Mets Historic First Round Picks

The Mets have selected 62 players in the first round of the June Amateur Draft since 1965. 41 players have made it to the Majors, which is a 66% rate.

Who are some of the first rounders who have seen the most success at the Major League level?

Jon Matlack – Jon was the 4th overall pick in 1967 and went onto a 13 year MLB career with the Mets (1971-77) and the Texas Rangers (1978-83). He appeared in 361 games with a 125-126 record and an ERA of 3.18 and 3 saves in 2,363 MLB innings. He pitched 200+ innings 7 times, including a career high 270 innings in 1978 where he had a record of 15-13 and an ERA of 2.27. He led the National League in shutouts in 1974 (7) and 1976 (6) while with the Mets. He was the 1972 Rookie of the Year when he went 15-10 with an ERA of 2.32 in 244 innings. He was also a 3 time all star with the Mets (1974, 1975, 1976) as well as the MVP of the 1975 game.
Tim Foli – Tim was the 1st overall pick of the 1968 draft and spent 16 seasons (1970-85) with the Mets, Expos, Giants, Pirates, Angels, and Yankees including two stints with the Mets (1970-71, 1978-79). Tim was also part of trade that brought Rusty Staub to the Mets from the Expos on April 5, 1972. In 1,696 games, Tim hit .251 with 25 HR and 501 RBI with 1515 base hits.
Lee Mazzilli – Lee was the 14th overall pick of the 1973 draft and spent 14 seasons in the majors (1976-1989) with the Mets, Rangers, Yankees, Pirates and Blue Jays, including two stints with the Mets (1976-1981, 1986-1989). He was traded by the Mets to the Texas Rangers on April 1, 1982 for Ron Darling and Walt Terrell before returning to the Mets as a free agent for the stretch run of the 1986 team. He played in 1,475 games and was a career .259 hitter with 93 HR, 460 RBI, a .359 OBP and 1,068 base hits. His 162 stolen bases as a Met is 6th all time for the franchise. He is 14th in franchise history with 796 hits, 15th in doubles (148), and 10th in walks (438). Lee was an All-Star with the Mets in 1979.
Wally Backman – Wally was the 16th overall pick of the 1977 draft. The current AAA manager for the Las Vegas 52s played 14 seasons in the Majors (1980-93 with the Mets (1980-88), Twins, Pirates, Phillies, and Mariners. He appeared in 1,102 games in the majors, batting .275 with 10 HR, 240 RBI, 893 hits, 138 doubles and 117 stolen bases.
Hubie Brooks – Hubie was the 4th pick of the 1978 draft. He played 15 years in the majors (1980-94) with the Mets (1980-84, 1994), Expos, Dodgers, Angels, and Royals. He appeared in 1,645 games and hit .269 with 149 HR, 824 RBI, and 1,608 base hits. Hubie was traded to the Expos on December 10, 1984 along with Floyd Youmans, Mike Fitzgerald, and Herm Winningham for Gary Carter. Hubie was also drafted on 5 prior occasions (by the Expos, Royals, White Sox- twice, A’s) before signing with the Mets and was a two-time All-Star with the Expos (1986, 1987).
Tim Leary – Tim was the 2nd overall pick of the 1979 draft. Tim played 13 seasons in the majors (1981, 1983-94) with the Mets (1981, 1983-84), Brewers, Dodgers, Reds, Yankees, Mariners, and Rangers. Tim did not have much success with the Mets, appearing in only 23 games before being sent to the Brewers in a 4 team trade in 1985 that brought Frank Willis to the Mets. He pitched in 292 MLB games (224 starts) and had a career record of 78-105 with an ERA of 4.36 and 1 save. He pitched 1,491 1/3 innings and in 1990, he led the American League in losses (19) while a member of the Yankees. His best season was with the 1988 World Champion Dodgers where he went 17-11 with a 2.91 ERA in 228 2/3 innings.
Darryl Strawberry – Darryl was the 1st overall pick of the 1980 draft. He played 17 seasons in the majors (1983-1999) with the Mets (1983-90), Dodgers, Giants, and Yankees. He was the 1983 Rookie of the Year with the Mets, an 8 time All-Star (including 7 times with the Mets), won two Silver Sluggers (1988, 1990). In 1988, Darryl led the NL in Slugging (.545) as well as Home Runs (39). He played in 1,535 games in his career and hit .259 with 335 HR and 1,000 RBI to go with 1,401 hits, and 898 runs scored. He was a member of the 30 club in 1987 with the Mets (39 HR, 36 SB) and is among Mets franchise leaders in games played (8th – 1,109), hits (9th – 1,025), doubles (8th – 187), triples (6th – 30), home runs (1st – 252), RBI (2nd – 733), walks (2nd – 580), strikeouts (2nd – 960), stolen bases (4th – 191), OBP (11th – .359), and slugging (2nd – .520). Darryl was inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame on August 1st, 2010.
