John Lepore | June 8th, 2020
The MLB Amateur Draft will be on June 10th at 7 pm ET. As we continue our look at some of the top prospects, we move on to the Jesuit (Oregon) High School right-hander, Mick Abel.
Make sure to check out our other MLB Draft profiles here.
Mick Abel, RHP, Jesuit HS (Oregon)
Height: 6’5
Weight: 185
Age: 18
Bats: Right
Throw: Right
2019 Stats (HS): 9-0, 1.34 ERA, 0.907 WHIP, 57.1 IP, 90/19 K/BB rate
Abel was born on August 18, 2001, and attended Jesuit High School in Oregon. He dominated last year and has put himself into a position to be a possible top 10 pick. It could be a tough choice for the 18-year-old as he has committed to Oregon State. When he gets drafted on Wednesday, he will have to decide whether to pursue a major league career now or go to college for a few years. He won’t raise his stock much higher than it is now and risks injury. The kid is incredibly talented right now and should take advantage of this opportunity.
Take a look…
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwS2wr6FPuA&w=1154&h=649]
Strengths
He sits at 92-95 on his fastball and can dial up 97 at times. Abel moves it around and pitches both up with a four-seamer as well as having some downward movement on his two-seamer. His slider is nasty and he throws it from 82-85. It has all the potential to be a wipeout pitch. Abel’s offspeed offerings are solid, especially his curveball which has some 12-6 drop to it. What struck me while watching tape on him is the ease of his delivery. His arm follows through cleanly and there seems to be no strain when he pitches. That ease of motion will lead to a solid repeatable delivery and he will rely more on his lower body as he builds strength taking even more pressure away from his arm.
His intensity and almost cockiness are noticeable. He knows he is going to beat you. The maturity level he has also tells me he can use that intensity and not let it get the best of him especially when he gets in trouble. Generally, teams don’t like drafting High School starters early, but Abel is a different breed. If he signs with the team that drafts him, you could see him in the big leagues at 20 years old.
Weaknesses
There are the usual concerns when talking about an 18-year-old starter. Durability is one. Can he handle a full workload of starts? The book on Abel is that he tired toward the end of his senior season so that will be something to keep an eye on. There is also command. Abel has a mature understanding of his pitches but has yet to learn the nuances. His intensity and possible desire to blow the hitter away needs to be tempered with the knowledge of how to pitch. These things come with maturity and experience which Abel will have time to develop and earn.
Pro Comparison
With his competitive nature and effortless delivery, Abel has drawn comparisons to Max Scherzer. It is obviously too early to tell if the tall righty can live up to those lofty expectations. But…he already has the stuff. It will be a matter of Abel staying healthy and developing into a pitcher instead of a thrower. Another comp I could see is Noah Syndergaard. Abel’s slider is not quite as hard, but it has the potential to be a wipeout pitch. His body type resembles a younger Thor as well.
Draft Projection: Round 1, Pick 13: San Francisco Giants
There was a kid from North Carolina who the Giants grabbed in the 2007 draft. He was selected with the 10th pick that year and debuted at 20 years old in 2009. Maybe you heard of him… a guy named Madison Bumgarner. With the big college guns like Asa Lacy, Max Meyer, Reid Detmers, and Emerson Hancock off the board already, the Giants will grab their future ace here. It is likely to be a couple of years until San Fran is legitimately in the hunt again so waiting on Abel until 2022 or 2023 won’t be an issue.
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Main Credit Image: https://pamplinmedia.com/bvt/18-sports/435452-345285-jesuits-abel-wins-prep-baseball-player-of-the-year
