Carson Seymour, RHP
DOB: 12/16/1998
BATS: R / THROWS: R
ACQUIRED: INSERT
ORIGINALLY DRAFTED: Traded for Darin Ruf from the New York Mets with J.D. Davis, Thomas Szapucki, and Nick Zwack
LAST LEVEL: High-A
VOLATILITY: Very High
GiantFutures 2023 Ranks: #27 Overall, #8 Starting Pitcher
2022 Performance: In his first full season, Carson Seymour spent most of the season in the starting rotations of three different teams. He started the year in the Mets system Low-A team at St. Lucie, not allowing a run in his first four appearances, and rolling to a 1.19 ERA over seven appearances, with 27 strikeouts to nine walks in 30.1 innings. He got promoted to High-A Brooklyn, and through 11 appearances had a 3.68 ERA with 65 strikeouts to 12 walks.
At the end of July, the Mets traded Seymour to the Giants in the Darin Ruf trade. Seymour struggled a bit more after the trade, finishing in Eugene with a 3.99 ERA over six starts, though he kicked up his strikeouts, getting 43 to 10 walks in 29.1 innings.
Seymour’s season showed interesting momentum, as he struggled to get strikeouts early in the season, and continued improving month by month, and though his ERA was a struggle in Eugene, he struck out batters at a 13.19 K/9IP rate, and had a 10.95 K/9IP rate overall at all three teams. Seymour had an interesting reverse split, with a higher OPS allowed against right handers (.648) to left-handers (.548).
Strengths and Weaknesses: Seymour has a starter’s build and arsenal, standing 6’6” with possibly four pitches. His fastball grew over the season and sits in the high-90’s, and his top offspeed pitch is a slider in the high-80’s and has become his reliable strikeout pitch. He has a big slow curveball that loops in at the low-80’s and has become his weapon against left-handers. He’s also now throwing a split-fingered fastball that will work like a changeup, replacing his sub-par change.
Seymour’s control graded poorly in college and early in his pro career, but he managed a serviceable 2.51 BB/9 rate in 2023. If he can keep average control and his fastball velocity sticks at its new level, he’s got a lot of potential.
2023 Outlook: Now 24, Seymour was facing a lot of younger competition, but in 2023 he’ll face more age-appropriate competition at Richmond. He’ll work on establishing that his first full season was for real, and that his gains in control and velocity stick.
Future Profile: Seymour has the profile and the build of a mid-rotation starter, but he’ll need to have many parts working to reach that ceiling. If Seymour’s velocity falls back to his 2021 levels, or if his control backslides, he might find a bullpen role a better fit in the future.
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