Anthony Kay, the New York Mets’ first round selection at the 2016 MLB Draft, surprisingly remains unsigned.
The New York Mets surprised many when they grabbed two pitchers in the first round of the 2016 MLB Draft.According to Marc Normandin of SB Nation, the later selection, Anthony Kay, is unsigned, and nobody knows exactly why that is.
The team has until Friday, July 15 to agree on a contract with Kay. If the two sides don’t come to a consensus, Kay will no longer be Amazin’ property.
Kay, 21, was a college arm taken in the back-end of the first round. He competed for the same high school squad as Steven Matz did — Ward Melville High on Long Island — and grew up in the Stony Brook area.
He was the anchor of the University of Connecticut’s rotation, posting a 9-2 record in 16 starts with a 2.46 ERA this spring. The cold-weather pitcher has showcased his talents in the Cape Cod Baseball League and for Team USA.
Despite being listed at only 6’0″, 187 pounds (and perhaps being closer to 5’11”), there aren’t any durability or velocity concerns. His fastball maxes out at 95 MPH, and is steady in the low-90’s.
His changeup is a plus-pitch, while his slurvy breaking ball has matured into a respectable third weapon in his arsenal. He also has solid command.
Kay isn’t the only prospect not to sign with the Mets. Peter Alonso, a first baseman selected in the second round, hasn’t come to an agreement. This is also the case with Michael Paez (SS, R4), Cameron Planck (P, R11) and Matt Cleveland (P, R12).
The Miami Marlins’ first round selection, Braxton Garrett, is unsigned, too. This was expected, however: he’s a Scott Boras client who had committed to attend Vanderbilt University.
On the topic of prospects, B-Mets shortstop Amed Rosario lifted the AA club to victory on Thursday night. He delivered with a 2-run single in the first that set the tone for the contest. He’s now hitting .424 with 12 runs batted-in with Binghamton. Rosario is the fifteenth best prospect in the game, per Baseball Prospectus, and was recently named to the MLB Futures Game.
