Since the first MLB Draft in 1965, Bishop Hendricken High School in Rhode Island has had 83 baseball players drafted. Alex Clemmey is hoping to become its 84th draft pick. While he’s committed to playing college ball at Vanderbilt, should Clemmey be drafted as projected, either in the late first or early second round, he will likely forego his college career. Clemmey has also pitched for USA Baseball’s 18 and under team. In 2022, he pitched a total of six innings for Team USA. He appeared in three games, winning one of those three. Clemmey posted a 2.33 ERA while allowing two hits, five walks, and two runs (both earned). He did not allow a home run while striking out seven.
Based on Clemmey’s arm strength alone, he is considered to be an MLB-caliber prospect. Alex Clemmey is rated as the 50th-best overall prospect in the 2023 MLB Draft. While prospect rankings rarely correlate to which team has that same pick in the draft, it is worth noting who does have the 50th pick this year. It belongs to the Boston Red Sox, who have a history of drafting local/homegrown products. It will be interesting to see if the Red Sox do indeed draft Clemmey should he still be available.
Alex Clemmey Draft Profile
Scouting grades: Fastball: 65 | Curveball: 50 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 40 | Overall: 50
Strengths
Clemmey has a strong arm that produces lively movement and speed. His best pitch is his fastball, which has hit 99 mph on the radar gun. His second-best pitch, the curveball, is more of a slurve that ties up hitters with great breaking action in the 80 mph range. He also throws a sinker-esque change-up that tops out just south of 90 mph. Additionally, Clemmey possesses a prototypical MLB pitcher frame at 6′ 6″ and 205 pounds.
Alex Clemmey, (’23 RI)@HendrickenAth @VandyBoys commit
FB: opened 96-98 (hit 98 x5). 94-96 t97 middle, 92-94 in 5th. overpowering
BB: inconsistent out of hand but flashed +/located to both sides. Sharp break on SL. Good vert on CB
CH: 88-90. needs refinement but landed in zone pic.twitter.com/4fVCZA3jgE— Brian Recca (@brian_recca) May 18, 2023
Weaknesses
Clemmey has had issues related to his pitching mechanics, namely his delivery. The delivery issues have further led to command issues, which have caused his stock to fall to 50th best prospect, overall. Clemmey’s age must also be taken into consideration. Clemmey will not turn 18 until nine days after the draft. While every prospect is different, many have had issues transitioning to life as a minor league player. While not the youngest player in the draft, Clemmey is among the youngest. If he has the maturity to navigate minor league life and can resolve his mechanical issues and control, then he may be on his way to major league success. If, however, he lacks maturity and/or cannot resolve his control issues, he will be among the myriad of prospects drafted, since 1965, who just didn’t pan out for one reason or another.
Current MLB Player Comparison
From a strictly physical standpoint, Clemmey shares a lot of the same characteristics with Kansas City Royals pitcher Daniel Lynch. Lynch is also a 6′ 6″ lefty, who weighs slightly less than Clemmey at an even 200 pounds. Lynch was a late first-round pick in the 2018 MLB Draft (34th). Lynch’s numbers have not been great since joining the Royals’ 40-man roster in May of 2021. In just a little over two seasons, primarily as a starter, Lynch is 8-19, with a 5.27 ERA. Clemmey is hoping that physical characteristics are all he and Lynch have in common at this point. Well, that and reaching the majors, at least.
Photo Credit: Eric Rueb / The Providence Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK
Players Mentioned: Daniel Lynch
