Five Starters That Will Should Be Around At 1.32

Tom Brennan and I have discussed this over and over. The Mets need to put aside the “best player available” system in the 2023 draft and target starters in, at least, the first two picks. 

Here are five starters that should be available when the Mets pick at 1.32:

 

RHP Teddy McGraw 

 Wake Forest

2022 WF stat line - 15-G, 12-ST, 5-2, 4.08, 70.2-IP, 67-K 

12-9-22 - 2023 MLB MOCK DRAFT 1.0

https://throughthefencebaseball.com/2023-mlb-mock-draft-1-0-pirates-taking-who/

28. Houston Astros: Teddy McGraw, RHP, Wake Forest

McGraw’s sinker is the best in the entire class and probably last year’s class as well. He’s got a high-spin rate slider that’s topped north of 3000 rpm too. If he can miss more bats in 2023, his pure stuff will carry him higher from the back half of the first round. 

12-6-22 - 2023 MLB DRAFT - MOCK DRAFT 2.0 - https://www.prospectslive.com/prospects-live/2022-mlb-mock-draft-n78w7-st9r4-wa35p-2n5ls-8addg-ed27s?s=03 - 

24. Atlanta Braves

Teddy McGraw, RHP, Wake Forest 

McGraw features the best sinker at the top of the 2023 class with extreme boring action into right-handed bats. He’s dabbled with a four-seamer as well, a move that might behoove his future production given his low-release. McGraw has a high-spin slider that’s peaked north of 3000 rpm too. There’s also feel for an average changeup in this profile. McGraw needs to miss more bats in 2023, but he’s got the pure stuff to go much higher than this. 

 

RHP Travis Sykora

 Round Rock HS (TX) 

12-28-22 - 2023 MLB Draft – Top 50 High School Prospects

https://www.prospects1500.com/general/2023-mlb-draft-top-50-high-school-prospects/ 

8. Travis Sykora, RHP, Round Rock HS (TX) – At 6’6” and 220 lbs. Sykora fits the bill as your prototypical big Texan righty. His fastball will hit triple digits and sit 96-97 although it can get flat at times. His best secondary offering is a slider that is best at the 85-87 range with late two plane break. He has a change that needs improvement as sometimes it runs, sometimes it has cut action right about 86-87. He has a hitchy 3/4 slot delivery with a big leg kick that is very Nolan Ryan-esque in its look, which is a fitting look for a kid in Texas. 

12-7-22 - MLB DRAFT 2023: WINTER'S MOCK DRAFT - https://www.prepbaseballreport.com/news/PBR/MLB-Draft-2023-Mock-Draft-First-Edition-4397815602?s=03 - 

24

Braves

Travis Sykora

RHP>

Round Rock HS (TX)

Producing triple-digit heat from an imposing but athletic frame, Sykora can bully hitters with the fastball and he carries some unteachable attributes that have him only scratching the surface in terms of polish. 

10-19-22 - https://www.prospectslive.com/prospects-live/2022/1/15/2023-mlb-draft-prospects-fx4td?s=03 - 

45 RHP

Travis Sykora

Round Rock

Sykora is an unbelievably powerful athlete with two-way potential, though almost everyone believes he's an arm at the next level. Locked and loaded with a high leg kick and massive velocity potential, Sykora is already well into the upper 90s, approaching triple digits with a fastball that varies in shape. 

At it's best, Sykora can produce a ton of vertical riding action. He throws a shorter, cutterish slider in mid-80s, though it lacks spin. Skeptics are unsure if he'll ever be able to supinate enough to develop a breaking ball that's a true weapon. His best pitch secondary is a tumbling changeup that, when harnessed, acts as an out-pitch for the lanky righty. 

The arm talent here is really significant and the projection is huge. If Sykora ends up on campus, he could be the Longhorns next unhittable ace. If he stays healthy and keeps on this development track, he'll be extremely enticing to teams in July.

 

RHP Juaron Watts-Brown 

RHP Long Beach State

2022 LBS stat line - 15-G, 12-ST, 4-4, 3.68, 1.08, 73.1-IP, 111-K 

12-6-22 - 2023 MLB DRAFT - MOCK DRAFT 2.0 - https://www.prospectslive.com/prospects-live/2022-mlb-mock-draft-n78w7-st9r4-wa35p-2n5ls-8addg-ed27s?s=03 - 

38. Cincinnati Reds

Juaron Watts-Brown, RHP, Oklahoma State 

Watts-Brown has surged up boards after a loud fall, touching 97 with an absolute banger slider and a changeup that’s really coming along. The Reds will do well adding to their future rotation with the addition of Watts-Brown and his explosive stuff. 

11-28-22 - 2023 MLB Draft: College Top 100 Prospects - https://d1baseball.com/prospects/2023-mlb-draft-college-top-100-prospects/ - 

22 Juaron Watts-Brown    RHP Oklahoma State Big 12 

11-12-22 - 2023 MLB Draft – Top 50 College Prospects -

https://www.prospects1500.com/mlb-draft/2023-mlb-draft-top-50-college-prospects/ 

33. Juaron Watts-Brown, RHP, Oklahoma State – The transfer portal is alive and well in college baseball, as Watts-Brown is yet another transfer on this list, moving from the Dirtbags of Long Beach State to the Pokes of Oklahoma State. JWB comes from a bit higher than 3/4 arm slot, but his fastball can get flat at times but does play up thanks to good extension. 

He also features a slider, curve, and change with the slider looking like a potential plus offering and the curve and 11-5 breaker that could get to plus as well. His change is behind both other offspeed offerings, but overall this is an arm that will has somewhat come out of nowhere and could be a dominant arm in the Big 12. 

