Mets pitching prospect Justin Dunn ranked #84 on Keith Law’s Top 100

ESPN’s Keith Law has the Mets’ 2016 first-round pick ranked as the No. 84 overall prospect in baseball.

Keith Law began to reveal his Top 100 prospects today, starting with 81-100 (ESPN Insider only).

Clocking in at No. 84 is the Mets’ 2016 first-round draft pick and Freeport, NY native, right-handed pitcher Justin Dunn. Law sees Dunn as having pretty good potential for the Amazin’s.

“Dunn has always had a good arm and is a tremendous athlete, but he didn’t throw this hard (upper 90s) or throw many strikes until 2016,” Law states in his report.

“Now, Dunn is throwing 93-96 mph with plus life along with a plus changeup that might end up a 70 pitch, and he throws both for strikes.” Law measures Dunn at 70 pitch in his 20-80 scouting scale which according to it, puts the Mets’ pick at the “plus plus” level.

ESPN’s pre-draft scouting report on Dunn also had him as full of potential:

Dunn began the 2016 spring season in the bullpen and dominated there; he struck out 17 batters in 13 1/3 relief innings before he moved into the Eagles’ rotation in April. He has maintained his velocity deep into games, and a growing segment of evaluators are bullish on his chances of starting in pro ball. Dunn will sit 91-95 mph and creep up to 97, with movement and electric extension.

The Mets took Dunn with the 19th overall selection in last year’s draft, and his professional career got off to a very impressive start.

He appeared in 11 games and started eight, totaling 30 innings pitched with the single-A Brooklyn Cyclones of the New York Penn League.

In 30 innings in Brooklyn, Dunn had a 1.50 ERA and allowed just one home run while notching 35 strikeouts and issuing only 10 walks.

Prior to his 2016 season with the Brooklyn Cyclones, Dunn finished up his junior year at Boston College.

In 65.2 innings pitched with BC, Dunn pitched to a 2.06 ERA and struck out 72 batters. Eight of his 18 appearances for BC came as a starter.

Dunn’s emergence along with left-hander Thomas Szapucki has re-stocked the pitching in the Mets’ farm system, which Law currently ranks as the seventh-best in all of baseball.

Next: Cespedes, Syndergaard Ranked by MLB Network

It’s great to see the Mets not only be able to compete at the big-league level, coming off back-to-back playoff appearances, but also keep the farm system stocked with solid young pitching.

Dunn’s inclusion on Law’s Top 100 is a good sign for the team moving forward.