Continuing to look at my recently-purchased autographs, today we have New York Mets’ prospect Robert Gsellman. This baseball card, from one of Bowman’s 2014 sets, cost me $2.74 and was my most expensive purchase of the group.
Gsellman, 22, was a 13th round selection out of Westchester High School (Los Angeles, Calif.) in 2011. He split the 2015 season between the Single-A St. Lucie Mets and the Double-A Binghamton Mets. Gsellman was honored as the Mets’ Sterling Organizational Pitcher of the Year and was also a Florida State League midseason All-Star last season.
Unfortunately, Gsellman struggled a bit once he moved up to the Eastern League, where he posted a 7-7 record with at 3.51 ERA in 16 starts. Those are not bad numbers by any means, but he saw his strikeouts per nine innings dip to 4.8 and his strikeout/walk rate fall to 1.88.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Gsellman opened the 2016 season in Binghamton again, but following last season’s deadline trades and the ascension of Steven Matz to the major league level, Gsellman is the best starting pitcher prospect the Mets have in the upper levels of their farm system.
PaulHadsall.com 