Mets pick #13

Folks, I asked a friend of mine, XMLBScout, to give us his thoughts on who the Mets should target with the 13th overall pick in the upcoming draft.

The "X-man" has fogotton more about scouting than I know and you can find his thoughts at his own site, A Scout's View.

I thank him for his post today and let's hope he comes back again real soon. - Mack

Lucky 13 is the Mets 2011 MLB Draft slot huh? Well folks, the Mets are not real deep at the catcher position and there are two catchers who could fall into this draft slot position, also this club can use another bat in their lineup in the form of a strong position player, someone with tools very similar to Ryan Zimmerman and the player closest to that comparison is Jason Esposito from nearby Amity, Connecticut, he's attending Vanderbilt, a club that is "LOADED" with draft talent for 2011! As many as 5 Commodores could be drafted in the 1st round in 2011. Jason has a compact swing with power to all fields, runs very well underway, he has enough instincts to steal 20 or more bases in the majors, he has a strong, plus throwing arm and good glove actions at the corner, he's competent at SS and he could also move to 2b eventually. Being that versatile is something the Mets currently lack and that is a player with versatility. Jose Uribe did this for the Giants and that seemed to work out pretty well. Now if the Mets see Esposito go before they pick at #13, all the eyes could be in New Mexico, where prep receiver Blake Swihart, a switch hitter with tools could be available, even with his commitment to the U of Texas, Blake is about 3 years from reaching the big leagues. He has the type of frame to fill out and be a very productive 5 or 6 hole hitter with alley power from both sides of the plate. He has a plus release and plus throwing arm and has improved his ability as a receiver a position he has not played all that long at the varsity level, so here we have a player that has yet to tap his full potential, which is something the Mets would welcome. Being a quick study as Blake has been only adds value to this pick. These two players appear to be slotted just right, but we are talking Turkey here folks, because one, it's very early to project that far into early June 2011, but on paper right now, those are the two names that appear to be right for the picking in 2011. Be sure to keep an eye on the free-agents that the Mets lose this winter as well as they could reap the rewards of adding a compensation pick in the first round, if that does happen Bethune-Cookman catcher, Pete O'Brien could be there. Pete has the most raw power out of the available 2011 MLB Draft prospects at the catcher position and he possesses the arm strength and ability to learn to aid in his development quickly to the ML level. If ya'll remember, there was a Pete O'Brien who played for the Texas Rangers years ago and attended the U of Nebraska, but folks, there is no relation here and this Pete will make his own mark in the big leagues and be the type of receiver that gets the job done. It may not always be pretty, but it would be a lot better than what Schneider and Thole has shown for the Mets currently! 2011 MLB will be a deep draft! Stay tuned!


xMLBScout