The Draft is approaching quickly, Thursday, at 7:00 PM, to be exact. The Mets will be on the clock by 7:50 in case you were wondering, so you can flip to the MLB Network while watching the game. With the number 10 pick in the first-round, after studying over 40 mock drafts, there are three possibilities that the draft experts project for the Mets, with condensed scouting reports.
Top Mets Probables
Sean Newcomb, LHP (Picked 10 times)
A tall left-handed starting pitcher from University of HARTFORD, he has comparisons to Jon Lester and has a fastball that lives at 91-94 mph, and touches 97, to go with a good slider. The knock on Newcomb is control.
Michael Conforto, OF (Picked 8 Times)
The outfielder from Oregon State University is probably the safest bat in the college class, projecting a .270 to .280 average bat with great plate discipline. He works the count constantly and has the potential for 20-25 home runs, maybe even more. The knock on him is that he isn’t too fleet of foot, and has a weak arm, so he is relegated to left field.
Trea Turner, SS (Picked 6 Times)
The lanky shortstop from North Carolina State University is probably the fastest player in the draft, even after reportedly losing a step of quickness to reduce his grade on the 20-80 scale from 80 to 70. He has the potential to hit around .280, with minimal power, around 5-10 home runs (or less) but play Shortstop well. The problem is that his bat speed has had reports of being only in the average category.
The truth of the matter, is that there is no real clear answer as to who the Mets will ultimately select, but these are the top targets, according to the Mock Drafts. All three are college players who will likely move quickly (Turner the fastest, pun intended).
The Top Target:
Lately, it has seemed that Turner is the top choice, but many believe he is not going to fall to the Mets at 10, as the Blue Jays also reportedly want him. Some say different, saying that they want Touki Touissant, but they would get him anyway, since they have the pick right after the Mets as well, and the Mets are not going to pick Touissant at ten. To get him, the Blue Jays have to pass on Turner for another top arm who would not be easy to pass up, such as Aaron Nola, then they would be able to take Touissant with the 11th pick, but it looks like Touissant might have a pre-draft deal in place for #11, leading Turner to be the Jays pick at #9.
The Other Two:
If Turner is off the board, then the next pick would likely be Newcomb, but there are some that say Newcomb could go as high as #6. But, at the same time, there are others who say he would be going later in the round as well. He is likely the next player the Mets are targeting after Turner. If both are off the board when #10 comes around, then the pick will be Conforto, which Baseball America is adamant they will choose. Just keep an eye out for the Blue Jays pick, because it might make all the difference in our draft selection this year. It should be at 7:45 on Thursday Night.
