“With the eleventh pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, the New York Mets select Kevin Parada, a catcher out of Georgia Tech.” These are the words that high school and collegiate prospects dream about hearing on draft week; and for many, that dream is about to become a reality. The 2023 MLB Draft opens on Sunday at 7:00 p.m. in Seattle as part of the All-Star Week festivities. The draft goes from Sunday through Tuesday, with rounds one and two taking place on Sunday, rounds three through 10 on Monday, and concluding with rounds 11 through 20 on Tuesday.

Draft orders and final predictions are taking shape ahead of this weekend. Paul Skenes and Dylan Crews of the 2023 NCAA baseball National Champion LSU Tigers are expected to go at No. 1 and No. 2 in this year’s draft. If they do, they will join a historic rank of teammates to go in the top two picks.

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Another name that many will be paying attention to is 17-year-old Arjun Nimmala. He is expected to get drafted in the first round, and if he eventually made it to the big leagues, he would be the first of Indian descent to do so.

The Mets are currently slated to have 13 picks in this year’s draft, with seven of those picks being selected before the fifth round opens on Monday. According to recent mock draft reports, the Mets are expected to go after pitching early, but one mock draft report has the Mets going after an infielder who can play both shortstop and second base. The Mets bonus pool is $8,440,400 and

The current picks for the Mets include:

Competitive Balance Round A, pick No. 32 ($2,607,500)

The Mets were initially supposed to draft at No. 22 after finishing with a 101-61 record, but because they exceeded the competitive balance tax threshold b more than $40 million, they dropped out of Round 1 and dropped into the Competitive Balance Round A to No. 32.

The Mets were not the only teams to get pushed back. The Los Angeles Dodgers also got pushed back due to exceeding the competitive balance tax threshold as well.

Round 2, pick No. 56 ($1,474,500)

Round 3, pick No. 91 ($747,600)

Round 3, pick No. 101 ($666,500)

The Mets received the 101 selection as a compensation pick that they received after failing to sign Brandon Sproat in 2022.

Round 4, pick No. 123 ($536,500)

Round 4, pick No. 134 ($483,000)

The No. 134 pick the Mets received for losing Jacob deGrom to the Texas Rangers.

Round 4, pick No. 135 ($478,200)

The No. 135 pick is the Mets’ return for losing Chris Bassitt to the Toronto Blue Jays.

Round 5, pick No. 159 ($378,000)

Round 6, pick No. 186 ($299,800)

Round 7, pick No. 216 ($235,000)

Round 8, pick No. 246 ($192,900)

Round 9, pick No. 276 ($175,100)

Round 10, pick. No. 306 ($165,800)

Who the Mets are Predicted to Select at No. 32

As the MLB Draft continues to take shape, baseball analysts are announcing their latest mock drafts of where they believe top prospects will land. Two of three of the most recent mock draft predictions have the Mets selecting a pitcher with their compensation round pick at No. 32. Jim Callis of MLB.com has the Mets selecting a left-handed pitcher, while Kiley McDaniel of ESPN.com has them taking a right-handed pitcher.

However, the latest mock draft from MLB Pipeline has the Mets selecting an infielder, who as mentioned above earlier, has the potential to move around between shortstop and second base.

Per Jim Callis – Mets Select Left-handed Pitcher Joe Whitman

Jim Callis of MLB.com on June 29 released his most recent mock draft ahead of draft day. With the 32nd pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, Callis has the Mets selecting Joe Whitman, a left-handed pitcher out of Kent State University.

Whitman is the No. 37 prospect in this year’s draft, sitting one behind Jack Hurley, an outfielder from Virginia Tech. The 21-year-old lefty from Hudson, Ohio stands at 6’5”, 200lbs. He has a scouting report that rates his fastball as a 50, his slider a 60, his changeup 55, and his control 55, with an overall scouting grade of 50.

MLB scouts noted Whitman’s growth as a positive for teams looking to draft him. His fastball tops at 91-94 mph with riding action and good control and location. However, according to scouts, Whiteman controls his slider better than his fastball, which sits around 80 mph and has horizontal and vertical action. He also has a changeup that needs work but adds to his repertoire.

