First 5 rounds: David Peterson (1-20), Mark Vientos (2-59), Quinn Brodey (3-97), Tony Dibrell (4-127), Matt Winaker (5-157)
Also notable: Trey Cobb (8-247), Carl Stajduhar (18-547), C.J. Van Eyk (19-577), Jake Eder (34-1027)
The Mets seemed to be a fan of the west coast in this year's draft, taking a pitcher out of Oregon with their first pick, a pair of Stanford stars in the third and fifth rounds, and one each from Cal State Northridge (7th round), Long Beach State (25th round), Azusa Pacific (27th round), and a California high school (39th round). Interestingly, they also took six high school pitchers from the state of Florid, seemingly leaning heavily on certain area scouts. They took eight straight college players from rounds three through ten, but other than that, they balanced the different age levels fairly evenly.
1-20: LHP David Peterson (my rank: 19)
Peterson is fairly similar to the Mets' compensation pick last year, UConn lefty Anthony Kay. While Peterson is a little, no, a lot bigger (seven inches, 70 pounds), both are pitchability college lefties, and Peterson has a good chance to turn into a mid-rotation starter. The 6'6'" Oregon ace had a big breakout year after Ducks pitching coach Jason Dietrich changed his mechanics, going 11-4 with a 2.51 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP, striking out 140 and walking just 15 in 100.1 innings. While his diverse arsenal was enough to miss a plethora of bats in the Pac-12, it will play closer to average in pro ball, but he commands and mixes it well enough to have a high floor as a safe bet to start in the majors. He won't be the next Noah Syndergaard, but Peterson could settle nicely into a mid-rotation role sooner rather than later. He has not signed yet.
2-59: 3B Mark Vientos (my rank: 40)
Vientos was a bit enigmatic throughout the season, flashing big potential but sometimes struggling to show it consistently on the field. That makes sense, because he doesn't turn 18 until December and he was the youngest player selected in the early rounds, a full year younger than the typical high school senior. Vientos played shortstop at American Heritage High School north of Miami, but he'll be a third baseman going forward, where his below average speed will hinder him less. When he's going right, showing some power potential with a powerful swing, though at times I think there is too much yanking and that could hurt his ability to hit for average. He has a high ceiling as a beta version of Nolan Arenado, but he also has a very low floor. Vientos signed for $1.5 million, which is $405,300 over slot.
3-97: OF Quinn Brodey (unranked)
The Mets went for a safe pick in the third round, nabbing Stanford outfielder Quinn Brodey. Brodey steadily improved during his time in Palo Alto, finishing with with a solid junior year where he slashed .314/.371/.556 with 11 home runs and a low-ish strikeout rate of 12.3%. He profiles best as a fourth outfielder in pro ball, but he could end up a tweener if his bat doesn't translate up in pro ball. Brodey signed for $500,000, which is $53,200 below slot.
4-127: RHP Tony Dibrell (my rank: 97)
I like Dibrell, a 6'3" righty who had a breakout year for Kennesaw State this year. Over 14 starts, he went 7-4 with a 2.45 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP, striking out 103 in 95.2 innings. His fastball sits in the low to mid 90's, his breaking ball has solid drop, and his changeup is fairly advanced, so he could develop into a mid-rotation starter. However, his command starts to wobble when he struggles to repeat his arm slot, but if he can't cut it as a starter, I think his stuff can play up in the bullpen. Dibrell signed for $380,000, which is $33,100 below slot.
34-1027: LHP Jake Eder (my rank: 59)
Eder is unlikely to sign here in the 34th round and will instead attend Vanderbilt, where he could grow into a first round pick. The 6'4" lefty already has a low 90's fastball despite extremely inconsistent mechanics, and depending on the day you see him, his offspeed pitches could all look plus, or they could be soft and hittable. Eder has all the tools to be a top of the rotation starter, but he is also extremely high risk and his stock could plunge with struggles at Vanderbilt.
Others: 5th rounder Matt Winaker joined Brodey in the Stanford lineup, having a breakout 2017 by slashing .308/.432/.514 with eight home runs and a high 15.7% walk rate. Like Brodey, Winaker profiles best as a fourth outfielder, showing average tools but a good feel for the strike zone. 8th rounder Trey Cobb got lots of exposure at the College World Series in 2016, and he finishes up a four year career at Oklahoma State 10-10 with a 2.99 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP, splitting time between the rotation and the bullpen. He just turned 23 in June, so he is a little behind on the age clock, but he could be a fast mover as a right handed sinker/slider reliever. 18th rounder Carl Stajduhar put up big offensive numbers in the Coors Field-type environment at New Mexico, slashing .350/.453/.650 with 17 home runs as a junior. He'll be limited to first base defensively, but he has a ton of power. 19th rounder C.J. Van Eyk probably won't sign, and will likely attend Florida State instead. The Tampa-area high schooler has top 50 stuff, showing a low 90's fastball and a big breaking curveball, but as he reaches back for more velocity, he often struggles with command. The bigger red flag for Van Eyk is his injury history, as he missed significant time this spring with forearm trouble, which can often be a precursor to Tommy John.
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