Matt Allan

Allan, the perceived top prep pitcher in the 2019 draft, slid to the Mets at No. 89 overall, but he still received first-round money ($2.5 million bonus). He impressed in a handful of short outings after signing, but his true coming out party happened this past summer at the alternate training site and during the fall instructional league. His sturdy 6-foot-3 frame, mid-90s fastball and hammer curveball were the top pre-draft selling points, and that all remains. However, his changeup has gone from a seldom-used third pitch to a plus offering that fools righties and lefties. His fastball is a monster 70-grade pitch with late movement and his curveball has prototypical shape and spin. He could spend the bulk of his age-20 season at High-A and may even see Double-A. Most pitchers his age have several things to work on, but he basically just needs to stay healthy and the sky's the limit.

Before the draft, Allan was arguably the top prep arm available, but he didn't come off the board until the Mets grabbed him with the No. 89 pick. So what happened? First, MLB teams weren't quite as high on him as sites like MLB.com and Baseball America. Second, signability concerns cropped up after he fell past the first dozen or so picks. The Mets eventually gambled that he would sign for $2.5 million (roughly the slot value of the No. 28 overall pick) and stayed within their budget by essentially punting on their next eight picks. Allan sat in the mid-90s with his fastball while showing off his signature plus-plus curveball in a brief pro debut. He has a starter's build (6-foot-3, 225 pounds) and delivery, so as long as his changeup develops into an average or better offering, he should have no trouble pitching in the middle of a big-league rotation.