Phillies continue to go with upside in the draft JuCo RHP Gunner Mayer. Mayer is a recent convert to the mound but is already up to 94 (sitting low 90s) and features a pair of breaking balls. His physical profile just screams upside as he is 6’6″ 190lbs and won’t turn 19 until July. There is a ton of upside here, especially for round 5 of the draft, but there is a lot that still needs to be done. This season he pitched out of the bullpen, logging 37.2 innings across 25 appearances, topping out at 4.2 innings. Additionally, while he struck out 48 in those 37.2 innings, he also walked 25 and had an ERA of 4.78.
Given his age and rawness, it is likely that Mayer is treated like a high school arm from a developmental path, pitching the 2019 season in the GCL and then heading to Williamsport or Lakewood in 2020. The early parts of development may be rough, but Mayer instantly has some of the highest upside of any pitcher in the Phillies system.