Scouting Report

Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Slider: 45 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 50 | Overall: 45

Virginia Tech hasn’t had a player taken in the top five rounds since the Cubs took Mark Zagunis in the third round back in 2014, and there hasn't been a Hokies pitcher taken that early since Joe Saunders was a Rays first-round pick in 2002. Seymour, a lefty who was off to a very strong start to his third year in the Virginia Tech rotation before things got shut down, has a good chance to beat both of those records.

Seymour isn’t the biggest guy in the world at six-feet, but his stuff took a nice step forward at the start of the spring. After throwing mostly in the 88-90 mph range during a successful stint in the Cape Cod League last summer, the southpaw came out throwing his fastball in the 90-94 range and sitting 92-93 mph consistently. Hitters could not square the pitch up thanks to Seymour’s deception and very heavy life to the pitch. His best secondary pitch is his above-average changeup, an offspeed offering that serves as his strikeout pitch. His breaking ball is fringy at best, a hard slider that tends to get too slurvy.

The shortened season didn’t allow scouts to see if Seymour’s fastball gains were for real, but that plus his success on the Cape have some reminded of a lefty like Zac Lowther with a bit more velocity. Teams that are in will give him the chance to start, with the chance of him becoming a fastball-changeup lefty reliever a possibility.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 50 | Curveball: 45 | Slider: 45 | Changeup: 60 | Cutter: 45 | Control: 50 | Overall: 45

Seymour’s seemingly rapid ascent to the Majors was stalled in 2022, as he underwent Tommy John surgery early that June after beginning the year in Double-A. He’d been on the fast track before that, however, going from an undrafted pitcher out of high school to a second-round pick in 2020 following three strong seasons at Virginia Tech and a fine showing in the Cape Cod League. He didn’t debut professionally until July 2021 due to flexor soreness, but he made up for lost time by logging a 1.95 ERA with 87 strikeouts in 55 1/3 innings over 14 outings from High-A to Triple-A and even catching the big league staff’s attention as a possible bullpen reinforcement.

Seymour eased some concerns in his return from surgery last year, making 13 appearances from early July through mid-September and pitching well in those outings even without his best stuff. The Rays were curious to see if his velocity would return this spring, so it was a relief when he was throwing his fastball up to 92 during January bullpens -- right around where he was before -- and he's held around 90-91 mph in-season. That answered the biggest, most pressing question about Seymour, as he showed he could regain his pre-surgery form.

Seymour features three to four above-average pitches, headlined by his fastball and filthy changeup, the latter of which he uses to keep hitters off-balance, and it all plays up due to his deceptive delivery and willingness to fill up the strike zone. The Rays view him as a starter, or at least someone who can turn over a lineup multiple times in their often-creative deployment of pitchers, but he’ll first need to prove he’s all the way back before continuing his quick climb through the system.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 50 | Curveball: 45 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 55 | | Control: 50 | Overall: 45

Seymour was seemingly on the fast track to the big leagues entering last season. Undrafted out of high school, three strong seasons at Virginia Tech and a strong Cape Cod League performance turned him into a second-round pick in the 2020 Draft. Flexor soreness delayed his pro debut until July 2021, but he moved quickly and effectively after that. In 14 outings from Single-A to Triple-A, the lefty posted a 1.95 ERA with 87 strikeouts in 55 1/3 innings and even caught the big league staff’s attention. But his ascent was delayed in 2022, when he began the season in Double-A, as he underwent Tommy John surgery in early June.

The Rays hope to have Seymour back on the mound by midseason and believe he’ll be the same pitcher he was before his elbow injury. He doesn’t have big velocity or crazy stuff, but everything in his arsenal plays up due to deceptive mechanics and his ability to throw strikes despite all the moving parts in his violent delivery. Seymour is more about control than pinpoint command, creating some questions about whether he remains a starter or winds up in the bullpen, but he’s made it work to this point by keeping hitters off-balance, with his low-90s, riding fastball and filthy changeup leading a four-pitch mix.

The Rays believe Seymour still has the stuff to be a starter, or at least a pitcher who can turn over a lineup multiple times. Maybe that, plus the need to push him through the system due to the time he lost, will land him in a multi-inning relief role. Whenever he gets back on the mound, the Rays believe he’ll continue to move quickly and remind everyone why he gained so much favor within the organization before his surgery.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 50 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 55 | Curveball: 45 | Control: 50 | Overall: 45

Undrafted out of high school, Seymour transformed into a second-round pick by the Rays in the 2020 Draft after three strong seasons at Virginia Tech and a good showing in the Cape Cod League in 2019. He appeared to be reaching another level, striking out 40 with a 2.21 ERA in 20 1/3 innings over four starts, when the COVID-19 pandemic ended his junior season. He didn’t make his professional debut until July 2021 due to flexor soreness, but when he finally got on the mound, he couldn’t have been much better.

Getting the most out of his funky mechanics and above-average stuff across the board, Seymour posted a 1.95 ERA with 87 strikeouts in 55 1/3 innings over 14 outings from Low-A to Triple-A. He doesn’t have the typical top prospect profile with big velocity, but he keeps righty and lefty hitters off balance with a good fastball, a filthy changeup and a slider. He throws strikes, although he’s more about control than pinpoint command due to all the moving parts in his deceptive delivery.

