Minnesota has never produced back-to-back first round pitchers, but that could change with the emergence of junior right-hander J.P. Massey.
Max Meyer was picked third overall to the Miami Marlins in 2020 following his dominant junior season. Fast forward to 2021 and Massey is the newest Golden Gopher pitcher generating first-round buzz with his intriguing size, deception and velocity-packed arsenal.
Due to his lack of size and inconsistent mechanics, Massey entered Minnesota as a bit of a project out of Gwendolyn Brooks College Prep in Chicago, Ill. He spent countless hours in the weight and film room since he stepping foot on campus, and the results are starting to speak for themselves.
Since his freshman year at Minnesota, Massey has packed on close to 40 pounds of muscle. He is every bit of his 6-foot-5, 210-pound frame, and has polished his delivery in the process.
Massey's dedication helped him shoot up draft boats this past fall.
“We’re still working on turning into a man but it’s all really starting to click,” Massey said in a 2020 interview with Prospects Live. “As I put that strength on, my (velocity) really started to jump.”
Massey comes equipped with a powerful arsenal, including two-seam and four-seam fastballs that reach the mid-90s.
“A lot of people think I just change the grip (between the two pitches), but I don’t,” he said. “It’s a cross with my four-seam so every once in a while I’ll get on top of it and it will really run for me."
Massey compliments his heaters with three distinct off-speed pitches including a slider, curveball and changeup. Massey's slider immediately stands out for its sharp break and good velocity.
Folks from within the Minnesota program believe his slider can be as good as Meyer's with improved shape and consistency.
“I picked it up my sophomore year and it’s really worked for me,” he said. “A lot of guys that year told me I went home and asked Santa for a slider for Christmas and got one. They were a little upset about that, but I really worked on it this off-season and it played out well.”
Massey's curveball lags a bit behind in development to his slider and changeup, but it’s another he’s gaining confidence with and developing more and more depth. It has potential.
“I felt like I didn’t need it at times,” he said. “If I’m in a comfortable position against a hitter, I don’t want to get beat with my third or fourth best pitch… As I’ve grown more into that starter, more of a scouting report has come out on me so I’m excited to implement it more.”
Massey has the raw stuff to hear his name called early in July, but a full season can do wonders to his development. His sophomore season was cut short after five appearances due to COVID-19, posting a 4.66 ERA with 24 strikeouts over 19.1 innings.
Despite Minnesota playing just 18 of its 53 scheduled games in 2020, Massey made the most of his surroundings.
Minnesota head coach John Anderson put together challenging environments and scenarios to strengthen his staff's mental edge.
“I remember hearing speakers in the bullpen with babies screaming and those types of things to throw us in the fire,” Massey said. “Our first scrimmage on the mound, if you were in a 2-0 (count) it’d be an automatic walk... I was really excited to get things going, but I feel like I got a lot out of it those first few weeks.”
Meyer established himself as a bonafide first-rounder with the Gophers last season, and Massey paid close attention to his starts every Friday.
Both hurlers share similarities on the mound, but Massey studied Meyer's mental approach to the game.
“He had this mentality that he was really good, but didn’t put any pressure on himself and I really learned from that,” he said. “I think that’s why he was so successful in big moments… At the end of the day, this sport is a game. It’s not life or death."
Massey has a chance to join Meyer as a first-round pick come July. He has the physical tools and repertoire of an elite prospect, and he's anxious to show what he's capable of.
“I try to look and improve whenever I can,” he said. “... I want to go out there and every time I step on the mound my team has the confidence we’re gonna win that ball game.”