Robert Carson

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked New York Mets #17 prospect in 2013
  Carson's uncommon arm strength from the left side earned him a rapid promotion to Double-A in July 2010, after just a season and a half at the Class A level. He wasn't ready for the jump, and his performance didn't improve much in 2012 after switching from starter to closer at Binghamton. Still, Carson earned his first callup to New York on Aug. 21 following a 10-game stopover in Triple-A, and big league hitters proved not so eager to chase his fastball or slider out of the zone. He didn't strike out any of the 25 righty batters he faced. Tall and broad-shouldered, Carson doesn't do it easy, stabbing with his arm in back and throwing across his body, but he sits at 93-95 mph with sinking and tailing action on his fastball. He throws a slider that shows signs of becoming an average pitch. The combination of pitches served him well versus minor league lefties, who went 11-for-51 (.216) with one extra-base hit against him in 2012, and situational work would seem to be his surest path to success in the majors. He could ride the Triple-A shuttle in 2012, earning big league experience and battle scars in Las Vegas.
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  Ranked New York Mets #28 prospect in 2012
  A 21-year-old Carson vaulted to Double-A for the second half of the 2010 season, whereupon Eastern League batters lit him up for an 8.32 ERA over 10 starts. He made incremental improvements in a return engagement last year but still carries a 5.95 ERA through 177 innings for Binghamton. A tall and broad-shouldered lefty, Carson can look terrific in bullpen sessions, but that same pitcher doesn't always appear in games because he tends to guide the ball rather than letting it fly. His game is all about power. He pitches at 92 mph and touches 95 with a tailing fastball--he hit 97 mph as a reliever in the Arizona Fall League-- while mixing in plenty of high-80s cutters. Carson's performance against Double-A lefties doesn't speak well to the quality of his low-80s slider or his ability to set up batters--they've hit .297 and slugged .453 against him. He'll show an average changeup on occasion, though he lacks much feel for the pitch. The Mets like Carson's athleticism and arm strength, and they protected him on their 40-man roster after his AFL stint. He'll need to improve his slider and his command to earn more than a cursory look in the big leagues.
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  Ranked New York Mets #12 prospect in 2011
  Carson made his full-season debut in 2009 on the same low Class A Savannah pitching staff as Jeurys Familia and Kyle Allen. He beat those two righthanders to Double-A last July, but proving his youth, Carson got hammered by Eastern League batters. Despite his poor performance, teams continued to ask the Mets about the physical lefty's availability because he ranges from 92-95 mph with his fastball and shows the potential for two average secondary pitches. Carson works off his fastball, which features tailing life and deception from a high three-quarters slot, and he holds his velocity deep into games. He locates a high-80s cutter in on righthanders, and pairs it with an average low-80s slider to induce groundballs. Some scouts throw future average grades on Carson's changeup, which he'll need to stay in the rotation. Like fellow Mets power pitching prospects Brad Holt and Familia, Carson appeared to fight his mechanics last season, and his command suffered significantly. He always will be more about power than pitchability, which prompts some to predict a move to the bullpen. Others are more bullish and see a mid-rotation starter because he has arm strength and the athleticism necessary to refine his secondary stuff. Carson will get a chance to redeem himself in Double-A to begin 2011.
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  Ranked New York Mets #16 prospect in 2010
  Carson flew under the radar in his first two pro seasons, signing as an unheralded 14th-round pick in 2007 and missing most of that summer after a line drive hit him in the head. He finally reached full-season ball in 2009, joining Kyle Allen and Jeurys Familia in Savannah's talented rotation. Carson's main weapon is his fastball, which sits at 88-92 mph and reaches 95. He can make his heater cut or sink, and he allowed just four homers and posted a 1.7 groundout/airout ratio last season. He also throws a low-80s slider and a high-70s changeup, both of which remain works in progress but aren't as raw as Familia's. Though he has a strong build, Carson tired late in the year and posted a 6.68 ERA in his final eight starts. He's expected to open 2010 in high Class A.