Billy Beane – Billy was the 23rd overall pick in the 1980 draft and a compensation pick from the Pirates for Andy Hassler. While he did not see much success in 6 big league seasons as a player (1984-89) with the Mets (1984-85), Twins, Tigers and A’s where he hit just .219 in 148 games with 3 HR and 29 RBI, Billy has been the longtime General Manager of the A’s (1999-present) and was played by Brad Pitt in the 2011 film Moneyball, based on the 2003 book by Michael Lewis.
John Gibbons – John was the 24th pick of the 1980 draft and was a compensation pick from the Red Sox for Skip Lockwood, the third of the Mets first round picks that year. John had a less than spectacular major league playing career, appearing in 18 MLB games as a player with the Mets (1984,1986) and was a career .220 hitter with 1 HR (off not-pop star Michael Jackson) and 2 RBI. John has spent two stints and the manager of the Toronto Blue Jays (2004-08, 2013-present) and has a career managerial record of 379-393.
Dwight Gooden – Doc was the 5th overall pick of the 1982 draft and Once Upon a Time looked like a sure lock for Cooperstown. Doc played 16 seasons in the majors (1984-94, 1996-2000) with the Mets (1984-94), Yankees, Indians, Astros, and Devil Rays. Dwight had a career record of 194-112 with a 3.51 ERA and 3 saves. He appeared in 430 games (410 starts) and threw 2,800 2/3 innings, including 7 seasons of 200+ innings and 2,293 strikeouts (48th all time in MLB history). He was the 1984 NL Rookie of the year when he went 17-9 with a 2.60 ERA and a league leading 276 strikeouts in 218 innings. In 1985, Doc was the National League Cy Young Award winner when he went 24-4 with a 1.53 ERA. He won the pitching Triple Crown in 1985, leading the league in wins, ERA, and strikeouts (268) as well as threw a league leading 276 2/3 innings to go with a 0.97 WHIP. He was a 4 time All-Star with the Mets (1984, 1985, 1986, 1988). Dwight is among the Mets all time franchise leaders in wins (2nd – 157), ERA (6th – 3.10), games pitched (8th – 305), games started (3rd – 303), innings pitched (3rd – 2,169 2/3), strikeouts (2nd – 1,875), WHIP (6th – 1.17), and opponent batting average (8th – .235). Dwight Gooden was inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame on August 1st, 2010.
Calvin Schiraldi – Calvin was the 27th round pick in the 1983 draft and a supplemental pick for the loss of Pete Falcone. He pitched 8 seasons in the bigs (1984-91) with the Mets (1984-85), Red Sox, Cubs, Padres, and Rangers. He was part of the November 13, 1985 trade that brought Bob Ojeda to the Mets prior to the 1986 season. He appeared in 235 MLB games (47 starts) with a record of 32-39 and an ERA of 4.28 with 21 saves. In 553 1/3 innings, he struck out 471 batters. Calvin is best remembered as the losing pitcher for the Red Sox in both games 6 and 7 of the 1986 World Series.
Gregg Jefferies – Gregg was the 20th overall pick of the 1985 draft. He played 14 years in the bigs (1986-2000) with the Mets (1986-1991), Royals, Cardinals, Phillies, Angels, and Tigers. Gregg played in 1,465 MLB games and hit .289 with 126 HR, 663 RBI, 761 runs scored, 1,593 hits, 300 doubles, and 196 stolen bases. Gregg was a two-time All-Star with the Cardinals (1993, 1994), and led the National League in doubles (40) in 1990 while with the Mets. He was also a two-time Baseball America Minor League Player of the Year (1986, 1987). In December 2011, Gregg was traded along with Kevin McReynolds and Keith Miller for to the Royals for Bret Saberhagen and Bill Pecota.
Jeromy Burnitz – Jeremy was the 17th overall pick of the 1990 draft. He played 14 years in the majors (1993-2006) with the Mets (1993-94, 2002-03) and appeared in 1,694 games, batting .253 with 315 HR, 981 RBI, 917 runs scored, and 1,447 hits. Jeromy was an All-Star in 1999 with the Brewers.
Bobby Jones – Bobby was the 36th overall pick of the 1991 draft and was a supplemental pick for the loss of Darryl Strawberry. Bobby played for 10 seasons in the majors (1993-2002) with the Mets (1993-2000) and Padres. In 245 games (241 starts) he had a record of 89-83 with an ERA of 4.16 in 1,518 2/3 innings. Bobby was an All-Star with the Mets in 1997. He also led the National League in losses in 2001 (19) while with the Padres.
Preston Wilson – Preston was the 9th overall pick of the 1992 draft and is the stepson and nephew of Mets Hall of Famer Mookie Wilson. Preston played 10 MLB seasons (1998-2007) with the Mets (1998), Marlins, Rockies, Nationals, Astros, and Cardinals. Preston was part of the 1998 trade that brought Mike Piazza to the Mets from the Marlins. He played in 1,108 MLB games and was a career .264 hitter with 189 HR, 668 RBI, and 1,055 base hits. In 2003, Preston was an All-Star with the Rockies as well as the NL RBI leader with 141. In 2000, he also led the NL in strikeouts (187).
