Robert Gsellman

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked New York Mets #7 prospect in 2017
  Gsellman starred in both baseball and basketball in high school, and his natural athleticism and desire to learn made him a complete pitcher as a pro. He spent three years in short-season before emerging as a prospect in 2014 and breaking out in 2015, which he finished at Double-A Binghamton. He missed about a month with a quad injury at Triple-A Las Vegas in 2016 but returned in July and made his big league debut on Aug. 23, making seven effective starts for the injury-depleted Mets. An extreme groundball pitcher, Gsellman pitches at 93 mph and tops out at 96 with a fastball featuring plus sink. He consistently works ahead of opposing batters by throwing strike one and then compelling them to put his pitch in play. Gsellman's fastball is so live it generates swings and misses, while the improved quality of his secondary stuff led to a career-best strikeout rate of 7.3 per nine innings in 2016. His above-average slider in the high 80s functions as an out pitch when located down in the zone. He improved his high-80s changeup to above-average by relaxing his grip to create more velocity separation, and he also throws a fringe curveball in the low 80s. He throws plenty of strikes but needs to command the ball to the edges of the zone better. Gsellman impressed scouts during his big league debut--they see him as a No. 4 starter--and could be ready for a larger role in 2017. That's a distinct possibility given that Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey, Steven Matz and Zack Wheeler all are returning from surgery.
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  Ranked New York Mets #14 prospect in 2016
  An unheralded 13th-round pick out of high school, Gsellman starred in basketball as an amateur and attracted the Mets with his excellent work ethic. He cruised through his first eight starts of 2015 at high Class A St. Lucie, going 6-0, 1.76, to earn a late-May promotion to Double-A Binghamton, where he pitched effectively outside of his first and last outings. Gsellman lives and dies with the sink and heavy life he imparts on his average 91-92 mph fastball that he can dial up to 94. He doesn't miss many bats because he seeks early-count contact, and more than half the balls put in play against him in 2015 were grounders. An average, low-80s changeup serves as his No. 2 pitch, and he has at-least-average control of his fastball/change combo and rarely hangs those pitches up in the zone. He allowed just five home runs in 24 starts in 2015. A long arm action prevents Gsellman from repeating his release point, so his curveball and slider grade as below-average. His well-proportioned, 6-foot-4 frame and poise on the mound make him a possible back-of-the-rotation arm or swingman, who could be big league-ready by the end of 2016.
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  Ranked New York Mets #30 prospect in 2015
  Scouts for opposing teams don't necessarily see a separating ability for Gsellman, but the Mets love his durable starter's frame, competitive fire, average control and feel for three major league average pitches. He has improved his velocity to 90-92 mph in pro ball with quality sinking life on a fastball that can bump 94 when thrown upstairs. Gsellman sells his low-80s changeup with good arm speed, and he is working to improve the spin and rotation on his curveball, but it plays as an average pitch in the low- to mid-70s at its best. His raw athleticism should allow him to reach his ceiling as a back-end starter, and he's ready for high Class A St. Lucie in 2015.

Minor League Top Prospects

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  Ranked New York-Penn League #18 prospect in 2013
  An unheralded 13th-round pick out of L.A.?s Westchester High two years ago, Gsellman made a name for himself this summer. He spent the first two months of the season in the Florida State and South Atlantic leagues, holding his own at both Class A stops, but he was simply dominant for the Cyclones. Donnelly likened Gsellman to Gabriel Ynoa, who followed a dominant 2012 NY-P campaign with a sterling 2013 at low Class A Savannah in which he led all qualified minor league starters with 1.06 walks per nine innings. ?He?s just like Ynoa: strikes, strikes, a lot of strikes,? Donnelly said. ?His innings are so fast.? Gsellman has excellent command to both sides of the plate with his 90-91 mph fastball, which occasionally bumps 92-93. He has good feel for his sharp slider, which flashes above-average with good depth. His changeup is still a work in progress, but it should be a serviceable third offering. Gsellman?s durable build and advanced feel for pitching give him a chance to be a back-end starter, but he lacks overpowering stuff at this stage of his development.

• December, 2016 Scouting Report
  Background: Gsellman starred in both baseball and basketball in high school, and his natural athleticism and desire to learn made him a complete pitcher as a pro. He spent three years in short-season before emerging as a prospect in 2014 and breaking out in 2015, which he finished at Double-A Binghamton. He missed about a month with a quad injury at Triple-A Las Vegas in 2016 but returned in July and made his big league debut on Aug. 23, making seven effective starts for the injury-depleted Mets. Scouting Report: An extreme groundball pitcher, Gsellman pitches at 93 mph and tops out at 96 with a fastball featuring plus sink. He operates with a groundball pitcher's mentality by throwing strike one and then compelling the batter to put his pitch in play. Gsellman's fastball is so live it generates swings and misses, while the improved quality of his secondary stuff led to a career-best strikeout rate of 7.3 per nine innings in 2016. His above-average curveball functions as an out pitch at 80-82 mph when located down in the zone. He improved his high-80s changeup to above-average by relaxing his grip, and focused on making his fringe high-80s slider a groundball pitch by staying on top to create late vertical break. He throws plenty of strikes but needs to command the ball to the edges of the zone better.
  
  The Future: Gsellman impressed scouts during his big league debut--they see him as a No. 4 starter--and should be ready for a larger role in 2017.