IP, 3 K
Swinging strike
Swinging strike
Swinging strike
Swinging strike
Swinging strike
Swinging strike
Swinging strike

- Honorable mention to Jeff Walters, who was a rising prospect in the system as recently as Spring Training 2014, but then Tommy John Surgery set him back, and he wasn’t as explosive last year after returning – he was sitting low-90’s instead of the mid-90’s he had previously, and scouts weren’t thrilled with his stuff. He did show great control and struck out a higher rate of EL batters than when he set the B-Mets franchise record with 38 saves in 2013, so hopefully he can regain the few ticks on his heat as he gets further from TJS.

Japan recently lost contact with its newest space telescope, Hitomi. What happened? https://t.co/1DB5JzX6tt

— National Geographic (@NatGeo) March 28, 2016