by John Vittas and Jon Lewis
Ht: 6’1″ Wt: 210 Class: Jr. Hometown (HS): Forest Hill, MD (North Harford)
2015 Stats
G: 23 S: 3 IP: 37.1 ERA: 1.21 K/9: 11.3 BB/9: 5.3 H/9: 4.1
Arsenal: fastball (90-93mph), 12-6 curveball
Pros: two plus pitches, intelligent, good under pressure, accomplished closer
Cons: has only thrived in one role
Vittas: Mooney has established himself as one of the better closers in college baseball over the last few years. He’s closed out big games in hostile environments without fail and isn’t phased by anything. Both his fastball and curveball are true swing-and-miss pitches and his curveball has more downward break than any pitch I’ve seen doing college baseball. The only cons to Mooney’s resume is that he has struggled with control in low-leverage situations and as a starting pitcher.
Lewis: Mooney has been tough as nails serving as the everyday closer since his freshman year. He has amassed over 30 saves in his three year stint as closer, good for tops in program history. His fastball tops out at 94 mph and his signature pitch is his true downer 12-6 CB that he can throw in any count. His curveball is a plus pitch that is in the 78-80 MPH range. His polished command of this 2-pitch mix makes him a top-10 round talent as a short inning reliever. With a couple more ticks on his FB and the addition of a 2-seamer or a FB with some run could elevate Mooney to a closer’s candidate at the next level. Expect him to go in the first half of the draft, potentially in the top 10 rounds.
20-80 Scale (50 is Big League average)
Fastball: 50 Curveball: 60 Command: 45 Overall: 50
Range: Rounds 8-15
* John Vittas has been the play-by-play voice of the Maryland Terrapins and has called close to 100 games over the past four seasons.
* Jon Lewis is a former college baseball player and provided live analysis on Vittas’ broadcasts. He is pursuing a career in professional scouting.
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