Josh Wolf Could Be Second-Round Steal

Josh Wolf’s strike-throwing ability caught the attention of Mets scouts leading into the draft.

The righthander from St. Thomas High in Houston had boosted his velocity over the past year, jumping from 88-91 mph to 93-94. But his ability to consistently pound the strike zone made him an appealing option in the second round.

“We saw him about nine different times,” scouting director Marc Tramuta said. “And in seven or eight of those (times), guys came away saying this guy was going to be a pure strike-thrower.”

The 6-foot-3, 170-pound Wolf has drawn comparisons with the Dodgers’ Walker Buehler for his build and mannerisms.

“Buehler is not the most physical guy, but he’s very athletic and very twitchy and loose,” Tramuta said. “I thought this kid, he kind of reminded me of how I saw Buehler in high school, and now he throws 100 (mph) with plus stuff. That’s kind of what I thought when I saw (Wolf).”

As a high school senior, Wolf posted a 1.52 ERA with 126 strikeouts in 69 innings. Tramuta said Wolf’s fastball peaked at 96 mph when the Mets saw him.

“Along with that came more power to his curveball, and it’s something we thought it was going to be a plus pitch and it’s got plus qualities right now,” Tramuta said.

“But we think it’s got a chance to be a double-plus pitch for him. The thing that was impressive, sometimes when these young kids get newfound velocity, they lose their control and command—but for us he did not.”

The Mets used their first pick (12th overall) to select slugging third baseman Brett Baty from Lake Travis High in Austin. Tramuta said it wasn’t necessary to select a pitcher in the second round, but Wolf’s availability made the decision easier.

“We just felt that this guy was close to a first-round talent,” Tramuta said. “And to get him in the second round, we felt fortunate and that is why we took him.”

NEW YORK MINUTES

— The Mets called up righthander Chris Mazza from Triple-A Syracuse, giving the 29-year-old his first tasted of the majors. Mazza, who was added to the bullpen, had a 3.59 ERA in 12 starts between Double-A Binghamton and Syracuse.

— Lefthander Anthony Kay, the organization’s top pitching prospect, was promoted from Binghamton to Syracuse. Kay had an 11.00 ERA in his first three starts following the promotion.