ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. _ The Rays used their second-round pick in the draft Thursday on Ian Seymour, a lefty pitcher from Virginia Tech.
Seymour has been a starter for the Hokies, but there is some talk he could be converted to relief in pro ball.
MLB Network analyst Dan O'Dowd noted that Seymour presents hitters with "a very uncomfortable at-bat" and has a deceptive and unorthodox style that does not lend itself to a comparison with any current big-leaguers.
"A very, very interesting kid," O'Dowd said.
Seymour had a solid first two seasons with Virginia Tech and was off to a good start this season before the coronavirus pandemic shutdown, compiling a 3-0, 2.21 record with 40 strikeouts and only five walks in 20 1/3 innings over four starts. He has a three-pitch mix with a low to mid-90s fastball that was improved this spring, a slider/cutter and a changeup.
He was ranked the 93rd prospect in the draft by Baseball America, 94th by ESPN, 115th by mlb.com.
The Rays seemed quite pleased with their work Wednesday, using the No. 24 overall pick on Nick Bitsko, a 17-year-old hard-throwing high school pitcher from the Philadelphia area who is graduating in three years, and No. 37 _ which was in the competitive balance round _ to take Alika Williams, a defense-first shortstop from Arizona State.
Bitsko has the option to attend Virginia, and a slot bonus of $2,831,300 the Rays may have to exceed to get him signed. They are hopeful of getting a deal done, and sooner than pushing the Aug. 1 signing deadline. Even though there is not expected to be a traditional minor-league season due to the pandemic, teams are hoping there will be some type of development camps or even fall-league style competition.
In a draft shortened from 40 rounds to five for cost-cutting reasons due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Rays had four remaining picks going into Thursday, Nos. 57, 96, 125 and 155.
Overall, the Rays have a bonus pool of $7,474,600, which breaks down this way: No. 24 ($2,831,300), No. 37 ($1,999,300, from Cardinals via trade), No. 57 ($1,243,600), No. 96 ($604,800), No. 125 ($455,600), No. 155 ($340,000).
Once the draft ends, the Rays and the 29 other teams will compete to sign players from the hundreds of disappointed prospects in an unprecedented open market with a $20,000 limit on bonuses.
