A Conversation With Tampa Bay Rays Pitching Prospect Ian Seymour

Ian Seymour throws ugly, and he looks good doing it. Drafted 57th overall by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2020 out of Virginia Tech, the 23-year-old southpaw is coming off his first professional season, one in which he logged a 1.95 ERA with 87 strikeouts in 55-and-a-third innings. The dominance came at three levels, with 10 outings in Low-A and two starts each in High- and Triple-A. Especially eye-opening was his September stint at Durham: facing hitters one rung below the majors, he allowed four hits and one unearned run over 10 innings of work.

Augmenting Seymour’s unique delivery is a five-pitch mix that leans heavily on his high-riding heater and a fading changeup, with a sweeping slider emerging as a potential third plus pitch. Dotting corners isn’t part of his attack plan. The erstwhile biology major — Seymour graduated from Virginia Tech last fall — doesn’t dissect hitters so much as he rears back and dares them to make contact. It’s hard to argue with success: Opposing batters slashed .139/.239/.246 against him last season.

Seymour — No. 16 on our newly-released Tampa Bay Rays Top Prospects list — discussed his game over the phone last week.

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David Laurila: What were your expectations going into the 2020 draft, and which teams did you feel would be the best fits for you development-wise?

Ian Seymour: “Surface level, if you looked at my velocity and my size, I didn’t have the crazy attributes that some other guys do. When you looked into the analytics is kind of where I stood out more. I figured teams that are more inclined with that stuff would be more interested.”

Laurila: Did you have a good feel for who those teams were?

Seymour: “That year was weird, because COVID shut everything down and I had Zoom calls with organizations. I had five or six of them, and pretty much didn’t hear from other teams. The Rays were one of the teams I had a Zoom call with. With them being analytically-inclined, I wasn’t surprising they drafted me.”

Laurila: You mentioned your size. What is your height and weight?

Seymour: “I’m six-foot and about 205 pounds.”

Laurila: Your delivery has been described as unique. How would you describe it?

Seymour: “I’ve kind of just always thrown a little ugly. Nothing I do really looks clean or pretty. For instance, my head ends up behind me every single time I throw a pitch. That just feels normal for me. It feels weird if I try to look at where I’m throwing.”

Laurila: When a young pitcher has a funky delivery, coaches will often try to train him into something more conventional. Has that happened with you?

Seymour: “No. They’ve said that as long as I’m throwing my pitches in the zone, there’s no need to change my mechanics.”

Laurila: Do you agree with scouting reports that have described your delivery as “very rotational with plenty of crossfire”?

Seymour: “Honestly, I don’t even really know how to describe it. I just get up there and try to throw it as hard as I can — right through the catcher — and it ends up looking like that.”

Laurila: What about your footwork? You kind of step back on the rubber.

Seymour: “I definitely have a lot going on. I think my glove arm will end up over my head at one point. The tapping thing I do [on the rubber] is something I’ve done for a long time. I just can’t sit still, really. I’m pretty hyperactive, and I guess that’s just how it presents itself when I’m pitching.”

Laurila: Would it be accurate to say that your effectiveness is based on a combination of deception and pitch movement?

Seymour: “Yeah. I’m not throwing 100 [mph] or anything. What I do have — according to our system — is outlying metrics on a lot of my pitches. And I’ve heard people say, ‘I’ve never seen someone’s body move like that when they throw,’ so I guess that does add a little bit of an uncomfortable nature to it.”

Laurila: We should address your metrics. What stands out?

Seymour: “So, I think I averaged 20 or 21 inches of induced vertical break on my fastball. I’m not that tall, so it’s a lower release, which I think helps. That allows me to pitch up in the zone. And then I get probably around 40 inches of separation between my changeup and slider, horizontally. I’m also throwing a cutter now, which is kind of like a gyro pitch.”

Laurila: Brandon Walter, a promising left-hander in the Red Sox system, told me recently that he pretty much throws the ball down the middle and lets movement take care of the rest. Are you similar in that respect?

Seymour: “I am. I don’t ever really aim. Like I said, I try to throw everything right through the catcher, and that’s with him set up right down the middle. We’ll have fastballs up, but in terms of in and out, I never really even try. I just aim down the middle.”

Laurila: Where is your fastball in terms of velocity and spin efficiency?

Seymour: “My average fastball velo last year was around 92 [mph]. It doesn’t cut or anything, so the efficiency is pretty close to 100%.”

Laurila: What do consider your best secondary?

Seymour: “I’m predominantly fastball/changeup. That’s always been my thing, and I throw a lot of changeups, especially to right-handed batters. But I’ve been really working on commanding the slider this offseason. That’s the pitch that’s getting a ton of horizontal break toward the glove side. If I can command that, it will be a good weapon for me to use, against both righties and lefties.”

Laurila: How hard are you throwing your slider?

Seymour: “The bigger slider is probably right around 80 mph. The cutter I’m throwing is more like 85-87, when I’m throwing it well.”

Laurila: You said earlier that the separation between your changeup and your slider is extreme, movement-wise.”

Seymour: “Yes. I’ve held my changeup the same way since I was young, and the movement I get on it pretty much mirrors the slider — similar movement, but in the opposite direction. It is [mostly fade], yes.”

Laurila: And the curveball is a pitch you don’t go to as often…

Seymour: “It doesn’t grade out as well as my other pitches, so I’ll just throw it here and there. It’s kind of an 0-0, steal-a-strike, get-ahead type of pitch.”

Laurila: Curveball aside, do you get depth on any of your pitches?

Seymour: “Below the zero line? Pretty much never. I’m definitely not [a ground-ball pitcher].”

Laurila: Any final thoughts?

Seymour: “I want to make sure I’m attacking the zone early. This is pretty standard knowledge, but when you’re ahead, good things happen. Because my pitches move like they do, throwing the ball over the plate and trying to make someone hit it is when I’m most effective.”

Laurila: Would you say you’re pitching to contact, or are you more trying to miss bats?

Seymour: “I’ll get offended if someone puts a ball in play. I feel like when I’m good — when my stuff is on — I’m missing bats at a pretty good clip. If I throw a good pitch and a guy puts it in play, I’ll go back and look to see if it was really moving. Maybe the guy just put a good swing on it. But yeah, I want to miss bats.”