We now move on to one of the reasons they pay me around here
(sic)… making sure all of you are up to speed on the players available in the
next draft. We still don’t know the exact pick the Mets will have in the first
round, but we will know it will be a good one. We also know they will have
another pick in the top 100, so this series will cover, at worst, the first two
Mets pick in 2027.
A lot of personal reflection here, especially with the first
player I pick here:
Tague Davis, 1B, Louisville
21/yrs. old – 6-4, 220 – LHH
2026 – NCAA/Louisville – 231-AB, 70-K,
34-HR, 98-RBI,
36-BB, .355/.443/.848/1.292
Hey Tom. Looking for power?
Hey Gus. Looking for first baseman?
Sure, his K/9% is high but isn’t all first basemen? I mean,
this guy did lead all of Division 1 with 34 homers in 2026. That’s power,
right?
He looks like a lumberjack with a twig in his mitts. Did I
tell you he hits without batting gloves? This is so Ted
Kluszewski like.
Scout grade his power potential as 70-grade; however, he
currently has 30-grade bat-to-ball skills. Chases breaking balls too often.
Work is needed here, but look at the monster you are working with?
Defensively, possesses one of the best gloves in baseball.
So… Alonzo power with a Keith glove on his hands.
Sign me up.
Dax Whitney, RHP, Oregon
State
20/yrs. old – 6-5/220 –
2026/Oregon State: 11-ST,
6-1, 2.00, 0.95, 63.0-IP, 18-BB, 104-K
Whitney was easily the top pitcher in this draft before he
went under the knife in May for a torn right UCL (TJS). Is Gus’s favorite
pitcher still worth a pick this early? The Mets have been known to draft top
prospects that just came off the IL. Will they do that again? Should they do it
again (he will not be ready come opening day)? As for talent, no one in this
draft has this much. Already runs a fastball up to 101 (sits in upper 90s).
Three excellent secondary pitches, including a Chase
Burns-like cutter. Labeled as the best pitching prospect since Paul Skenes. A 36.7% whiff rate in 2026.
Me?
I really don’t want another Blade Tidwell, or Calvin Zeigler
on this team, but I also have to recognize that Whittley has the God-given
talent that only comes around once in a while. Luckily, I don’t have to make
the call here. I just break out the research.
Tomas Valincius, LHP,
Mississippi State
21/yrs. old – 6-2/225
2026/Mississippi State - 17-ST,
11-2, 3.50, 1.07,
97.2-IP, 20-BB, 134-K
Looking for a healthy, highly talented, starter?
Valincius spent his freshman year at Virginia, then followed
his coach Brian O’Connor to Mississippi
State.
Three-pitch mix… a deceptive fastball that sits around 95
mph (98), a mid-80s slider with depth that missed bats at a 48-percent clip (Synergy),
and an effective mid-80s changeup. Smooth delivery with short. Quick arm
action. Best secondary pitch is his mid-80s slider. Also has a feel for upper-80s
changeup.
Needs to work on developing more run than carry on his
fastball.
Rarely walks batters. And, he’s had all this successful
while pitching to batters in the SEC.
Did I tell you he’s a lefty?
10 comments:
You have my full attention, Tague Davis!
It's hard not to want this guy
Three talents ibdeed. Will Tague be the choice.. Better than Amick? Time will tell. Always need (healthy) pitching.
Whitney could drop.to 1.10 due to his injury
Not much more
Sign me up for the pitchers.
(I really expected Gus to chime in re: Dax)
Mack,
Davis not only looks good, he could be both a " best player available" and a "needs player" as well.
If the draft choices fall right and the Mets do not sign a player with a CO, the Mets could possibly draft 3 players from the top 100 prospects with their first 3 round picks.
Mack, I just saw this. But to use the piece of paper Kevin Costner held in the movie Draft Day in his pocket, Dax Whitney, or no one.
After Kevin Parada, I don’t trust college stats. But, I trust 101 with three excellent secondaries. From mlb.com:
“ Whitney might have topped this list as the best college arm in the class had it not been for a torn UCL that required a hybrid Tommy John/internal brace procedure. When he’s healthy, he comes at hitters with a fastball up to 101 mph and three excellent secondaries in his slider, curve and changeup. It seems unlikely that he’s going to pitch competitively in 2027, but he could be ready to throw bullpens for teams as the Draft approaches.”
Draft the player with the highest ceiling. It'd be interesting to see if Whitney would sign for a bit less than slot
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