How Mets’ 2023 Draft Picks Fared In First Season

During the 2023 MLB draft the Mets selected a total of 23 players, including seven within the first four rounds. The Mets agreed to deals with their first 14 draft selections and 20 overall, with college pitchers Brady Kirtner and Christian Little, and prep pitcher Gavyn Jones choosing to forgo signing with the team.

Most, but not all, of the draft choices who elected to sign made their brief pro debuts during the 2023 season, and the Mets are hoping that for some it was the start of a long and successful career within the organization. Let’s take a look at how the Mets’ 2023 draft picks did during their first taste of pro ball.

1st Round (#32) Colin Houck – SS

The Mets’ first selection in the draft played in just 10 games in his first professional season, all with the FCL Mets. Though he primarily played shortstop, Houck spent two games at third base and another at second base, demonstrating his defensive versatility. He did commit four errors, including two at shortstop in his first game of the season.

At the plate, Houck slashed .273/.400/.333/.733 and recorded four RBIs. Through 33 at-bats, Houck recorded just one extra-base hit (a triple), but demonstrated a good eye at the plate by walking seven times. He also struck out nine times and was caught stealing on his only stolen base attempt.

2nd Round (#56) Brandon Sproat – RHP

The Mets failed to sign Sproat after selecting him in the third round of the 2022 draft and they wouldn’t let him get away again, this time coming to a deal with him after selecting him in the second round of the 2023 draft. Sproat didn’t make his professional debut with the club this season, however, as he was coming off a senior season with the Florida Gators in which he threw a career-high 106 1/3 innings.

3rd Round (#91) Nolan McLean – RHP/DH

The two-way player out of Oklahoma State demonstrated his ability both with the bat and on the mound between the FCL Mets and the Low-A St. Lucie Mets. In very limited action, McLean struggled at the plate with a .125/.375/.313/.688 slash through 24 plate appearances. Some positives to take away at the plate are that he clubbed a home run in the six games that he played and also recorded at least one walk in each of those games.

McLean saw more success on the mound, albeit in another very limited sample size. He took the mound twice, both times for the FCL Mets, and allowed just one earned run in 3 1/3 innings pitched. He also allowed just one hit, struck out two, and walked two in those appearances.

3rd Round (#101) Kade Morris – RHP

The Mets’ second pick of the third round also saw very limited time on the field between both the FCL Mets and the Low-A St. Lucie Mets. With the FCL Mets, Morris made just one appearance, allowing a run in one inning pitched. His next appearance came nearly a month later with the St. Lucie Mets, where he went further into the game. He threw 2 1/3 innings pitched and allowed a run on one hit and two walks while striking out three.

4th Round (#123) Wyatt Hudepohl – RHP

The Mets agreed to terms with their first pick in the fourth round with a slightly underslot deal. Like Sproat, however, Hudepohl didn’t make his pro debut this season as he was coming off a season with UNC-Charlotte in which he threw 105 1/3 innings.

4th Round (#134) A.J. Ewing – SS

The Mets’ signed this prep middle infielder to an overslot deal, and he actually didn’t play any shortstop with the FCL Mets. Ewing spent most of his time at second base but also saw some action in left field and center field. Ewing demonstrated impressive discipline at the plate in just 21 plate appearances, recording four hits and five walks for a .524 on-base percentage and an .881 OPS.

4th Round (#135) Austin Troesser – RHP

The Mets had back-to-back compensation picks in the fourth round, using the first to take Ewing and the second to take this pitcher out of Missouri. Troesser pitched just one inning for the FCL Mets this season, and although he allowed a walk and a hit-by-pitch, he recorded all three of his outs via the strikeout.

Read our interview with Troesser here.

5th Round (#159) Zach Thornton – LHP

Thornton did not pitch for the Mets’ organization in 2023. He pitched 88 1/3 innings in his season at Grand Canyon before pitching ten more innings in the MLB Draft League.

6th Round (186) Jack Wenninger – RHP

Although he also pitched 80-plus innings in his 2023 collegiate season and again in the MLB Draft League, Wenninger did make his pro debut with the Mets. The pitcher made one appearance for the FCL Mets, striking out one batter in a clean inning. He then made his final appearance of the year with the St. Lucie Mets, where he threw for 1 1/3 innings and allowed two runs on a hit and two walks while striking out three.

7th Round (216) Noah Hall – RHP

The Mets’ seventh round pick out of South Carolina did not make his pro debut in 2023. He had recorded a 3.29 ERA during the first half of his collegiate season before missing the rest of the season with back injuries.

8th Round (246) Boston Baro – SS

Baro played all over the infield with the FCL Mets, spending time at second base, third base, and shorstop. The 18-year-old impressed at the plate in just 24 plate appearances. He recorded six hits, two of which were doubles, two RBIs, and a slash line of .316/.458/.421/.879. He also managed to walk five times while striking out just once.

9th Round (276) Nick Lorusso – 3B

The 22-year-old Lorusso started his career with the Low-A St. Lucie Mets, bypassing rookie ball. He recorded a larger sample size at the plate than most on this list, but it wasn’t pretty. In 89 at-bats with St. Lucie, he didn’t record a single home run and endured a slash line of .169/.250/.270/.520. Pro ball was clearly an adjustment for Lorusso, who had recorded 26 home runs and a 1.211 OPS in his final collegiate season.

10th Round (306) Christian Pregent – C

Another one of the Mets’ older draft selections, Pregent also started out with the Low-A St. Lucie Mets but did end his year in High-A Brooklyn. He struggled at both levels, recording a .538 OPS in 13 plate appearances in Low-A before recording a .421 OPS in 26 plate appearances in High-A.

11th Round (336) Brett Banks – RHP

Banks appeared in three games with the FCL Mets. The reliever allowed just one run over 2 2/3 innings, recording two walks and no hits allowed. He also struck out three batters.

13th Round (396) Ben Simon – RHP

The righty reliever pitched in six games across two levels during the 2023 season. With the FCL Mets, Simon appeared in two games and pitched 1 2/3 innings. He didn’t allow a run or a walk, and he struck out two while allowing one hit. He had a rougher go of it with Low-A St. Lucie, allowing nine runs (five earned) over 4 2/3 innings pitched. He walked two batters, allowed eight hits, and struck out seven.

14th Round (426) John Valle – RHP

The Thomas Jefferson High School (Tampa, FL) product did not make his pro debut with the Mets in 2023.

15th Round (456) Justin Lawson – RHP

The 22-year-old out of NC State did not pitch for the Mets in 2023.

16th Round (486) Jake Zitella – 3B

The 18-year-old spent limited time with the FCL Mets mostly as a first baseman, though he did play some third base and even served as the designated hitter for a game. Zitella struggled in 21 plate appearances, posting a .167 batting average and a .508 OPS.

17th Round (516) Bryce Jenkins – RHP

The 22-year-old out of Tennesse pitched limited innings between the FCL Mets and Low-A St. Lucie Mets in 2023. In rookie ball, he pitched in two games for a total of 1 1/3 innings. He allowed one run (zero earned) while walking one and striking out another. In Low-A, Jenkins appeared in three games and struggled by allowing five runs (four earned) over 2 2/3 innings. In those appearances, he walked three and struck out three.

20th Round (606) Kellum Clark – OF

The Mets’ final selection of the 2023 draft impressed at the plate across rookie ball and Low-A. With the FCL Mets, Clark recorded an .885 OPS across 38 plate appearances, walking ten times and striking out seven times. In St. Lucie, he recorded a .726 OPS across 49 plate appearances, also knocking a home run in that span.