Seymour jumped from High-A to Triple-A after two starts out of necessity, but the highly competitive lefty appeared to be unfazed in two five-inning starts during which he struck out nine while allowing four total hits. He began this season in Double-A, a level he skipped last year, but after a rough start he underwent Tommy John surgery in early June, knocking him out until 2023. What role might he play in the Majors? The answers vary. The Rays are likely to continue to develop Seymour as a true starter when he returns, believing he can repeat his delivery and get through a lineup multiple times. He could also be a devastating weapon as a multi-inning reliever who goes through a lineup once several times a week. Regardless, it’s no secret the Rays were high on Seymour before the elbow surgery, and the organization hopes he can refind his form after the rehab process.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 50 | Overall: 45

Seymour went undrafted after going 4-0 with a 0.48 ERA and leading the St. John’s Pioneers to a Division 1A Super 8 State Championship in Massachusetts and finishing second in his graduating class as a senior. But after three strong seasons at Virginia Tech and a good showing in the Cape Cod League in 2019, Seymour worked his way up to be a second-round pick by the Rays in the 2020 Draft. He started all three years for the Hokies, and he appeared to be reaching another level as he posted a 2.21 ERA with 40 strikeouts in 20 1/3 innings over four starts before the coronavirus pandemic ended his junior season. The Rays liked what they saw enough to take him 57th overall and sign him for a slot-value bonus.

Seymour’s four-seam fastball topped out at 96 mph during a bullpen session he threw shortly before the Draft, a huge leap from the 88-90 mph fastball he showed the previous summer in the Cape Cod League and a notable increase from the 92-93 mph sinker he threw during his junior spring. A longer season would have given him a chance to prove that his velocity gains were real, and his Virginia Tech coaches believed his slider was actually just rounding into form before the season was shut down. Seymour’s main offspeed pitch is a changeup he can throw in any count, giving him a solid pitch mix to work with as a starter. 

Seymour didn’t have a chance to begin his professional career after being drafted, but by all accounts he put together an impressive showing at the Rays’ fall instructional league camp. He comes at hitters from a funky angle, with some effort to his delivery that will be worth monitoring, so scouts believe his combination of deception and swing-and-miss stuff would, at the very low end, allow him to become a very good reliever. But if the lefty continues improving the way he did last year, or proves those gains were sustainable, the Rays have another interesting starting pitching prospect on their hands.

Awards

SOU Post-Season All-Star

Year	Team
2024

SOU Pitcher of the Week

Week	Team
06/09/2024

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	07/23/2024	LHP Ian Seymour assigned to Durham Bulls from Montgomery Biscuits.
	09/14/2023	LHP Ian Seymour assigned to Montgomery Biscuits from Bowling Green Hot Rods.
	09/14/2023	Montgomery Biscuits activated LHP Ian Seymour.
	08/29/2023	LHP Ian Seymour assigned to Bowling Green Hot Rods from Charleston RiverDogs.
	08/24/2023	Montgomery Biscuits activated LHP Ian Seymour.
	08/04/2023	LHP Ian Seymour assigned to Charleston RiverDogs from Montgomery Biscuits.
	08/04/2023	Charleston RiverDogs activated LHP Ian Seymour.
	07/28/2023	Montgomery Biscuits sent LHP Ian Seymour on a rehab assignment to Charleston RiverDogs.
	07/28/2023	Montgomery Biscuits sent LHP Ian Seymour on a rehab assignment to Charleston RiverDogs.
	07/04/2023	Montgomery Biscuits sent LHP Ian Seymour on a rehab assignment to FCL Rays.
	04/06/2023	Montgomery Biscuits placed LHP Ian Seymour on the 60-day injured list.
	11/11/2022	Montgomery Biscuits activated LHP Ian Seymour from the 60-day injured list.
	11/11/2022	Montgomery Biscuits activated LHP Ian Seymour from the 60-day injured list.
	08/02/2022	Montgomery Biscuits transferred LHP Ian Seymour from the 7-day injured list to the 60-day injured list.
	05/07/2022	Montgomery Biscuits placed LHP Ian Seymour on the 7-day injured list.
	04/07/2022	LHP Ian Seymour assigned to Montgomery Biscuits.
	09/19/2021	LHP Ian Seymour and assigned to Bowling Green Hot Rods from Durham Bulls.
	09/09/2021	LHP Ian Seymour assigned to Durham Bulls from Bowling Green Hot Rods.
	08/24/2021	LHP Ian Seymour assigned to Bowling Green Hot Rods from Charleston RiverDogs.
	06/29/2021	LHP Ian Seymour assigned to Charleston RiverDogs.
	07/03/2020	LHP Ian Seymour assigned to GCL Rays.
	06/25/2020	Tampa Bay Rays signed LHP Ian Seymour.
	06/25/2020	LHP Ian Seymour roster status changed by Tampa Bay Rays.