Previewing The Mets New Minor League Relievers: Jacob Rhame

He'll fit right in

Continued from here

Unless otherwise noted, the "stuff" information gathered comes from listening to the MiLB.tv broadcasters as I dug up old highlights.


From the Curtis Granderson trade

RHP Jacob Rhame, 24

2017 with the Oklahoma City Dodgers: 48 IP, 27.2 K%: 5 BB%, 4.31 ERA, 3.69 FIP, 32.1 GB%, 12.8% Swinging strike rate, 69% Strikes

The path to the Mets: Before the Mets traded for him, before the Dodgers drafted, and before his final season of College ball, Jacob Rhame was nearly out of baseball. One day he was a freshman pitching for the Oklahama Sooners, the next day he was just a freshman, and a suddenly overweight one at that. The numbers suggest he put on about 50 pounds in his first year at school, and (likely as a result) that he lost ~5 MPH on his fastball, so his coach at Oklahoma cut him.

            Rhame got himself in shape, and then put himself on the Dodgers radar with a strong summer pitching in the Alaska Summer League, and then a successful 2013 season pitching for the Grayson County College Vikings. The Dodgers liked his electric arm enough to make him a 6^th round pick in 2013, and he’s been working his way through their system since. He spent his first summer in Rookie ball, a full year in the Midwest league, and then split 2015 between High-A and Double-A. He started 2016 in the PCL and has been pretty successful in nearly 100 appearances at the Triple-A level.

The stuff: Rhame is a fastball-slider-changeup pitcher, with a fastball that regularly hits the upper-90’s. Eric Longenhagen said he, “throws in the upper 90’s but has no secondary pitch with which to miss bats in the big leagues right now.”

            It sounds like he sits more mid-90’s but can hit the upper 90’s, up to 99 MPH. The slider seemed like the more usable secondary pitch, and he’s said he’ll throw it in any count, but it’s not a consistent put away pitch.

            One thing that sets Rhame apart from the other relievers the Mets acquired is his walk rate. His walk rate wasn’t great in his first season with OKC, but he halved it to just 5% this year, which would be huge. He posted a similar walk rate in the Midwest and during his brief time in High-A, although it was around 10% in Double-A/Triple-A before this season, so limiting walks has not always been his strength.

The secondaries: Jacob Rhame was on the Dodgers 40-man roster – it’s likely he was a PTBNL because he needed to clear waivers – so he’s already on the Mets 40-man and should get some opportunities with the Mets this September. I think he’s like Jamie Callahan, in that both are potential middle relief options for the Mets, and maybe they can be more if they take to one of their secondaries.

The GIFs:

With OKC

7/15: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 H, 0 R, 2 K, 1 GO, 15 Pitches (10 Strikes)

-       Moises Sierra popped out to SS

-       Mike Aviles reached on an infield single

-       Cal Towey struck out swinging + Aviles CS

-       Brandon Barmes struck out swinging

-       Peter Mooney singled to CF – out at second

-       Austin Nola hit a groundout to SS

8/1: 1.1 IP, H, 0 R, K, 1 FO, 29 Pitches (23 Strikes)

-       Gordon Beckham flied out to RF

-       Dario Pizzano popped out to 3B

-       Tuffy Gosewich popped out to SS

-       Danny Muno struck out swinging

-       Ian Miller single to LF

8/7: 1 IP, H, 0 R, K, 1 GO: 1 FO, 20 Pitches (15 Strikes)

-       Eric Young, Jr. hit a groundout to 2B

-       Nolan Fontana struck out swinging

-       Dustin Ackley doubled to RF

-       Tony Sanchez flied out to RF

8/10: 0.2 IP, 3 H, R, BB, 24 Pitches (14 Strikes)

-       Tony Sanchez doubled to LF

-       Bo Way singled to RF

-       Eric Young, Jr. singled to CF

-       Michael Hermosillo popped out to SS

-       Ramon Flores walked

8/14: 1 IP, 2 H, R, K, 1 FO, 19 Pitches (14 Strikes)

-       Phil Gosselin doubled to RF

-       Brett Hayes struck out swinging

-       Doug Bernier popped out to SS

-       Drew Stubbs singled to LF

-       Jurickson Profar flied out to LF

8/16: 1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, BB, HR, 1 GO, 20 Pitches (12 Strikes)

-       Raul Mondesi popped out to SS

-       Jorge Soler walked

-       Frank Schwindel singled to LF

-       Hunter Dozier homered to RF

-       Bubby Starling hit a groundout back to the pitcher

-       Billy Burns popped out to the 2B

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