After taking one player each from the collegiate and high school pools on the first night of the 2017 MLB First Year Player Draft, the New York Mets opted to go the safe route and select a group of low risk/low reward players from the NCAA on day two. With their eight picks on Tuesday the Mets took two outfielders, in addition to six right-handed pitchers.
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- Mets Select LHP Peterson in First Round | Mets Go Prep With Vientos in Second Round
- Day One Recap: Peterson, Vientos Solidify High Upside Haul
- Day Two Profiles: Round 3, 4, 5, 6/7, 8/9/10
- Draft Tracker
- Draft Preview
- 2016 Draft In Review
- Mock Coverage: 5/12, 5/19, 6/4
The festivities resumed Tuesday afternoon with the third round, in which the Mets selected Quinn Brodey, an outfielder from Stanford University. Brodey, a California native, was ranked by MLB Pipeline as the 173rd best available prospect, while Baseball America placed him at 188. The left-handed hitting junior swung a hot bat for the Cardinal in 2017, slashing .314/.371/.556 with 11 home runs and 51 RBI.
“Scouts gave him no pluses among his tools,” wrote BA in their scouting report, “but grade him as average across the board, with present strength and some feel for the barrel.”
When the fifth round rolled around, Brodey had to be elated that his college teammate, 1B/OF Matt Winaker, was also selected by the Mets. Winaker played mostly at first base for Stanford in his amateur career, but he was announced as an outfielder on Tuesday, and that is where he will likely end up. He prides himself on excellent strike zone judgement, along with an improving power stroke.
The only other junior taken by the Mets was RHP Tony Dibrell, the team’s fourth round selection from Kennesaw State. Standing at 6’3″, 190 lbs, he has drawn physical comparisons to Edwin Jackson, and while he threw a hefty amount for the Owls this season, Dibrell’s fastball still reaches 96 mph, according to MLB Pipeline, who also ranked him #116 in the draft. He complements the hard stuff with potentially above-average secondary pitches in a change-up and slider.
In 14 starts in 2017, Dibrell went 7-4 with a 2.45 ERA and 9.69 K/9.
Once they hit the sixth round, it appeared as if the Mets were simply making an attempt to save money, selecting five consecutive college senior pitchers to end their night. Four year players from the amateur ranks traditionally take significantly lower signing bonuses than those who leave school before graduation.
With their sixth and seventh selections, the Mets took two west coasters in Marcel Renteria (New Mexico State) and Conner O’Neil (Cal State Northridge). Renteria received a solid scouting report from Baseball America:
Just 5-foot-10, 175 pounds, Renteria nevertheless may have a bullpen future in pro ball. A transfer from Pima (Ariz.) JC, he stepped in as New Mexico State’s ace and led it to the top seed in the Western Athletic Conference tournament. He pitched poorly there but had a strong season thanks to two above-average pitches, a 92-94 mph fastball that touches 97 but can lack plane, and a power curveball that he used as his strikeout pitch. His 9.8 K/9 led the conference.
The Mets finished their night with Oklahoma State Cowboy Trey Cobb, Arkansas Razorback Cannon Chadwick, and Kansas Jayhawk Stephen Villines.
The draft rolls into its final day on Wednesday, with rounds 11 through 40. It is not unreasonable to expect the Mets to attempt a splash in the prep ranks, given the quiet selections on day two.
Beginning at noon, we will have complete coverage over at MetsMinors.net of day three, with scouting reports, reaction, and more.
