A retrospective (from Latin retrospectare, "look back"), generally, is a look back at events that took place, or works that were produced, in the past.
I thought it might be fun to look back and see who got drafted by the Mets in rounds 1 thru 5, how they panned out, and who in those rounds and later rounds who actually made it to the dance.
Not to get too historical, I thought I’d start at 2005 and work forward towards 2021 from there, a year at a time.
Today?
The 2009 Mets' Draft
No first rounder…again - bummer. Keep those first round picks, or ruminate later.
In this case, the pick lost when the Mets signed Frankie Rodriguez was the 24th overall, and turned into a valuable MLB outfielder with 156 homers to date, named Randal Grichuk.
The Anglos also got the 25th pick from the Yanks due to their signing slugger Mark Teixera. The pick? Mike Trout.
So…if the Mets had kept the pick, they could have drafted Grichuk…or Mike Friggin’ Trout. Just ruminating…sorry. After all, he gets hurt a lot. Right?
Steven Matz in Round 2 has been a solid major leaguer after a long recovery from TJ surgery while in the minors. You all know his story. After a few unsuccessful Mets years, followed by a successful Blue Jays 2021, might he return to the Mets this coming year as a free agent?
Round 3 Robbie Shields was a decent minor leaguer, but that’s it. Like so many of these "didn't make it" Mets prospect hitters, he hit insufficiently, in his case just .243.
4th rounder Darrel Ceciliani was hobbled by frequent hamstring injuries, but the speedster managed to make it fairly briefly, and hit .190 in 100 MLB at bats. In 2015, he got my hopes up when, in Vegas in AAA, he hit .345/.398/.581 in 70 games, but he was not able to translate that into success one level higher.
5th rounder Damien Magnifico was not…well, Magnifico. Actually, he did not sign with the Mets, apparently, and waited until 2012 (also Round 5) with the Brewers. He got in 3.1 not-so-great major league innings, but just making it at all? MAGNIFICO!
After Round 5, it was a barren wasteland. Nothing grew enough to be harvested and sent to Queens.
Zach Godley was an unsigned 50th (yes, 50th) round pick, who was later drafted by another franchise, made the majors, then didn't, and coincidentally pitched (unsuccessfully) a bit for the Mets in 2021. What goes around…
Other than Matz, frankly a miserable draft year for your Metsies.
One decent player in a draft is a players-below-replacement-level draft.
Next up? 2010.
We can all go retrospective, in baseball and otherwise. For me personally, the first 10 months had outstanding positives. The last two months? I wish I skipped those two draft rounds.
ReplyDeleteWhat a awful draft
ReplyDeleteI guess saved by matz cause he did more than
Ike holts and haven
Eddie, quite true
DeleteI have told this story before about Godley
ReplyDeleteWas covering a game at Banburg HS just after the draft
Ran into his mother at the.game.
She said the Mets offered him nothing but a tryout after he was chosen in the 50th round.
She said she called the Mets and told them to go F themselves
The almost Trout pick stings a bit, especially since he is rumored to have grown up a Mets' fan.
ReplyDeleteOur most recent drafts have been better.....we just need to do a better job of developing and hanging on to some of the kids.
As far as Matz goes, I wasn't getting the Mets' interest in a reunion? Sure, he had a good year with Toronto in 2021, but look at his prior track record with the Mets and tell me what is more likely to happen in the future? He is talented, but he is also fragile and I wonder if pitching so close to home messed with his head?
I think we can do better on the free agent market.
Oh and 4 years is quite a commitment at 11 million per.......that would have made me uncomfortable. But you know he will win a couple Cy Young's now that he is a Cardinal! (sorry, that was my 80's neurosis kicking in for a second)
Oh there was Mets interest.
DeleteThey went bed, like the Bauer situation believing they had a deal.
My guess in the agents are using Cohen as a bargaining chip.
Mack, Joel Sherman is reporting that Matz’ agent approached the Mets and told them Matz wanted to come back “for some unfinished business”. So, the Mets bit and then Matz “changed his mind”. Cohen was played, as they say on the street.
ReplyDeleteSherman spoke directly with Cohen so I would guess his version is correct.
DeleteDrafts never easy but Mets been pumping out future major leaguers for years now and as long as they keep as many of these talented amateur scouting folks on payroll I think they can rock this 2022 draft and change the entire farm system outlook.
ReplyDeleteMike, Matz would win 4 straight Cy Youngs if he signed with Seattle…with Flexen second and Sewald 3rd.
ReplyDeleteErnest, it has been better after decades of poor drafts when it came to hitters. May it continue.
ReplyDeleteGodley Moms know where it’s at, Mack.
ReplyDeleteFree agents sign with the best perceived opportunity and situation. I was quite surprised Matz would want to re-up where he failed.
ReplyDelete