5/16/12

Mets Draft Board 2.0

As we inch closer to the draft we have all been waiting for, let's take a look at another 4 prospects that are on the Mets Draft Board.

Targets


  • OF Courtney Hawkins- Hawkins is being linked to the Mets quite a lot lately. Hawkins might be the only player with comparable skill set to presumed number 1 pick, Byron Buxton.  He’s hitting .457 with 10 home runs and 36 RBIs and 16 stolen bases and is 3-1 on the mound with a 0.83 ERA and 44 strikeouts in 25.1 innings. Hawkins already has the look of a major leaguer with his 6'2" frame. Hawkins has one of the highest ceilings in the draft with his raw power, arm, and self promoting twitter account @CHawkins10. I wouldn't be sad to see Nimmo and Hawkins roaming the outfield in Citi Field in the future, if you ask me. Courtney Hawkins is projected to go in the top 15 picks.
  • RHP Lance McCullers Jr.- This is one hell of an arm. Having the same bloodlines as Lance McCullers, his father, this kid is blessed to have an arm that consistently reachs the mid 90s, and hits 100 quite often. The only knock on him is height, some draft pundits see him as a reliever because he is 6'1". But, I sincerely believe if this kid wants to start, he will start. His ferocious mound presence, and bulldog mentality is enough for me. He recently gave up his first earned run, McCullers is 12-0 with an 0.11 ERA and 120 strikeouts in 65.1 innings. I hope Sandy Alderson sees past this kid's height, and drafts him. McCullers has all the makings as a future ace.  
  • RHP Michael Wacha- Need a number 3 starter that can up to the big league in little over a year? Then Michael Wacha is your guy! This may be a little harsh but one thing is for sure- Wacha is a workhorse. He stands tall at 6-6 and his fastball can reach 97 MPH. As the ace of the Texas A & M staff, Michael Wacha has gone 8-0 with a 2.14 ERA in 92.1 innings. Wacha won`t amaze anyone, but he is a very durable starter who can hold his own. Wacha has been the number 12th pick in many mocks thus far. Don`t be surprised if the Mets staff looks something like this on Opening Day come 2014 (Wheeler, Harvey, Wacha, Familia, Niese)
  • SS Gavin Cecchini- This high school shortstop is projected to go somewhere near the Top 20-25 range. Cecchini comes with high risk and doesn`t seem to promise nearly enough reward to justify picking him 12th overall.While he will get drafted as a shortstop, you can almost bet to see him turn into a second baseman professionally. Scouts do not like his throwing arm but do like his approach. Cecchini is the younger brother of Garin Cecchini, a Red Sox farmhand who also plays shortstop. Gavin is profiled as a gritty player with average power and above average speed. If the Mets were to select Cecchini, it would be nothing more than an unfortunate case of a team drafting by position. So Sandy/Depo/Riccardi.... DO NOT DRAFT HIM! 
Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Feel free to ask anything below....


5 comments:

Stephen Guilbert said...

http://www.maxpreps.com/news/rzCnGLzj2UiOeLV50Ki_tw/gavin-cecchini--still-working-hard-sometimes-too-hard.htm

Read that and tell me he's not a player you wouldn't love in the system.

Two weeks ago I would have agreed with you whole-heartedly but there is quite a bit to like about Cecchini. He has all of the tools and his bat will play at any infield position (outside of first). The question is not so much "is Cecchini going to be a good player?" I'm pretty sure he will. The question should be "should we draft him given who else is on the board?"

My guess is that, depending on how the chips fall, no, we shouldn't. Same for Wacha. I don't like drafting a #3 guy with such a high pick.

There are a lot of options to go for at #12 and Cecchini might not be that bad a pick. I'd rather the Hawkins, Roaches, Stromans, Frieds, and Almoras who all have shots at being around. But we will see. I have seen Cecchini listed as the Mets pick on about half a dozen mock drafts. The others still have Piscotty and Shaffer and lemme tell you--I'd much rather Cecchini than those two.

Stephen Guilbert said...

Great job on the post, though. I agree about McCullers. I think he's going to be a star. And since when is 6'1 too short to be a starter? I think scouts who say that are just silly, especially when it's an 18-year-old kid we're talking about who is far from done growing.

Mack Ade said...

I read somewhere that McCullers has yet to give up an earned run this season.

I must have read that wrong.

Stephen Guilbert said...

He was unscored upon until the playoffs where he has allowed just a single run. It makes one run allowed in 65.1 innings against 120 strikeouts against good competition.

Jesuit currently ranked #2 in the country.

http://espn.go.com/blog/high-school/baseball/post/_/id/1694/the-starting-nine-may-10th-edition

Mack Ade said...

he won't be around at 12

my top 11 coming up later today