Meet a Prospect: JP Sears

The New York Yankees and the Seattle Mariners also pulled off a trade prior to the Rule 5 Draft deadline as New York sent RHP Nick Rumbelow to the Mariners for a pair of pitching prospects, JP Sears and Juan Then. Let’s meet them one at a time starting with Sears. This is Meet a Prospect: The JP Sears Edition.

JP Sears is a 21-year old left-handed pitcher that the Seattle Mariners drafted in the 11^th round in this year’s MLB First Year Players Draft out of The Citadel. While at The Citadel Sears pitched to a 17-15 record with a 2.98 ERA while compiling 317 strikeouts in just 253 innings. Sears played in 46 games while at The Citadel starting all but four of them. As a polished college arm you would think that Sears could potentially be a quick mover through the Yankees system while giving them some depth once the likes of Chance Adams and Justus Sheffield graduate to the Major League level.

Sears did appear in 17 games after being drafted this season as a relief pitcher striking out 51 batters in 28 innings pitched. Sears is not a big guy, he is just one inch taller than Sonny Gray at 5’11”, and his fastball barely touches 90 MPH meaning that Sears relies heavily on deception, command and control of his secondary pitches that include an average curveball and a changeup that sets up his fastball.

Sears is not going to appear on any Top 10 prospects list any time soon, although he was the Mariners 21^st best prospect in their farm system at the time of the trade, but I think that the lefty could still be useful. He reminds me a lot of a raw Luis Cessa or Chad Green in the way that many won’t be raving about his addition but in a couple years we may be all thankful that the trade happened. Brian Cashman has a sneaky way of making that happen a lot lately.

Win, lose or draw the Yankees cleared a 40-man roster spot and added two live arms to the organization so it’s hard to be upset about that. We’re rooting for you JP, welcome to the family.