Mack - My Thoughts On The Mets First Two 2023 Draft Picks

 

                                                            (1969 - Woodstock, NY)

Good morning.

There was only one certainty in this draft and that was that the first two players that would be picked both played their college ball at LSU. After that, it's all chop suey. 

It's impossible to predict who the Mets would pick with the 32nd pick in this draft because there would be 31 names called before they got a turn. They could have spent countless hours scouting, evaluating, and talking to a certain play, only to have him be picked by another team the slot before you. That's the game of the draft. Like I said. Chop suey.

Everyone that is an expert at these things says a team needs to draft the "best player available". And yet, we all know the Mets are very weak in chain starters and some (including me), have called for one of them to be drafted with the first pick. Hell, I said the first three picks.

The thought on this is... oh... let's say the top catcher, RIGHT HAND HITTING Kyle Teel was still on the board when the Mets picked. He obviously would be the right choice, especially snce he is a rarity in the game... a right hand power hitter with ++ defensive skills and a gun for an arm.

But you say, why pick a catcher? The team already has the most exciting one to come into the game in decades (Francisco Alvarez) and a top prospect three levels away in Kevin Parada.

What you fail to realize is having a franchise for top catchers gives you incredible trading capabilities down the road. You can fill in your cracks, even starters, by trading one or two of these guys.

That's how the "BPA" (best player available) works.

I believe that my friend, Joe Doyle, is the premier draft guru in the game. Hell, his last post had the top 600 players, in order, eligible for this draft. 

600. 

That's absolutely no life beyong baseball.

Joe had Houck at 1.22...     1.22....    saying this:

22

SS

Colin Houck

Parkview — Lilburn, GA

A decorated two-sport athlete, Houck has plenty of opportunities to play quarterback at the D1 level should he elect to go that direction. On the diamond, he's a twitchy, athletic shortstop with a strong arm and hittability that evaluators believe could really surge if he gives up the gridiron. Houck is quiet and compact at the plate with average bat speed, though his willingness to spray the ball deep gap-to-gap is what has scouts excited. There's some questions as to whether power will ever be a huge part of his game, but who knows what can happen once he dedicates to his craft. The floor here is a true shortstop with a solid hit tool.

The other guy I totally respect is The Athletic's Keith Law.

Here's was Law said about the Mets first pick:

32. New York Mets: Colin Houck, SS, Parkview High (Lilburn, Ga.)

No. 10 on Law’s Big Board

Houck was definitely sliding this week after it seemed like he was going to go in the early teens for a good part of the spring, but the Mets end up getting great value here in that regard, pouncing on a player who should never have gotten near them. Houck looks like he’s really going to hit – it’s a quiet setup and swing with great hand acceleration, producing hard contact with excellent launch angles to foresee plus power. He’s not a shortstop but has the hands to stay on the dirt, probably at third base, although he’s going to be a big kid when he finishes filling out. It’ll come down to the hit tool and how good his approach is. If he shows some pitch and ball/strike recognition, the Mets may have gotten a top-15 talent without having a first-round pick.

Scouting Report: Houck is a two-sport star who is committed to Mississippi State for baseball only, giving up the gridiron in favor of the diamond, although he’s done well enough this spring that he’s probably never going to Starkville except as a tourist. Houck has a super quiet approach, with some present power now that projects to plus, as he uses his hips and legs well and generates good launch angles off the bat. He’s reasonably disciplined already, with some weakness against high fastballs. He has the arm and hands for short but he’s already big for the position and may end up at third base instead. He’s going to get some comparisons to 2021 first-rounder Brady House, also from Georgia, also a big shortstop who hit the ball even harder than Houck does, although I think Houck’s overall profile is quite similar. The bat is the real carrying tool here, regardless of where he plays.

It's obvious that Houck should never have bee around at 1.32. Maybe other's thought he would go football. Still others knew he had slot demands. Asking for more money means nothing to Cohen. It probably makes him like the guy even more. Look for a huge signing bonus here, using money they saves when they couldn't sign one of their last year's top picks... oh, you're gonna love this one...

The Mets drafted Florida RHSP Brandon Sproat in the 3rd round last year. Sproat chose to pass and go back to school for another year. The word is he was hoping for a larger signng bonus.

Well, this year the Mets drafted him again in the second round, which should bring a much larger truck in Brandon's driveway. 

You know the Mets did the research here last season. Theymust have liked what they saw enoough to keep track of him this season.

Doyle had him at 2.85:

85

RHP

Brandon Sproat

Florida — Pace, FL

Sproat went unsigned as the No. 90 overall pick in the 2022 draft. He has tremendous arm talent, though putting it all together on the field has been streaky. Fastball, slider, cutter, changeup mix. Fastball sits 94-96 over extended outings, but Sproat can run it up to 99 over shorter appearances. It's a heavy heater with run and sink but lacks deception. Slider is a mid 80s, short breaker that he commands well at the bottom of the zone. Changeup is a firm, high-80s offspeed offering that is more of a ground ball pitch than a strikeout weapon right now. Despite the sensational stuff, Sproat must learn to hide the baseball and miss more bats to reach his ceiling. That being said, you'd be hard-pressed to find many arms available in the 2023 class that have this kind of exceptional athleticism and pure arm talent.

So, what do I think?

Am I happy with the 346th shortstop and a starter that Law says was "slipping"?

Or should I be thrilled that a top prospect like Houck fell to them and they also drafted one of the top 15 righties in this draft?

Hmm....