Sean Mooney

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Minnesota Twins #28 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 40/High
  
  Track Record: The coronavirus pandemic affected a lot of baseball careers, but Mooney is one case where it didn't cause him to miss much. He had Tommy John surgery in 2019 late in his season at St. John's, and was already ticketed to miss some of the 2020 season. In 2021, he had recovered from that injury but a shoulder strain and neck strain derailed that season as well. He missed time again in 2022 with a neck injury, but was generally effective at High-A Cedar Rapids.
  
  Scouting Report: As a shorter but well-built righthander with a lower, three-quarters arm slot, Mooney's low-90s fastball is extremely flat, which can get above bats in the top of the strike zone and he locates it well. Mooney tightened up his 81-85 mph average slider, which has made it a more effective pitch. It is a sweeper without much depth. He shows conviction and feel to locate his fringe-average changeup. There is sometimes recoil in his delivery, but the delivery itself is simple as he pitches exclusively from the stretch, going from hand break to release point with a direct and simple arm action.
  
  The Future: Mooney projects as a swingman type who is a spot starter or multi-inning reliever at the big league level. Nothing about his arsenal is flashy, but he could move quickly in 2023 as a pitcher with feel and an ability to throw strikes.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 50. Slider: 50. Changeup: 45. Control: 50.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #387 prospect in 2019 draft
  A tremendous strike thrower over his first two seasons with St. John's, Mooney was named the Big East Freshman of the Year and the Big East Pitcher of the Year after a 2017 season in which he threw 100 innings and posted a 1.71 ERA with 88 strikeouts and just 16 walks. He was just the second player to earn both honors in the same year. Mooney followed that up with a similarly strong sophomore campaign, but his junior season was ended after nine starts and 49.2 innings with Tommy John surgery. The injury likely explains an uncharacteristic 5.1 walks per nine--his previous high over a full season was 2.7--but also clouds his draft status. Mooney doesn't have overwhelming stuff, with a fastball that sits in the 87-90 mph range, but it is a high spin rate pitch that generates more whiffs than would be expected.

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 40/High
  
  Track Record: The coronavirus pandemic affected a lot of baseball careers, but Mooney is one case where it didn't cause him to miss much. He had Tommy John surgery in 2019 late in his season at St. John's, and was already ticketed to miss some of the 2020 season. In 2021, he had recovered from that injury but a shoulder strain and neck strain derailed that season as well. He missed time again in 2022 with a neck injury, but was generally effective at High-A Cedar Rapids.
  
  Scouting Report: As a shorter but well-built righthander with a lower, three-quarters arm slot, Mooney's low-90s fastball is extremely flat, which can get above bats in the top of the strike zone and he locates it well. Mooney tightened up his 81-85 mph average slider, which has made it a more effective pitch. It is a sweeper without much depth. He shows conviction and feel to locate his fringe-average changeup. There is sometimes recoil in his delivery, but the delivery itself is simple as he pitches exclusively from the stretch, going from hand break to release point with a direct and simple arm action.
  
  The Future: Mooney projects as a swingman type who is a spot starter or multi-inning reliever at the big league level. Nothing about his arsenal is flashy, but he could move quickly in 2023 as a pitcher with feel and an ability to throw strikes.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 50. Slider: 50. Changeup: 45. Control: 50.
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 40/High
  
  Track Record: The coronavirus pandemic affected a lot of baseball careers, but Mooney is one case where it didn't cause him to miss much. He had Tommy John surgery in 2019 late in his season at St. John's, and was already ticketed to miss some of the 2020 season. In 2021, he had recovered from that injury but a shoulder strain and neck strain derailed that season as well. He missed time again in 2022 with a neck injury, but was generally effective at High-A Cedar Rapids.
  
  Scouting Report: As a shorter but well-built righthander with a lower, three-quarters arm slot, Mooney's low-90s fastball is extremely flat, which can get above bats in the top of the strike zone and he locates it well. Mooney tightened up his 81-85 mph average slider, which has made it a more effective pitch. It is a sweeper without much depth. He shows conviction and feel to locate his fringe-average changeup. There is sometimes recoil in his delivery, but the delivery itself is simple as he pitches exclusively from the stretch, going from hand break to release point with a direct and simple arm action.
  
  The Future: Mooney projects as a swingman type who is a spot starter or multi-inning reliever at the big league level. Nothing about his arsenal is flashy, but he could move quickly in 2023 as a pitcher with feel and an ability to throw strikes.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 50. Slider: 50. Changeup: 45. Control: 50.
• December, 2018 Scouting Report
  A tremendous strike thrower over his first two seasons with St. John's, Mooney was named the Big East Freshman of the Year and the Big East Pitcher of the Year after a 2017 season in which he threw 100 innings and posted a 1.71 ERA with 88 strikeouts and just 16 walks. He was just the second player to earn both honors in the same year. Mooney followed that up with a similarly strong sophomore campaign, but his junior season was ended after nine starts and 49.2 innings with Tommy John surgery. The injury likely explains an uncharacteristic 5.1 walks per nine--his previous high over a full season was 2.7--but also clouds his draft status. Mooney doesn't have overwhelming stuff, with a fastball that sits in the 87-90 mph range, but it is a high spin rate pitch that generates more whiffs than would be expected.