Alex Clemmey has no more pitches to make.
From atop the mound or in interviews with team front office members, the Bishop Hendricken graduate’s work is done. He’s now left waiting like everybody else.
Clemmey is among the prospects who could hear his name called early in this year’s Major League Baseball Draft. The first 70 selections will be made on Sunday night, with the final 18 rounds split across Monday and Tuesday. Clemmey’s childhood dream should be fulfilled at some point while watching with friends and family from his Middletown home, but how and when that happens is out of his hands.
“The ball’s out of my court at this point,” Clemmey said by phone on Tuesday. “There’s nothing else I can do. Everything I’ve done up to this point has kind of put me in this position.”
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Clemmey is a consensus top-50 talent in this class, according to MLB.com, ESPN, Baseball America and FanGraphs. Scouts and executives flocked to each of his starts this spring, catching a glimpse of a 6-foot-6 left-hander with a fastball that touches 98 mph. Clemmey was the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year while allowing a total of eight singles and recording more than 70% of his outs on strikes.
“No one has a draft board that’s put together right now,” Clemmey said. “No one really knows who’s going to be the first overall pick. That could kind of change the whole sequence of events.”
Clemmey’s senior season with the Hawks ended three weeks ago. He’s continued with light workouts at Hop’s Athletic Performance, the Coventry indoor facility that has served as Clemmey’s base for the majority of his prep career. He traveled to Arizona for the draft combine last month and met with several teams and he’s continued to do so since returning home both in person and via Zoom.
“A lot of that kind of happened at the combine,” Clemmey said. “I was talking to those higher-ups and really feeling like, ‘Wow.’ It was almost like I made it.”
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Clemmey should become the earliest high school pick from the state since outfielder Ryan Westmoreland was selected out of Portsmouth in the fifth round by the Boston Red Sox in 2008. He has a chance to approach the heights set by a fellow Bishop Hendricken alum — right- hander Jay Rainville went 39th overall to the Minnesota Twins in 2004. The slot value for the top 70 prospects in 2022 — the suggested signing bonus that should be offered by each team — started at $953,300.
“I think there’s going to be a lot of emotion — just excitement,” Clemmey said. “You’re super anxious. It’s a rollercoaster just waiting to hear your name called.”
Clemmey doesn’t turn 18 until later this month. He’s among the youngest prospects in this class and still has some adjustments to make before being considered a pitcher who will thrive in the professional ranks. Sharper command, refined secondary offerings and more experience against tougher competition will all help determine Clemmey’s path in future years.
“I’ll be 17 when they draft me — super young,” Clemmey said. “They’re not going to want a kid who just threw in high school — 40, 45 innings — instead of a college kid who can go out there and pitch.”
Clemmey and his family have retained an adviser for the better part of the last two years. He’s worked with ACES, the prominent Brooklyn-based agency headed by brothers Sam Levinson and Seth Levinson. Their past and current baseball clients include the likes of Dustin Pedroia, Jon Lester, Nathan Eovaldi and David Wright.
“They’ve been a great support system for us,” Clemmey said. “They’ve been that kind of open door for us to ask questions, kind of get a feel for professional baseball and ultimately what the process is going to look like.”
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Clemmey also checked up on an old friend last month. South Kingstown alum and current Cincinnati Reds right-hander Ben Brutti is in his first full season in the Arizona Complex League. Brutti was selected in the 11th round last year and signed for $405,000, passing up a college commitment to South Florida.
“There are always pros and cons,” Clemmey said. “It’s been good to connect with him, get a feeling of where he’s at and how he’s enjoying the process.”
Clemmey has a strong fallback college commitment should he step up an agreement with the team that selects him. Vanderbilt has made five College World Series appearances and won two NCAA championships since 2011. The Commodores have helped develop 12 pitchers selected in the first round under head coach Tim Corbin, including No. 1 overall pick and former Red Sox left-hander David Price in 2007.
“It’s going to come down to a draft day decision,” Clemmey said. “I have a great opportunity wherever I go.”
On Twitter: @BillKoch25
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: RI’s Alex Clemmey should hear his name called early at MLB draft