Clemson recruit gets 1 million payday from Yankees

by Tony Crumpton - Assoc. Editor - Thu Jun 19 10:57:28 GMT-04:00 2014

Austin DeCarr - RH Pitcher
Height: 6-3 Weight: 215 Hometown: Foxboro, MA (Xaverian Brothers HS) Class: 2014

Former Clemson recruit Austin DeCarr was drafted by the Yankees in the third round (91st overall) of the 2014 MLB draft. The Yankees signed DeCar last week to a handsome $1 million dollar signing bonus to join the club. The recommended slot value for the pick was only $585,100.

MLB.com had him as the 70th overall rated prospect in the draft while Baseball America has him rated a little higher at 68th overall. At Salisbury School (Conn.), he finished the season with a 0.64 ERA, 93 strikeouts, 19 walks and 17 hits in 42 innings.

DeCarr told the Sun Chronicle that he was able to talk to Clemson head coach Jack Leggett about his decision to turn pro instead of suiting up for the Tigers. "I talked to him for a while," DeCarr said. "He was very professional about it. It was a tough call to make. They understood my decision, and I told them I would definitely support the program in the future."

MLB Draft report

It's been a good year to go see talented high school arms in the Northeast, with DeCarr keeping up with Scott Blewett in New York and Joe Gatto in New Jersey as the top prep pitchers in the region. While slightly less projectable than his counterparts, the Clemson commit performed well this spring. Even though it's just his second full year of pitching, DeCarr is more advanced than many, with more consistent pitchability. He'll pitch at 92-93 mph, but can reach back for 95 mph when he needs it. His curveball shows flashes of being a plus offering, and his changeup gives him the chance to have a very effective three-pitch mix. He can throw all three pitches for strikes. A fresh arm in a durable frame is an intriguing combination. While DeCarr may not have the ceiling of some high school pitchers in this class, his stuff and poise should interest many teams in the first few rounds.