Brant Rustich, a 23 year-old rhp prospect, was named at #6 on the November 2007 Baseball America Top 10 Mets Prospect List. He was also named the best fastball in the Mets system. Lets learn a little more about this pitcher.
He was selected in the 43rd round by the Twins in the draft in 2003, but he went to college so he went back into the draft and was selected again in the 13th round by the Indians in 2006. Then he went back to college for his senior year and was selected 2nd round by the 2007 draft. (The Baseball Cube thebaseballcube.com).
When looking at his college stats (UCLA), his ERA statistics are really interesting. His best year was his junior year and it was 1.50 over 6 games and 6.0 IP. His freshman year he had a 8.54 ERA over 26.1 IP, his sophomore year 5.23 ERA over 62.0 IP, and in his senior year his ERA was 6.67 over 29.2 IP.
Then, after his senior year (the same year 2007) he posted a 0.87 ERA in Kingsport over 10.1 IP and then a 2.13 ERA over 12.2 IP (In Brooklyn). In other words, Rustich is a pitcher who has pitched better in the minors so far than in college.
Another statistic to look at his K/9, which was above 7 his first two years in college, 15.0 his junior year and above 8 his senior year. In his time in the minors, his K/9 is 8.22, which is great. (21 K's through 23 IP)
He is young but in time he could become a nice piece of the bullpen (it seems that he pitches around an inning per game, his 23 IP in the minors have been over 25 games).
