Mets Draft Target - OF - Austin Wilson

Today begins a new feature that we will take up to the June draft. Every day, at 2pm, we will feature a targeted player that should be available when the Mets make at least one of their first three picks. The plan here is to educate you on each of them, tell you what others have said about them, and take any questions you have.

We're starting off with one of my favorites, Stanford outfielder Austin Wilson.

Wilson was a first-team All-American and there was no way in hell he would drop to #11, but baseball players get injured and injuries cause players to drop in the draft. He's an excellent right fielder, capable of 15-20 steals per year. He has showed patience at the plate and can spray to both gaps consistently.

Wilson started off this mock season as one of the top five picks in the draft but was slowed down due to a 'stress reaction near the tip of his elbow' on February 26th. The hope was he's be back early, but he didn't return to action until April 25th.

Since then (as of 5-7), his stat line reads: .315/.412/.562, 73-AB, 4-HR, 19-RBI. 

http://www.collegebaseballinsider.com/13Preseason/13P12Preview.html ranked Wilson as one of the top two defensive outfielders in the PAC-12 as well as one of the biggest power threats in the division.

http://baseballdraftreport.com/tag/austin-wilson/  had him (in 2011) possessing "plus-plus power, plus-plus arm strength, and above average athleticism all wrapped up in a tight end strong 6-5, 250 pound frame."

http://www.lookoutlanding.com/2013/4/9/4203296/draft-prospect-austin-wilson-of-stanford-university  - Power - To put it in a phrase, Wilson is "strong like bull." Unfortunately, you don't get to see that strength at times because of the way Stanford teaches their hitters to pretty much never pull anything ever (hyperbole, but not as hyperbolic as you'd think). Still, he's got power to all fields, and plenty of bat speed that should lead to plus power at the next level.

http://www.coast2coastprospects.com/austin-wilson.html - At the plate, Wilson's swing is simple and clean and he generates good bat speed thanks to his pure strength and athleticism. His arm from the outfield has been clocked as high as 98 mph coming out high school and he is a good runner for his size, turning in 60 times under the 7 second mark. He can definitely handle a corner outfield position, and if the bat develops as many predict it will, Wilson has a chance to be a special talent.



Downside - Purists of the game simply hate Wilson's batting stance and sometimes freestyle swing, but those things can be corrected with the right coaches. Remember... this guy goes to Stanford which isn't famous for its fundamentals

ETA - There's no reason he couldn't finish 2013 in St. Lucie, start 2014 in Binghamton, and be ready for opening day at CitiField in 2015.