Tom Brennan - DRAFT DUDS 2008

Tom Brennan - DRAFT DUDS 2008

The Mets have over many years not drafted enough power pitchers and power hitters in the earlier (say, first 10) rounds of the annual draft.

I think the Mets drafted reasonably well that season, but some bizarre and serious injuries made it work out not so well long term.  

Let me start first with 2008's Top 10 Round DUDS (whom I define as "what were they thinking" picks), followed by the good DUDES (or those destined to be good until injured) and maybe some useful observations can be made and conclusions drawn.

DUDS

JAVIER RODRIGUEZ, OF, 2ND ROUND, # 68 OVERALL: never even made it out of rookie ball (well, not true, he did get under 100 at bats in Savannah), and he was the 68th overall pick - now THAT is a dud!  Actually, his hitting, while not earthshaking, would have made him one of this year's best rookie ball hitters.  JR got up 769 times, fanned too much (171 times), and hit .248/.315/.388. 

He produced 50 doubles and 15 homers, not bad, but still clearly underperformed for a #68 overall pick.  He was listed at 6'2", 165, kind of skinny, yet was not a speedster, with just 8 of 14 steals.  Poor pick at that level.

CHARLES Z. ZOYLE, C, 5TH ROUND, # 164: apparently never played pro baseball - and was drafted in the 5th round - DUD!

MICHAEL HEBERT, P, 7TH ROUND, # 180 - he was distinctly mediocre, got to Savannah briefly, but threw just 166 innings over 4 seasons.  12-14, 3.85, 1.40 WHIP, 146 Ks.  Not terrible, but not making it at least to St Lucie from the 7th round renders you a DUD pick. 

BRIAN VALENZUELA, P, 10TH ROUND: a DUD pick, the lefty was listed at just 5'10, 155, and went 2-10, 6.09 in 68 rookie ball innings.  

Advice: avoid soft tossing midgets until at least the 30th round.  Having the last name Valenzuela does not make you Fernando.

DUDES

Several real dudes in the top 10, but the unfolding was akin to a Shakespeare tragedy.  Macbeth agrees with me.

IKE DAVIS, 1B, 1ST ROUND, # 18 OVERALL: Ike was a good selection, but a sad tale indeed.  It took the power hitter something like 300 plate appearances to record his first minor league homer, and to me smelled like a possible bust.  In his first full minor league season, he was very impressive, and after a very short stint in AAA in 2010, up he came.  

Ike had a highly impressive rookie season with the Mets in 2010, and got off to a scorching start in 2011, seemingly the Mets' next star until the oft-injured David Wright stepped on his foot on a play by the mound, after which Ike was improperly treated medically.  36 games was it for Ike in 2011.  In 2012, Ike got off to an excruciatingly prolonged bad start, but then hit homers in huge bunches in the season's 2nd half, and it looked like our star 1B was back.

He wasn't back - he mimicked his horrendous 2012 start in 2013, and eventually got demoted.  The Duda vs. Ike debate erupted in earnest that spring, eventually Ike got traded, and he hit marginally and ended up in the minors, and appears he may try his hand at pitching now.  A baffling one, but certainly a good pick.  Always leaving one to wonder: what if David Wright HADN'T stepped on Ike's foot (ankle)?

REESE HAVENS, IF, 1ST ROUND, # 22 OVERALL: should really be in the DUD column, but it was a serious injury that did him in.  After his Brooklyn debut in 2008, he hit well in A ball in 2009, with pop.  Hopes were rising.  

In 2010, he got off hot: .312/.386/.592 in 32 games, mostly in AA - sure looked like a fine pick to that point, with people wondering how long it would take for him to join David Wright as a star in the Mets IF - then the doggone Mets Jinx hit him, too...he suddenly had bad rib cage issues, eventually needing rib-shortening surgery, playing only 193 games from May 2010 until his career ended in 2013 - sounds eerily reminiscent of David Wright.  If no injury, he looked like Ike did - a fine pick.  Injuries suck.

BRAD HOLT, P, COMP PICK, # 33 OVERALL:  Another Mets Jinx dude.  

An excellent pick, he dominated big time in Brooklyn in his debut season.  The Mets jumped him to St Lucie in 2009; he got shelled in his first game, but in his next 9 outings, he was outstanding: 46 IP, just 8 earned runs and 29 hits, and 52 Ks...fans began to drool - then of course big time arm problems hit him and he was just never anywhere near the same again, with his career ending in 2012.  Another sad teaser tale for hungry Mets fans. 

KIRK NIEUWENHUIS, OF, 3RD ROUND, # 100:  Captain Kirk conceptually was another fine Mets pick who never quite panned out due to his inability to curtail his strikeouts.  Good size, strong, good speed...hole in bat.  Worst Mets player to ever hit 3 homers in a game.  Mets tried to draft power and speed, it almost worked out, but those strikeouts could never be reduced.

SEAN RATLIFF, OF, 4TH ROUND, # 134:  Another Mets Jinx victim!!!  A promising career cut short when he got nailed in the eye while in the on deck circle.  He also fanned a bit too much, but in 2010, he played great in A and AA, hitting .298/.353/.505 in 130 games.  He later briefly tried a comeback, but was unable to proceed.

Early on, with Davis, Havens, Holt, Kirk and Ratliff all looking so promising, this in many Mets fans' eyes had to be sizing up to be one of their best drafts ever - then gosh, the injuries were stunning and career-changing. Injury-wise, Davis, Havens, Holt, and Ratliff remind me of the Mets' injury-ravaged 2017 season.  

JOSH SATIN ROUND 6, ERIC CAMPBELL IN ROUND 9: Certainly not duds, but I would have tried to draft guys with more power.  Neither had speed nor power.

ERIC BEAULAC, P, 9TH ROUND:  Eric was in fact the type of guy I like to see drafted, a hard thrower who compiled 52 starts and 65 relief appearances over 6 seasons and was 21-21, 3.40 with a K per inning, including a few outings in AAA.  

His control issues appear to have been his undoing, averaging almost 5 walks per 9 IP.  He also did not pitch a lot those last 3 years, indicative of probable health issues.  Nice try here by the Mets.  Didn't pan out.

Below the top 10, only Colin McHugh turned out to be any good. Rounds 11-50 were filled with a bunch of no-names, with my favorite being Forrest Gump's brother Brian Gump in the 46th round.  That's all I have to say about that, and about 2008's Mets draft, for that matter.