Kevin Mulvey Stats & Scouting Report

IP	27
ERA	8
WHIP	1.778
BB/9	4.667
SO/9	6.333

Full name Kevin John Mulvey
Born 05/26/1985 in Parlin, NJ
Profile Ht.: 6'1" / Wt.: 205 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Villanova
Debut 07/20/2009
Drafted in the 2nd round (62nd overall) by the New York Mets in 2006 (signed for $585,000).

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Mulvey, the top arm in the Northeast, could be a perfect fit for the Phillies, who have made an effort to target top local talent, such as Glen Mills, Pa., native Mike Costanzo-their top pick last year (second round) out of Coastal Carolina. Mulvey, who hails from Parlin, N.J., has been a weekend starter since he arrived at Villanova and has seen his stock rise this season even while posting rather pedestrian 3-7, 3.66 numbers. Scouts are impressed with his command of three average or better pitches: a 90-94 mph fastball, a slider that is effective against righthanded hitters and a curveball that some scouts like even better than the slider. He also has good feel for a changeup that can be used to get lefties out. Mulvey has loose, easy arm action and clean mechanics, and he has learned to eliminate distractions from umpires and defensive lapses behind him that tended to rattle him early in his college career. He always works around the zone and is not afraid to attack hitters. Mulvey doesn't figure to last past the Phillies at No. 37 overall and could go before that.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

The Mets' top draft pick (second round) in 2006, Mulvey outperformed the other two pitchers (Deolis Guerra, Philip Humber) who came to the Twins in the Johan Santana trade. He started and finished strong at Triple-A Rochester, though he won just once in a three-month span in between. At his best, Mulvey competes hard with pitchability and above-average stuff. His fastball can reach 94 mph, though it usually sits at 87-91 with sink. He can vary his plus slider, giving it more tilt and bite or shortening it up to almost a cutter. He throws his curveball and changeup for strikes and has good mound savvy. Mulvey rarely had his best velocity, life or command this season, and his pitches generally were less sharp than they had been when he was a Met. Twins officials theorize the pressure of the trade and a desire to get to the majors prompted him to go for strikeouts, leading to less efficiency, deeper pitch counts and some overthrowing that sapped his stuff. He's not as good fielding his position or holding runners as he needs to be. Mulvey and Humber will compete for a job as a middle reliever/spot starter during spring training. Mulvey projects as a No. 4 starter, but Minnesota needs him more in the bullpen in the short term.
The Mets' top pick in the 2006 draft, Mulvey reached Triple-A New Orleans at the end of his first full season and pitched 13 scoreless, walk-less innings, including a playoff start. He was the organization's pitcher of the year and a Futures Gamer as well. Mulvey throws four pitches for strikes and keeps everything down. His fastball, which sits at 87-91 mph and touches 94, features good sink and run. He dominated righthanders, limiting them to a .224 average and no homers. His mid-70s curveball with 11-to-5 break and his low-80s slider both are average pitches, and at times his slider is a put-away offering. His changeup shows signs of being average. His competitiveness makes his whole greater than the sum of his parts. Mulvey has trouble against lefthanders because he can't work them inside easily. At times his changeup is too firm. He has lost 2-3 mph off his fastball from his days at Villanova, but he could gain some of that back as he gets accustomed to the pro workload. He'll open 2008 in Triple-A, but Mulvey could get a look in the rotation by midseason. He projects as a No. 3 or 4 starter.
Mulvey's mother was watching a Dwight Gooden start for the Mets when she went into labor with Kevin, so it was only fitting that the club made him its top pick in the 2006 draft. A second-rounder, he signed late for $585,000 but still reached Double-A. Mulvey came to pro ball with a feel for four pitches. His fastball sits at 90-93 mph and touches 96. He has good leverage in his delivery, which allows him to maintain his velocity and might give him more as he matures physically. His 82-84 mph slider has short, late break. He's effective at changing a batter's eye level with his mid-70s curveball. His changeup should at least provide a weapon against lefthanders. He throws from a high three-quarters arm slot with a fluid arm action and little effort. Though he can throw all four of his pitches for strikes, Mulvey's command within the zone needs work. His changeup is still a below-average pitch at this point, and he lacks a true putaway pitch. The Mets believe Mulvey has a chance to have four above-average pitches and could join their rotation in 2008. He may start his first full season in St. Lucie to avoid the cold April climate in Binghamton.

Minor League Top Prospects

Under scrutiny as a key piece of the Johan Santana trade with the Mets, Mulvey met expectations in Triple-A as a poised strike-thrower. While he doesn't overpower batters and profiles more as a No. 3 or 4 starter, he impressed the Twins by locating his fastball and embracing his changeup. Mulvey fills the zone with an 88-92 mph sinker that features good movement around the plate and gets on batters quickly because of natural deception. He's unafraid to throw his slider and change for strikes in any count, though both pitches are average at best. He also employs a slower, low-70s curveball. Because he's slow to the plate and uses a high leg kick to get on top of his breaking pitches, Mulvey is easy to run on. Rochester catchers threw out just 19 percent when he was on the mound, and only Durham's Jeff Niemann was run on more often in the IL.