Keury Mella, RHP. 6'2", 200 lbs. DOB: 8/2/1993.
2012 DSL: 3-3, 2.47, 69.1 IP, 28 BB, 75 K, GO/AO= 1.39.
2013 AZL: 3-2, 2.25, 36 IP, 11 BB, 41 K, GO/AO= 2.39.
I am so stoked to be able to talk about Keury Mella out of the #14 prospect slot. I am so high on him that when I wrote my first draft of the prospect list, I had him as the #2 pitching prospect in the organization and #3 overall. I am firmly a ceiling guy and I believe that a great prospect is a great prospect whether they are in rookie ball or AAA. On ceiling alone, I believe Mella just might be the #2 pitching prospect in the organization. Then I got to thinking about Waldis Joaquin and Jose Valdez, 2 other high ceiling prospects who impressed in the AZL and lost my nerve a bit. Still, being able to talk about a prospect like this all the way down at #14 is a very good thing!
Keury Mella was signed as an IFA FA in 2011 for $275 K. As you can see, he pitched well in the DSL in his pro debut, and he pitched even better in the AZL in 2013 showing both a strikeout and groundball tendency while lowering his walk rate. He dominated the AZL Dodgers in the championship game throwing 5 shutout innings with 6 K's.
As for a scouting report, he pounds the lower half of the zone with a hard, heavy 2-seam fastball that runs 92-94 MPH and can throw a 4 seam FB up to 96. There is a video that I first saw on Cove Chatter from 2013 Instructional League that shows him sitting at 96. He also has a hard curve and changeup that are developing pitches.
I'd expect him to be assigned to low A Augusta for 2014, but the Giants do not like to ramp up the innings per season on young pitchers too fast. With just 36 IP in the AZL, he could stay in short season ball to ramp his innings more slowly.
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I would love to see Mella in Augusta next year, but there are a ton of pitchers fighting for those rotation spots. I wonder why they limited his innings so much last summer? Do you think he was injured? Sure didn't look like it in those instructs videos. A Greenjacket rotation of Chase Johnson, Chris Johnson, Leenhoutts, and Vander Tuig (or Pat Young) would look mighty nice if it were rounded out with Ysla and Mella. That rotation could win the SALLY, in my humble opinion.
ReplyDeleteYou are right. Those full season rotations from AA to Low A are gonna be stacked and the competition for innings fierce. In the past, they have started the season with some tandem starters at Augusta and then let is shake out as the season progresses. I'm thinking we could see some 6 man rotations too.
DeleteI guess you could add a couple more southpaws to that list. Kurrasch and Snelten. Like I said, lots of worthy arms competing for those rotation spots. I'm very interested to see how that all shakes out. But mostly just hoping to see what Mella can do in full-season ball.
ReplyDeleteMy kind of guy, pounding the low part of the zone with that hard n' heavy 2 seamer. What's he doing in the Giants system ?
ReplyDeleteHe's got to step up those innings. 20-21 is young, but that not that young for an IFA in Augusta.
Are we ultimately thinking bullpen here, like Joaquin?
I saw Joaquin at Chavez Ravine one time. He threw hard. Supposedly, he had a very good slider too. Where is he now?
DeleteBy the way, Keury is a cool name...to me, anyway.
OK, back to serious business. I saw that video too. Thanks Covechatter. He was impressive indeed, hard fastball with movement
Diggin' his name too. What's in a name? Waldis didn't work. High hopes for Keury. He who shall not be named shall not be named.
DeleteIf anyone has clips of Mella on the hill, would it be possible to link? Thx.
https://covechatter.wordpress.com/2013/10/03/prospects-in-the-press/
ReplyDeleteVery nice. Thank you. He looks all grown up.
DeleteGood for you, DrB! I have Keury at #9. I'm really excited about his future. I've been following him since we heard from sources in the DR that he was the next top prospect from that team after Adalberto Mejia.
ReplyDelete