10-19-22 - https://www.prospectslive.com/prospects-live/2022/1/15/2023-mlb-draft-prospects-fx4td?s=03 - 

30 RHP

Juaron Watts-Brown

Oklahoma State

"JWB" broke out in his first full season at Long Beach State, showing off his tantalizing skillset and upside as a starter. He transferred to Oklahoma State for 2023. He features a highly projectable frame with long limbs and a loose and easy arm action. His entire operation is smooth and effortless, boding well for a future starting role. 

He has feel for a standard four-pitch mix all with distinct shape. His fastball has big ride while averaging around seven feet of extension from a low launch. Both of his breaking balls have distinct shape, one being a tight slider, the other a hammer 11/5 curveball. The slider is nasty with fantastic tunnel off the fastball and sharp, late break. 

Watts-Brown has been up into the upper-90s and will routinely sits in the low-to-mid 90s during his starts. There's a lot of reasons to buy this arm in July and scouts have taken notice.

 

LHP Grayson Hitt

 Alabama

12-7-22 - MLB DRAFT 2023: WINTER'S MOCK DRAFT - https://www.prepbaseballreport.com/news/PBR/MLB-Draft-2023-Mock-Draft-First-Edition-4397815602?s=03 -

16

Giants

Grayson Hitt

LHP

Houston HS (TN)

The top left-hander in the college class continues his ascent into the middle of the first round. 

11-28-22 - 2023 MLB Draft: College Top 100 Prospects - https://d1baseball.com/prospects/2023-mlb-draft-college-top-100-prospects/ - 

11 Grayson Hitt LHP Alabama SEC 

11-17-22 - 2022 Fall Report: Alabama - https://d1baseball.com/fall-report/2022-alabama/  

The biggest difference for Alabama from years past is the presence of two big-time bullets on the mound in lefthander Grayson Hitt and righty Ben Hess, who have the stuff to match up with any duo in the SEC. 

Hitt was a highly regarded recruit two years ago who struggled in limited action as a freshman, then took a step forward and earned a rotation spot as a sophomore, finishing 4-3, 5.34 with 68 strikeouts against 30 walks in 60.2 innings last spring. He flashed exciting potential last year, but he made a huge leap this fall and was one of the buzziest rising prospects in the country. 

“Grayson Hitt has made a jump, that’s the story of the staff,” Bohannon said. “All the scouts that were here said that guy’s not getting out of the first round or supplemental picks. He was working 93-96, up to 97 multiple times, just commanding four pitches, with a little more fastball, but he’s always had some stuff and now he’s looking like a pitcher, commanding the ball, working ahead in the count. 

He’s always had a good slider, just kind of changed the grip on it and throwing it harder like a cutter, it’s a good pitch. Most of these young pitchers, they think they have a curveball and a slider and they kind of look the same. For Grayson it’s a distinct pitch, a 12-6, it’s a good offering. 

Everything else he throws is hard and they just don’t swing at his curve, and he throws it for a strike. I don’t think I would say it’s swing-and-miss banger, but they just don’t swing at it and he’s always had the ability to throw it for a strike. And it’s a good changeup.”

 

LHP Alan Hachman 

 Timberland HS 

12-28-22 - 2023 MLB Draft – Top 50 High School Prospects

https://www.prospects1500.com/general/2023-mlb-draft-top-50-high-school-prospects/

16. Adam Hachman, LHP, Timberland HS (MO) – Hachman is very much a high ceiling, low floor prospect as he has electric stuff, but incredibly inconsistent. He is 6’5” and just over 200 lbs., with a short arm back into a good extension 3/4 slot delivery with a healthy leg kick and good leg drive, there are a lot of moving parts that too often find themselves out of sync for consistent results currently. 

The fastball might be the best of any lefty in the class as it sits 92-95 with plenty of projection to increase in time and he has the making of a solid curve and change. 

If Hachman can show better command and feel for the offspeed in the Spring, he will rocket up boards, if he continues to struggle with consistency, he is a risky pick but sky is the limit given that fastball. 

12-14-22 - Here's a first look at 2023's top Draft prospects -

https://www.mlb.com/news/draft-top-100-prospects-list-2023?s=03 

#41  Adam Hachman

LHP, Timberland (MO)

Scouting grades: Fastball: 65 | Curveball: 55 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 45 | Overall: 50

Hachman offers more upside than any left-hander in the 2023 Draft and has a chance to become the first Missouri prep pitcher taken in the first round since Jacob Turner in 2009. 

He barely pitched during his high school junior season because of a forearm strain and struggled to throw strikes at the outset of the showcase circuit, but he rebounded to repeatedly push his fastball to the upper 90s by the end of the summer. He also served as one of the top relievers on the U.S. team that won the 18-and-under World Cup in September. 

Hachman's fastball sat at 94-97 mph and topped out at 99 later at the East Coast Pro Showcase, and its outstanding induced vertical break coming out of his high arm slot makes it even tougher to hit. There's the potential for more velocity as he fills out his 6-foot-5 frame. He also flashes a plus curveball with power and depth, though it lacks consistency in terms of quality and strikes.

Primarily a fastball pitcher at this point, Hachman also owns a rudimentary mid-80s changeup. He doesn't have the smoothest delivery, though it also doesn't have any glaring red flags and the hope is that he'll develop average control once he adds more strength and experience. An Arkansas recruit, he comes with reliever risk but also a legitimate swing-and-miss fastball.