Eric Niesen
| IP | 499 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 4.689 |
| WHIP | 1.567 |
| BB/9 | 4.906 |
| SO/9 | 7.575 |
- Full name Eric M. Niesen
- Born 09/04/1985 in Wyandotte, MI
- Profile Ht.: 6'0" / Wt.: 185 / Bats: L / Throws: L
- School Wake Forest
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Drafted in the 3rd round (99th overall) by the New York Mets in 2007 (signed for $351,000).
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Wake Forest lefthander Eric Niesen has plus arm strength but poor mechanics. He throws across his body and has below-average command. His stuff is inconsistent, but when he has his mechanics in sync he shows potential for two solid-average offerings in his fastball and slider. He pitched primarily in relief this season, but got a spot start against North Carolina and dealt eight-plus shutout innings on a Sunday in Chapel Hill, an outing that may have gotten him a spot in the top nine rounds of the draft.
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Overshadowed by Jennry Mejia and Brad Holt at St. Lucie and Binghamton in 2009, Niesen made significant improvements after reaching Double-A. When he first got to Binghamton, he overthrew too much and struggled working out of the stretch with runners on base. But he toned down his mechanics and grew more comfortable, which showed as he went 3-1, 2.40 in his last seven starts. He led the organization with 134 strikeouts. Niesen is a live-armed lefthander with an 88-92 mph fastball that peaks at 94 and has good arm-side run. He uses his 76-78 mph curveball as a strikeout pitch against lefties, and late last season he began jamming righties with it. His 81-82 mph changeup is inconsistent, but he's starting to get better separation from his fastball. Despite his progress, Niesen projects as a reliever. There's still a lot of effort in his delivery, with some stabbing action in his backswing. He'll overthrow and spin off his pitches, which leads to too many walks. He figures to return to Double-A to open 2010.
