Mack – A Look Ahead At The 2019 Draft – Outfielders

Mack – A Look Ahead At The 2019 Draft – Outfielders

Many of you remain upset that the Mets traded away last year’s first round pick, outfielder Jarred Kelenic. I was surprised (and happy) that he was still on the board when the Mets picked 6^th overall and he immediately brought dividends to an organization that was starved for outfield prospects in the pipeline.

Kelenic tore up the GCL League (46-at bats, .413) and finished the season with combined stats with Kingsport of 220-AB, .286).

Still, the Mets didn’t hesitate to include him as the center cut piece (along with prospect SP Justin Dunn) in a deal for both 2B Robinson Cano and CL Edwin Diaz.

Four very talented players, but two that could bring an immediate return for the parent Mets.

What this trade also did was return the pipeline to a team without a red chip can’t miss outfield prospect. Yes, we have Michael Conforto and Brandon Nimmo has worked out (when many of us doubted he would rise to the top), but, past that, the next ‘sure thing’ is a 16-year old (Freddy Valdez) who has not played an inning of organized ball yet.

This is not saying that guys like Quinn Brodey, Wagner Lagrange, Jose Miguel Medina, or Walter Rasquin will soar to new levels of achievement in the next two or three seasons and become a major league starter like Nimmo did.

Could happen.

Still, many of you feel we need to strike the match and draft a new Kelenic right away at ‘number one’ this draft.

If that happens, these are the guys that the Mets are looking at right now.

One will be long gone (Riley Greene).

All the others will fall in that pick 8 through 27 range.

In no order, they are:

      Matt Wallner (Mack’s Mock #11) – Southern Miss –             South Side Sox - Wallner has the size and build (6´5´´, 220 pounds) to be a consistent power hitter going forward. MLB grades his tools as follows: 65 arm, 55 power, 50 hit, 50 defense and 40 speed. His arm is considered his best tool, as his fastball had reached 96 mph according to ESPN.

Although he’s primarily played center field with the Golden Eagles, Wallner’s lack of speed will relegate him to a corner spot. Right field would be his most logical position, letting him show off his cannon arm. Wallner’s bat should profile well, as he’s not afraid to take the free pass, walking nearly 16% of the time.

2019 Stats as of 4-22: 138-AB, .290, .979-OPS, 10-HR

      Mike Toglia (Mack’s Mock #17) – UCLA – UCLA – 2018 - All-Pac-12 selection … earned All-Regional Team honors at the NCAA Minneapolis Regional … only Bruin to start and play in all 59 games … hit .336 with 51 runs scored and team-best 58 RBIs … led team in RBIs, doubles and walks and also top-three in batting average, slugging, on-base percentage, runs scored, hits, home runs and total bases … recorded three multi-home runs games, including two from either side of the plate … fifth Bruin since 2001 with 50-plus RBIs and 10-plus home runs in a season … second Bruin since 2012 to record double-digit home runs and second UCLA player since 2015 with 50 RBIs … named the winner of the Gold Standard Performance of the Week by the Golden Spikes Award on April 25 … totaled 35 extra-base hits including 11 home runs and 24 doubles … ended season with .588 slugging percentage and a .449 on-base percentage … drew team-high 48 walks and three hit by pitches … registered 26 multi-hit games and 14 multi-RBI games … recorded five stolen bases … ended season ranked top-10 in the Pac-12 in on-base percentage, runs scored, RBIs, doubles, home runs, total bases and walks … finished top-100 in the NCAA in doubles (10th), doubles per game (14th), walks (37th), sacrifice flies (51st), RBIs (61st), total bases (79th), slugging percentage (96th), on-base percentage (98th) … hit .277 in 30 Pac-12 games with 20 runs scored and team-best 35 RBIs … tallied seven home runs and nine doubles in conference play … ended conference season with a .529 slugging percentage and a .371 on-base percentage … finished Pac-12 play second in RBIs and top-10 in home runs and total bases … recorded career-high seven RBIs going 3-for-4 with two home runs vs. USC on April 21 … drove in six runs and hit two home runs against No. 2 Stanford on April 7 … hit pair of home runs at Cal State Fullerton on Feb. 27 … collected career-best four hits with two doubles, four RBIs and three runs scores vs. Portland on Feb. 18.

2019 stats as of 4-22:  144-AB, .278, .866-OPS, 6-HR

      Jereon Ealy (Mack’s Mock #19) – Jackson Prep (MS) – Perfect Game - Jerrion Ealy is a 2019 OF with a 5-10 192 lb. frame from Carthage, MS who attends Jackson Prep. Compact very strong and very athletic build. Outstanding runner, 6.13 in the sixty, has a sub 6.0 in him, ultra athletic and quick twitch. Dynamic raw bat speed, raw swing mechanics but unmistakable elite ability to drive the ball, big power potential from foul pole to foul pole, will benefit from more and more hitting repetitions. Very strong arm from the outfield that plays well in games, very accurate on line throws, centerfield speed and range with premium right field arm strength. Has all the tools to be an All-Star type player. Also an elite level running back and 4-star prospect in football, Mississippi FB player of the year. Good student, verbal commitment to play both sports at Mississippi. Selected to play in the 2018 Perfect Game All-American Classic.

      JJ Bledsay – (Mack’s Mock #25) – Vanderbilt – MLB-com - JJ Bleday could be the first college outfielder selected in the 2019 MLB Draft in June. During this weekend's inaugural MLB4 college baseball tournament, the Vanderbilt standout is showing why that's a strong possibility.

"He's just an older presence at the plate. Even though he's a junior, he performs like he's a guy who's been around the league for four or five years," Vanderbilt coach Tim Corbin said. "Just an old soul, that's what he is; just an older kid, one of the most low-maintenance guys I've ever coached in my life. I say very little to him, he's kind of self-paced."

2019 stats as of 4-22: 157-AB, .363, .462-OBP, 20-HR, 53-RBI

      Kam Misner – (Mack’s Mock #27) – Missouri - mutigers - SOPHOMORE (2018)

Was having a breakout sophomore season that would have had him in line for SEC and national awards before a foot injury suffered during the opening weekend of SEC play slowed him down, eventually forcing him to miss the final six weeks of the season

Hit a team-best .360 in 34 games and had nine doubles, three triples and four homers while walking 32 times before being shelved with the injury

Was leading the nation in walks before his injury and stole 13 bases and scored 34 runs

Still tallied 15 multiple hit games in 34 tries and drove in multiple runs in seven games

Drove in five runs with three hits and four runs while slugging a pair of homers with two walks on the second day of the season at FIU (Feb. 17)

Drove in three with a double, a triple and a homer in a 3-for-4 performance against UMBC (March 2), finishing a single away from the cycle

His average hit the .415 mark after a 3-for-4 performance with two runs vs. Mississippi State (March 23)

His final game of the season came on April 14 vs. Florida, going 2-for-4 before missing the final 22 games

2019 stats as of 4-22:  146-AB, .267, .452-OBP, 9-HR, 27-RBI