Phillips Orta
| IP | 63 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 4 |
| WHIP | 1.46 |
| BB/9 | 5.857 |
| SO/9 | 8 |
- Full name Phillips Orta
- Born 05/09/1986 in Valencia, Venezuela
- Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 175 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Wetsern Nebraska CC
- Drafted in the 10th round (304th overall) by the New York Mets in 2006 (signed for $135,000).
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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The Mets' top draft-and-follow signee in 2007, Orta turned pro for $135,000 and has one of the better arms in the system. He's still raw after two seasons at Western Nebraska CC and went just 2-7 as a sophomore, though he helped the Cougars get within a game of the Junior College World Series with a team-best 2.61 ERA. One of four Venezuelans on the Western Nebraska roster, he made his pro debut in the Venezuelan Summer League after going back home to get a work visa. He was signed by the same scout who landed A.J. Burnett for the Mets, Arkansas-based Larry Chase, who said Orta has a ceiling of being a No. 2 or No. 3 starter. Chase had to trek about 1,000 miles to see Orta, impressive dedication that landed the Mets a live arm. Orta's fastball sat at 91-94 mph during the spring and touches 96 at times. He worked more at 88-91 mph during his debut. His fastball has armside run and he needs to learn to spot it to the outer half against righthanders. His clean arm action prompts scouts to predict improvement in his velocity and command. Orta's changeup is a solid-average pitch at times and he has flashed a hard curveball. He also loses feel for his curve at times and doesn't consistently throw it with enough power. He might take a while to develop but he has a strong arm and projection, so the Mets will be patient. He'll have to earn a spot in low Class A in spring training.