Whitman had a 9-2 record and a 2.56 ERA in 15 starts in 2023 for Kent State. He was MAC Pitcher of the Year and made First Team All-American. Of notability, he led Kent State pitchers in wins (9), innings pitched (81), and strikeouts, striking out 100 batters in 2023. He allowed two runs or fewer in 13 of his 15 starts and walked a total of just 29 batters through his 81 innings pitched.

Whitman also had two games (February 18 vs Jacksonville and April 2 vs Toledo) in which he struck out 11 batters in each of those starts.

With his improvement through 2023, scouts are calling Whitman a “legitimate three-pitch starter.”

Per Kiley McDaniel – The Mets select Right-handed Pitcher

Josh Knoth

Another reputable mock draft is from Kiley McDaniel of ESPN.com. He released his latest mock draft predictions last week as well, and has the Mets selecting the local product Josh Knoth – a right-handed pitcher from Patchogue-Medford High School in New York.

Knoth is ranked as the No. 98 prospect in this year’s draft by MLB.com. The 6’1,” 190lb righty is a verbal commit to Mississippi. Knoth’s scouting grades include a fastball at 55, a curveball at 60, a changeup at 45, and control at 50, with an overall scouting grade of 45.

Knoth, ranked No. 98 by MLB.com, is ranked No. 37 overall in the national Perfect Game rankings and the No. 8 right-handed pitcher. He is ranked at No. 2 overall in New York State and the No. 1 right-handed pitcher.

Scouts from Perfect Game say Knoth has a “nasty power curveball as his out pitch” and he also carries a fastball that touches 96. Scouts say he has an athletic build combined with “good present strength.”

Scouts compare Knoth to Lance McCullers for the way the ball releases out of his hand and the quickness of his arm. What scouts note as his main attraction, however, is his breaking ball, mainly his curveball that tops at 3,100 rpm and has an elite-level spin. Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo MLB.com both say that he has the best curveball in the 2023 draft.

When discussing the potential of Knoth, McDaniel wrote, “(He has) the best raw stuff in the draft behind Skenes.”

Per MLB Pipeline – The Mets Select Shortstop/ Second Baseman Kevin McGonigle

MLB Pipeline released their mock draft on July 6, which has the Mets going a different route. They have the Mets selecting Kevin McGonigle, a utility infielder out of Monsignor Bonner High School in Drexel, Pa., who has the capability of playing both shortstop and second base.

McGonigle is ranked No. 33 in this year’s draft according to MLB.com. Scouting grades grade his hitting at 60, power at 50, running at 50, arm at 50, and fielding at 50, with an overall rating of 50.

The 18-year-old McGonigle is 5’10,” 187 pounds, and bats left and throws right. Signing him after the draft may be challenging, as McGonigle is currently verbally committed to Auburn. However, the young prospect might not even be available to them, as reports show that he could get picked early after he put on a show throughout the summer showcase.

McGonigle was also a part of Team USA’s 18U team that won a gold medal and is described as one of the best pure hitters in the class. Scouts say he’s not afraid to be aggressive, attack fastballs, and barrels up the ball.

Not only is he also strong at the plate, but scouts say his knowledge of the sport naturally has also helped his baserunning and defensive abilities.

According to Perfect Game, McGonigle is ranked No. 7 overall and is the No. 3 ranked shortstop among Perfect Game prospects. He was also ranked the No. 1 overall shortstop and high school prospect in Pennsylvania, and was named Pennsylvania’s Gatorade Player of the Year with a batting average of over .400. Furthermore, McGonigle was also a 2022 All-American Classic Player.

The Mets have multiple directions they could take in the 2023 draft. Taking a pitcher would replenish their system, but as everyone knows, teams do not draft based on positional need, but by the best talent available. The Mets could use both pitching and a strong bat out of this year’s draft, but the No. 32 pick will answer who the Mets think will give the best chance of helping the club develop.