There are a number of sites that review mock drafts before the season gets underway and they will continue to mock draft until the real draft happens.  I’ve taken it upon myself to look at some of the selections and review them before I submit the player that I currently project as the Mets’ First Rounder.

Jonathon Crawford: RHP – (My MLB Draft, Minor League Ball)

The Junior at Florida University has a good SP build, a solid fastball and a hard-breaking curve.  He’s a solid all-around performer who might have a shorter path to the majors than a number of players on the list of top prospects.  What Crawford doesn’t seem to have is a lot of “Wow Factor”.  At 22 he’d be pegged to start as high as the New York Penn League with an eye towards beginning 2014 in St. Lucie.

Sites that are picking the Mets to sign Crawford are not taking into account that he is a pitcher and the type of pitcher he is.  While the adage goes, “You can never have too much good pitching.” You have to wonder if drafting a player who is going to be thrown into competition with Michael Fulmer, Rafael Montero and perhaps a resurgent (hopefully) Cory Mazzoni for the 3rd best pitching prospect on the team is worth it.  I’m betting that the Mets don’t think it is.

Colin Moran: 3B/1B – (The Bleacher Report, Rant Sports)

Moran is a big kid at 6’3” and 209 lbs.  His hitting tools are advanced and his large frame suggests further power development is not unlikely.  His defensive tools appear good enough to stick it out at 3rd which suggests a strong throwing arm that would easily translate to RF.

Lots of sites have Moran pegged as the Met’s top pick for the draft.  I chalk this up to lazy writing (MLB.com happens to suggest he’s the #11 prospect and the Mets have the 11th pick) but that is also a little bit spiteful on my side.  I cannot personally see the Mets adding someone whose natural position they just locked up on a long-term deal with David Wright.  SURE… you could have Moran learn a new position but is his bat worthy of this or is it more useful to go after a player who already fields a position of need.

Reese McGwire: C/3B – (MLB Draft Countdown, Mack’s Mets, Through the Fence Baseball)

Reese McGwire is a Terry Collins type player who is more tied up in his overall effort than his overall ceiling.  He’s a left-handed hitting catcher who also spent time at third.  People project him for good power and solid defense behind the plate.

Again… I strongly question why the Mets would commit their draft pick to a player who plays a position that (on paper) we’ve just sewn up.  ESPECIALLY with Plawecki and Nido also in the system potentially backing up Travis D’Arnaud in the future.  I’m not saying that the Mets could ONLY look at OF prospects but I would suggest that unless there is a significant bargain at #11 that they should probably select an outfielder.

Kris Bryant: IF – (Minor League Rundown)

Kris Bryant is BIG.  6’5” 215 Lbs. BIG!  He’s a power hitting 3B who some project moving to first.  He has “Plus Power” and a “Plus Arm” which might suggest an ability to slot him over into right field instead of the infield.  He does strikeout a lot (most power hitters do) but his ability to hit the ball to all fields suggests that he might not be as one dimensional a hitter as some power hitters in the league.

As I just said, unless there was a significant bargain at #11 I would look at a natural outfielder, but Kris Bryant WOULD be a bargain at #11.  He’s the top power hitter in the draft and the Mets desperately need to get big-time righty power developed in their system.

Jeremy Martinez: C – (Diamond Prospects)

MLB.com rates Jeremy Martinez 50th among top prospects for the upcoming draft so I was a little intrigued why a site might have the Mets diving so deeply to draft a catcher.  What I see is a catcher, a solid catcher but one who belongs in the supplemental or second round of the draft and certainly not 11th.  CERTAINLY NOT 11th when you just traded for Travis D’Arnaud.  I would wait for the next mock draft from Diamond Prospects and see if they could do any better.

Aaron Judge: OF – (Mets360)

If Kris Bryant is big, Aaron Judge is HUGE!  He’s 6’7” 230 Lbs of power hitting corner outfielder.  He looks more like a tight end than a baseball player and you know what… I wouldn’t mind having someone who is simply looking to smash the baseball joining the minor league system.  He’s a big guy and his power is waiting to be unlocked by shortening his swing.  Assuming a team accomplishes that, you have a guy who puts a ton of mass behind a relatively small ball of synthetic rawhide and string.  His speed isn’t elite but at the same time you worry about big players being lumbering giants in the field and Judge doesn’t look like one.  He won’t clog the basepaths but he also won’t light them on fire.

Judge would not be a safe pick.  In fact, according to MLB.com, the Mets would be diving back a few picks to choose him.  What Aaron Judge would be is a player who only had one facet of his game to learn.  Fix the swing, and the rest will follow.  I might be the only one who cares, but the fact that he’s a college hitter suggests that he’d be starting 2014 in A+ the same point where Brandon Nimmo is expected to be in 2014.

We’ll see how the projections and the Mock drafts shift as the draft draws closer but for now… that’s what people are saying.

3 comments on “2013 Mets Draft report: A story of mock drafts

  • Mack Ade

    Mack’s Mets does not pick Reese McGuire as the Mets pick.

    The mock draft you refer to is a compilation of the past ten mocks that have come out on the net. I have done this every month, for four years.

    In the case of this one, he was ranked 11th, nothing more.

    • David Groveman

      Apologies. I wasn’t spending time reading the posts I was just looking at the lists. It’s not a mark against you, I was just seeing who sites thought we’d be drafting. I’ll be sure to check more thoroughly in future looks into the mock drafts.

  • Charles

    I think the LAST thing the Mets need, is to draft another guy named Reese…

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