With the 57th overall pick the Tampa Bay Rays selected LHP Ian Seymour out of Virginia Tech.
Ian Seymour ranked 93rd by Baseball America, 75th at FanGraphs, 94th at ESPN, and 115th at MLB.com. So consensus has him near the backend of the top 100, making this selection about a round earlier than anticipated.
Seymour has an average fastball that tops out around 94. He flashes a plus changeup and has a developing slider/cutter, so the ingredients are all there, particularly for a southpaw.
This season, Seymour came out on fire, picking up 40 strikeouts and only issuing 6 walks in 20.1 innings this spring. This backed up a solid showing in the Cape Cod League with 39 strikeouts and 6 walks in 25.1 innings.
Seymour fits the Rays type of a pitcher that might be a ‘tweener — that is, between a reliever and starter — where his ideal role might be as a multi inning pitcher or (if still a thing when he makes the majors) used behind an Opener.
The Rays likely didn’t have a realistic shot at signing any of the top available players that have fallen to this point in the draft after taking Nick Bitsko with the 24th pick, who will be an expensive signing.
Like WIlliams, who was selected at 37th, this is a relatively safe signing pick with limited upside but also is a prospect that has traits the Rays have been able to utilize well.
Bradley Neveu had the Rays selecting Seymour with their third round pick in his mock draft.
Ian Seymour, LHP Virginia Tech (Today's Pre-Draft Bullpen)
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 10, 2020
2020 Season stats: 20.1IP 40Ks/5BBs. 0.89WHIP
17.7K/9
pic.twitter.com/pNYzquT2fj
Here’s video of the Rays selecting Seymour thanks to our own Dominik Vega.