Mets Load Up On Arms in 2021 Draft

The Mets entered the 2021 draft with a farm system that has seen many pitching prospects traded over the last couple of years and other top ones –Matt Allan being the biggest– need season-ending surgery. Well, the Mets took arms early and often in the draft that featured 20 rounds this year. They also loaded […]

The post Mets Load Up On Arms in 2021 Draft first appeared on Metsmerized Online.

Mandatory Credit: Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports

The Mets entered the 2021 draft with a farm system that has seen many pitching prospects traded over the last couple of years and other top ones –Matt Allan being the biggest– need season-ending surgery.

Well, the Mets took arms early and often in the draft that featured 20 rounds this year. They also loaded up on college players, using only their second-round pick on a high schooler. Mets vice president of amateur and international scouting Tommy Tanous noted that the signability of high school players was more difficult this year.

Here’s a rundown of all the picks:

1. RHP Kumar Rocker – Vanderbilt (JR), $4.74M pick value (Has $6M bonus agreement in place)
2. RHP Calvin Ziegler – St. Mary’s Catholic SS (top Canadian prospect), $1.62M value
3. RHP Dominic Hamel – Dallas Baptist (SR), $755.30K value
4. 1B J.T. Schwartz – UCLA (JR), $522.60K value
5. RHP Christian Scott – Florida (JR), $386.60K value
6. RHP Carson Seymour – Kansas State (SR), $291.40K value
7. SS/OF Kevin Kendall – UCLA (JR), $227.70K value
8. RHP Mike Vasil – Virginia (JR), $181.20K value
9. RHP Levi David – Northwestern State (SR), $157.20K value
10. LHP Keyshawn Askew – Clemson (JR), $147.00K value
11. OF Rowdey Jordan – Mississippi State (SR)
12. 1B/RF Jack-Thomas Wold – UNLV (SR)
13. OF Matt Rudick – San Diego State (JR)
14. LHP Nathan Lavender – Illinois (JR)
15. SS Wyatt Young – Pepperdine (JR)
16. RHP Trey McLouglin – Fairfield (SR)
17. LHP Nick Zwack – Xavier (SR)
18. RHP Kolby Kubichek – Texas (JR)
19. C Drake Osborn – Louisiana Lafayette (SR)
20. SS Justin Guerrera – Fairfield (JR)

The breakdown is 12 pitchers (three lefties), three shortstops, two outfielders, two first basemen, and one catcher.

It’s important to remember that the Major League Baseball draft is much different than the NBA or NFL, these guys typically spend years in the minor leagues before making it to the majors. This is exactly why you don’t draft for need or take a specific position. You draft the best player available. This is clearly what the Mets did when Rocker dropped to them at No. 10.

Mets vice president of amateur and international scouting Tommy Tanous was emphatic during a recent press conference that the Mets don’t focus on positions or needs when drafting a player, they look to get the best player they can.

All in all, it’s tough to argue with a draft that nets you one of the arguable top five players available. I believe the Mets did well beyond that in targeting players that might’ve had down years statistically –Seymour and Vasil for example–but still showed well when it came to digging into the analytics and upside of the player.

The post Mets Load Up On Arms in 2021 Draft first appeared on Metsmerized Online.