The first 73 picks of the ’13 MLB Draft have come and gone — but that doesn’t mean there isn’t still value on the board. Here are five names I hope the Mets can target in Round 3:
Jonathan Denney, C, Yukon High School, 6’2”, 205 LBs, R/R
Big risk/reward pick here with the high school catcher Jon Denney, but it could work out for the Mets in a big way. You always want to take BPA and I had Denney drafted as the 2nd catcher off the board in the first round. He’s passable defensively as a catcher and profiles to have good power down the line — especially behind the plate. Out of all the players still left, Denney has the highest upside of all of them, by far. He would be an absolute steal with our first third round pick.
Rowdy Tellez, 1B, Elk Grove High School, 6’5, 250 LBs, L/L
Tellez has scary power — and I mean 450-foot home run with regularity power. This guy has to stick at 1B and may not even make it there… I could see him being a DH for sure. Does that mean we should stay away from him? Not exactly, because he could be trade bait down the line. His herculean power makes him an appealing risk to take in the third round, especially considering he was a debatable talent for ROUND 1. He is not your typical feast-or-famine hitter and may turn into quite the power hitting stud down the line.
Ryan Boldt, OF, Red Wing High School, 6’1, 190 LBs L/R
Boldt is a guy that some most people expected to have been taken by now — he plays CF and is athletic enough to stay there throughout his career. A speedy left-hander, he profiles out to be an excellent lead-off hitter someday, albeit with little power. He makes good contact with a solid swing, no noticeable holes, and is an excellent field general out there in center. He might take a little extra time to develop, but at worst, you find yourself with an A+ defensive replacement or pinch-runner.
Jacoby Jones, Util, Louisiana State, 6’3”, 192 LBs, R/R
Depending on who you ask, you may hear little buzz about Jacoby Jones, but he might be worth a flier with our second third-round pick. Jones has all the tools necessary to succeed — good power potential, arm strength, speed, range… and his ridiculous athleticism basically profiles him to anywhere on the diamond. He logged time with LSU at SS and CF, both tough defensive positions to play. I think he could be turned into an above-average 2B with good power for the position with the right seasoning.
Cord Sandberg, OF, Manatee High School, 6’3″, 210LBs, L/L
Not only does Sandberg have an excellent baseball name — but he’s got some stock in each of the five tools. No, I’m not saying he’s a five-tool player, but he is not a liability in any of the main areas. He has a sweet line drive swing already with gap power, and his huge frame projects to have some solid left-handed pop down the line. He could definitely be a .275 hitter with 20 HRs and 15 steals, which is likely his ceiling. His issue, however, is a commitment to play football – but since the Mets will save some money with the Andrew Church pick in the second round, this may be someone to go after. His baseball talent alone could have made him a first-rounder.
