11/11/21

Tom Brennan - Retrospective on Mets' Drafts of Years Past: 2020


Wikipedia states:

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 which of them (and those from rounds beyond round 5) 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 Mets' 2020 Draft:

What follows is largely a repeat of an article I did a few months back.

Pete Crow-Armstrong was their first rounder, and his first pro action was...to play in MLB games for the Mets in spring training. Who does that? 

He started out after spring training for the St Lucie Mets like a house on fire - but about a week in, hurt his shoulder, darn it, requiring season-ending surgery.  

And then...he transformed and morphed into Javier Baez.  

Goodbye, Crow.  He was thrown out of the coop by the Mets.  We'll know if that trade was for the birds in a few years.

In the 2nd round, the Mets gambled mightily and took JT Ginn, who looked like a top 10 first round pick until his elbow needed TJS prior to the draft.  He returned quickly, in mid-season 2021, missing only about 15 months, and much of that was Covid "no games" 2020, anyway.  

He pitched very well this season for St Lucie and Brooklyn.  if you ask me, he'll likely grab a spot in the Mets' rotation by some time in 2023.  Overall, 5-5, 3.03, 1.05 WHIP, 92 innings.  Nice season.  VERY nice pick.

2nd round comp pick OF Isaiah Greene went from the Mets to the Indians in the Lindor trade.  The 20 year old played 40+ games in 2021 and hit .289 with a .421 OBP in rookie ball.  Indians, perhaps, may have gotten themselves a good one.  Just 1 HR, though.  A much better Greene read will occur in 2022.

3rd rounder Anthony Walters was a cheap pick to save money towards the JT Ginn signing.  The cheaply signed Walters was kind of a flop, hitting .156 in 35 games.  He did walk 20 times, though, but his final walk as it turned out was when the Mets released him.  So, strategically cheap pick or not, I think a 3rd round pick not making it thru his debut season and being released is the definition of a failed pick.  

4th rounder C Matt Dyer wasn't hitting much when the Mets included him in the Rich Hill trade.  Those Rays are geniuses, though, it sure seems - after the trade, in 27 games, he hit a blistering .336/.383/.598.  Shades of Mike Piazza, it seems.  How good he really will be will become clearer in 2022.  Struggling in the Arizona Fall League, though.

5th round reliever, righty Eric Orze, made it all the way to Syracuse in his debut season.  3-2, 3.21 in 33 games, a 1.07 WHIP, and 62 Ks vs. 13 BBs in 47.2 IP.  in 9 AAA outings, 2.61.  Sounds like a guy who should be expected to help the Mets' pen in 2022.  An EXCELLENT pick for round 5, if you ask me.

Overall, had the Mets kept Crow and Greene (except Walters), it seems it would have been graded as a brief, but outstanding, 2020 Mets draft.  

That said, I miss the Crow.  Caw, Caw!  

My fear?  The Crow will be picking at the Mets' carcass in a few years.  Ouch.

Next up? 2021.  

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