Paul Wilson – Paul was the first overall pick of the 1994 draft. He played 7 seasons in the Majors (1996, 2000-05) with the Mets (1996), Devil Rays, and Reds. He pitched in 170 games (153 starts) and had a career record of 40-58 and an ERA of 4.86 in 941 2/3 innings.
Terrence Long – Terrance was the 20th overall pick in the 1994 draft and was a compensation pick from the Orioles for the loss of Sid Fernandez. Terrance played 8 seasons in the bigs (1999-2006) with the Mets (1999), A’s, Padres, Royals, and Yankees, playing in 890 games, batting .269 with 69 HR and 376 RBI. Terrance was part of the July 23, 1999 trade that brought Kenny Rogers from the A’s.
Jay Payton – Jay was the 29th overall pick in the 1994 draft and was a supplemental pick for the loss of Sid Fernandez. Jay played 12 seasons in the Majors (1998-2008, 2010) and appeared in 1,259 games, batting .279 with 119 HR, 522 RBI, and 1,157 base hits. Terrance led the American League in games played (162) in 2001 and 2002.
Aaron Heilman – Aaron was the 18th overall pick in the 2001 draft. He played 9 seasons in the majors (2003-11) with the Mets (2003-08), Cubs, and Diamondbacks. He pitched in 477 games (25 starts) with a record of 35-46 and an ERA of 4.40 and 16 saves. He pitched 630 innings, striking out 548 with a WHIP of 1.36.
David Wright – David was the 38th overall pick in the 2001 draft and was a supplemental pick for the loss of Mike Hampton. David has played 10 seasons, all with the Mets (2004-present) and the Captain has appeared in 1,374 games with a career .301 batting average, 222 HR, 876 RBI, 853 runs scored, 1,558 hits (shameless plug – follow all of David’s hits on @DavidWrightHits), 345 doubles, 183 stolen bases, and a .382 OBP. David is a 7 time All-Star (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013), a two-time Gold Glove winner (2007, 2008), and has won two Silver Sluggers (2007, 2008). David is among the Mets franchise leaders in games played (2nd – 1,374), runs (1st – 853), hits (1st – 1,558), doubles (1st – 345), triples (9th – 25), home runs (2nd – 222), RBI (1st – 876), walks (1st – 671), strikeouts (1st – 1,088), stolen bases (5th – 183), batting average (2nd – .301), OBP (4th – .382), and slugging (3rd – .506).
Scott Kazmir – Scott was the 15th pick in the 2002 draft. He never played for the Mets and was traded in July 2004 to the Devil Rays in the trade that brought the Mets Victor Zambrano. Scott has pitched 9 seasons in the majors (2004-11, 2013-present) with the Devil Rays/Rays, Angels, and Indians. Scott signed this offseason with the A’s for two years and $24 million. He has a career record of 76-70 with an ERA of 4.16. In 1,180 innings, he has struck out 1,155 with a WHIP of 1.40. He was a two time All-Star with Tampa (2006, 2008) and in 2007, he led the American League in strikeouts (239) and starts (34).
Lastings Milledge – Lastings was the 12th overall pick in the 2003 draft. He played 6 MLB seasons (2006-11) with the Mets (2006-07), Nationals, Pirates and White Sox. He was traded to the Nationals in November 2007 for Ryan Church and Brian Schneider. He appeared in 433 MLB games, batting .269 with 33 HR and 167 RBI with 404 hits. He is currently playing in Japan for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows on a three-year, $4.4 million contract.
Philip Humber – Philip was the 3rd overall pick in the 2004 draft. He has played 8 MLB seasons (2006-present) with the Mets (2006-07), Twins, Royals, White Sox, and Astros. He was part of the January 2008 trade that brought Johan Santana to the Mets. He has appeared in 97 MLB games (51 starts) with a record of 16-23 and an ERA of 5.31 in 371 innings. On April 21, 2012 as a member of the White Sox, he pitched the 21st perfect game in MLB history against the Seattle Mariners. In November 2013, he signed a minor league contract with the A’s.
Mike Pelfrey – Mike was the 9th overall pick in the 2005 draft. He has played in 8 MLB seasons (2006-present) with the Mets (2006-12) and Twins. He has pitched in 182 games (178 starts) with a 55-67 record and an ERA of 4.48 with 1 save. He has pitched 1,049 innings and a WHIP of 1.47. On December 14, 2013, Mike agreed to a two year contract for $11 million to return to the Twins.
Ike Davis – Ike was the 18th pick in the 2008 draft. Ike has played 4 seasons (2010-present) all with the Mets. We know the current first base situation with the Mets. He has played in 442 games and is a career .242 hitter with 67 HR, 219 RBI and 360 hits.
Matt Harvey – Matt was the 7th pick in the 2010 draft. Matt was the starting pitcher for the National League in the 2013 All-Star game and while he’ll be missing the 2014 season, we’re excited to see what he does in 2015 and beyond. He has a career record of 12-10 and an ERA of 2.39 in 36 starts, 237 2/3 innings, 261 strikeouts and a WHIP of 0.99.