Drafted in the 24th round (734th overall) by the New York Mets in 2008 (signed for $150,000).
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Lightning struck twice for the Mets in the 24th round of the draft. Last year, they nabbed UCLA righthander Erik Goeddel and signed him for third-round money. In 2008, they plucked Allen from the high school ranks and signed him for $150,000. A two-way star at The Pendleton School, part of the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., he fell in the draft because of concerns about his maturity and his commitment to North Carolina State. On the heels of a breakout 2009 campaign, Allen regressed badly last year as his command disintegrated. A gifted athlete, he has a solid fastball at 88-92 mph and pitches downhill with sinking and tailing life. Most scouts prefer Allen's 82-84 mph changeup to his fringy slider, but both pitches need considerable tightening. He maintains balance in his delivery, but he short-arms the ball ever so slightly. Allen will require better command or improved secondary stuff to stick in the rotation, so some evaluators view him as a future reliever. Like Jeurys Familia, he may get a chance to catch his breath by repeating high Class A at the outset of 2011.
Allen is the best unheralded prospect in the system. The nephew of former big leaguer Ray Semproch, Allen was a two-way star at The Pendleton School, part of the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. He dropped to the 24th round in the 2008 draft because of concerns about his commitment to North Carolina State as well as his maturity, but the Mets insist the latter hasn't been a factor since he signed for $150,000. Allen arrived with an advanced changeup, and his slider has since improved to the point where some Mets officials think it's his best pitch. His fastball is a solid offering as well, usually sitting at 91-92 mph and peaking at 95. He has a projectable frame, so he could add more velocity in the future. Allen has spurts where he has trouble commanding his pitches, but he generally does a good job of throwing strikes and keeping the ball down in the zone. He's ready to advance to high Class A in 2010.
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