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Summary
If his name weren't Kacy Clemens, would we be as interested in profiling him?
That's the question here but I'm not sure it's as legitimate as it seems. Yes, Kacy Clemens is the son of one of the biggest names in franchise history. No, he's not one of the top 20 arms in this draft.
But, he is a legitimate MLB prospect. He's just not quite as good as his name might suggest. Clemens throws a fastball that touches 92, but probably thrives more around 89 mph. He's got two other pitches and a solid build, suggesting he could turn into the workhorse pitcher that his dad was for years and years and years.
The polish is also there, as befits a son of one of the best pitchers in MLB history. His deliver is nice and clean. He repeats it well and it doesn't have a lot of excess motion. He uses his legs well, which helps his delivery stay consistent.
Clemens pitched his team into the playoffs, but Houston Memorial lost last weekend to Cy-Ranch. That means he'll have to start thinking long and hard about his decision on whether to go pro or go to college.
Oh, and if you had any question about his makeup, read this quote from him last season:
"Some chatter came from the opposing dugout, and I kind of just looked at them, next thing you know I am throwing 92 and I strike out the side to win the game," said Kacy. "It's just a fire that people light underneath us. The Clemens last name, we have a little, have a little grit and fire in us. You don't mess with the family and when you do, we come together even stronger."
That's the kind of attitude I like seeing in a pitcher. Teams like "bloodlines" players, so expect Clemens to be drafted maybe a smidge higher than his stuff suggests. But, the potential is here for him to become a solid major leaguer.
Floor
High school pitchers are always one injury away from stalling development and never really reaching anywhere. Clemens is no different. That means his floor is just as low as any mid-range high school arm. His delivery is clean and he's got a good feel for the game, so there's always a chance to become the crafty middle reliever in the worst-case scenario.
Ceiling
A thick frame and a low 90's fastball mean that Clemens could easily be a workhorse-type middle rotation starter in the best case scenario. He's got a breaking pitch and a change, so that makes him maybe Bud Norris in a best-case scenario?
We'd like to dream on him becoming his dad, who also had to go to college before making his mark in the majors. The odds of that, however, are not great. He'd need to show some significant gains in his fastball for that to happen. He's got the frame and the delivery to add some velocity, but until we see it, he's not the second coming of Rog.
Projected Draft Round
BA has him ranked as the 80th-best high school prospect. That puts him in the top five rounds, which seems right considering he's got a pretty solid commitment to Texas, which we'll discuss in a minute. Some team might pop him in the top three rounds, but I doubt he goes that early.
College Commitment: Texas
Will He Sign?
Doubtful for a couple of reasons. One, his quotes here suggest he's focused on going to Texas and following in his dad's footsteps. Considering he needs a little development, that might not be a bad idea for him. The second reason this is doubtful has to do with his draft position now. Fact is, Clemens probably doesn't get drafted high enough for a team to make him a lucrative enough offer to buy him away from the Longhorns. With a famous family, money isn't the main draw here, either, but I imagine he'll need some enticement to get this done.
Bibliography
Baseball Beginnings
If I were to look at this guy without the last name, I would have said this: he had a much cleaner delivery than just about any other kid at the Petco Game. For that reason, I saw a college right-hander with some strike throwing upside. He was 87-89. He’s a fringy pro guy as of this look with some room to grow in college and see if he can get to that 89-91 range, then see where that takes him. The BP and game swings didn’t do much for me. Ball didn’t jump off the bat and can’t run. As I said, enough to be a solid college guy.
Baseball America
He has a thick, muscular build at 6-foot-2 and 195 pounds. His strong legs help him maintain a quiet, steady delivery and give him good drive toward the plate. Clemens' fastball sits in the low 90s and he mixes in a tight breaking ball and changeup. As one would expect, he has an excellent feel for pitching and the finer points of the game.