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Jun 04, 2012 - Jun 06, 2012     
TBD - ,
Mason Melotakis
LHP 6-2 165   R/L
FB
60
40
OF
IF
1B
C
Pop
Range
CB
SL
CH
Split
Knuckle
4/27/12: Mason Melotakis of Northwestern State (La.) could very well be the hardest throwing left hander in the 2012 draft class, high school or college. That is probably surprising to the folks back in Grapevine, Texas, where Melotakis was a 6-foot-3, 175-pound high school senior who threw in the mid-80s and received only one Division I scholarship offer. Fortunately for Northwestern (La.) State, Melotakis accepted that lone offer and has added 30 pounds of strength to his frame and a good 10 mph to his fastball as a result. Melotakis began to develop as a sophomore in 2011 and went 1-3, 3.98 with five saves while moving into the Northwestern State closer’s role. Talk of his increasing velocity enabled him to get a roster spot in the Cape Cod League, where he went 1-1, 3.20 in 19 innings and was named the prestigious summer league’s 32nd best prospect by Perfect Game. Melotakis’ 91-95 mph fastball and his command (only 2 walks) got the attention of scouts for the first time. Melotakis has continued to improve this spring as well while going 2-3, 3.26 with seven saves in 38 innings with 41 strikeouts and only 11 walks. Take out a regrettable performance on February 26 at Texas A&M where he allowed six hits and four earned runs in 1-1/3 innings and his raw numbers look much better. Most importantly, Melotakis’ fastball is now sitting at 94-95 mph consistently and topping out at 97 mph. What keeps a 6-foot-3 left hander with a steady mid-90s fastball, solid delivery mechanics and potential plus command out of the first round is that Melotakis’ combination of fastball life and secondary pitches could use improvement. He throws a four-seam fastball that is very true through the strike zone, although he does a good job of hiding the ball with a compact and quick arm in back. He is learning to throw a two-seamer or turn the over effectively to get it moving away from a right handed hitter’s barrel. Melotakis’ breaking ball is a hard curveball thrown with a spike grip that frequently has more of a slider look and depth to it. His attempts to throw a changeup have been mostly limited to bullpen sessions. Melotakis has made a handful of starts in his first two years at Northwestern State and thrown well in them. He’s also made a number of three to five inning relief appearances this spring and will be making his first start today, Friday, April 27 against Southeastern Louisiana. At first glance Melotakis doesn’t profile well as a starter with his limited feel for off-speed pitches, but his ability to throw strikes to keep his pitch counts under control and to maintain plus velocity on his fastball are two big plusses on any starting pitcher. Scouts will be paying close attention to how Melotakis performs on this and future Fridays. After all, it is far easier to teach a left hander to throw a passable curveball/slider and decent changeup than it is to teach one how to throw strikes with a 95 mph fastball.




Jul 08, 2008 - Jul 14, 2008   Arlington A's -17  9
East Cobb Complex - Marietta, GA
Mason Melotakis
LHP 6-2 165   R/L
FB
85
60
40
OF
IF
1B
C
Pop
Range
82-84
CB
72
SL
CH
Split
Knuckle