Update: Baseball America has the Mets picking outfielder Blake Rutherford in their latest mock citing rumors of a possible deal as he hopes to get overslot money. 

The Major League Baseball Draft is one of the most exciting times of the year for us at MetsMinors.Net/Metsmerizedonline.com. Every year all thirty teams get together and choose Baseball’s best amateur talent in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico.

To be eligible according to MLB.com, You Must Be:

• High school players, if they have graduated from high school and have not yet attended college or junior college;
• College players, from four-year colleges who have either completed their junior or senior years or are at least 21 years old; and
• Junior college players, regardless of how many years of school they have completed

The draft starts on Thursday June 9th, 2016, with the first pick at 7:00 PM. From 7:00 to 10:00, the first 77 picks will be selected, which are the first round, the compensation round, the lottery round A, Second Round, and Lottery Round B. The broadcast coverage beings at 6 PM ET on MLB Network and MLB.com.

On Friday, June 10th, the draft will continue with the third round to the tenth round, starting at 1:00 PM. On Saturday June 11th, the remaining 30 round selections will occur, starting at 1:00 PM

We will be covering the first and second rounds on MMO, and then rounds 3-40 will be covered on Metsminors.net with scouting reports for all players when they are taken.

The Mets have four picks in the top 100 picks including #19 in the first round, #31 in the Compensation round, #64 in the Second Round, and #100 in the third round, and then every 30 picks after that. The Mets will have $7,578,000 to spend across a possible 41 picks. Teams are instructed to stick close to slot values for each pick they select. If you’d like to know why, please check out Steve Adam’s Breakdown of the Draft Slot Rules.

The Slot Values for each Mets pick for the Mets picks from #1,1A,-10

1. Round 1, Pick 19 $2,378,800
2. Round 1a, Pick 31 $1,972,100
3. Round 2, Pick 64 $1,009,200
4. Round 3, Pick 100 $596,600
5. Round 4, Pick 130 $446,500
6. Round 5, Pick 160 $334,500
7. Round 6, Pick 190 $250,500
8. Round 7, Pick 220 $187,800
9. Round 8, Pick 250 $$175,400
10. Round 9, Pick 280 $163,700
11. Round 10, Pick 310 $156,600

Since January 1st, I have made a tally of who the mock drafts believe the Mets will pick. During that time, players have risen and fallen, so many on these lists will likely not be either at #19 or multiple players with better ability may have knocked the player down to a lower draft standing.

Mock Draft Tally from 1/1 to Today

#19

3B/1B Will Craig 28, C Zack Collins 6, OF Alex Kirilloff 6,  3B Nolan Jones 6, 3B/RHP Josh Lowe 5, C Matt Thaiss 5, RHP Connor Jones 4, SS/3B Drew Mendoza 3, OF Blake Rutherford 2, RHP Austin Bergner 2, 3B Nick Senzel 2, RHP Cal Quantrill 2,  3B Bobby Dalbec 2, 1B/OF Will Benson 2, RHP Kevin Gowdy 2, RHP Daulton Jeffries 2, RHP Matt Manning 2, RHP Alex Speas 1, LHP Jeff Belge 1, RHP Ian Anderson 1,  C Chris Okey 1, OF Kyle Mercer 1, RHP Kyle Funkhouser 1, OF Nick Banks 1, OF Avery Tuck 1,   RHP Alec Hansen 1,  OF Bryan Reynolds 1,  OF Buddy Reed 1,  LHP Anthony Kay 1, OF Taylor Trammell 1, RHP Forest Whitley 1,  SS Gavin Lux 1

#31

C Chris Okey 8, LHP Eric Lauer 7, OF Bryan Reynolds 5, LHP Jesus Luzardo 4, RHP Kevin Gowdy 4, OF Taylor Trammell 4, LHP Anthony Kay 4, 3B/1B Will Craig 3, 3B Drew Mendoza 3,   OF Buddy Reed 3, SS Gavin Lux 3, 3B/SS Carter Kieboom 3, OF Nick Banks 2, OF Will Benson 2, RHP Logan Shore 2, LHP Joey Wentz 2, LHP Kyle Muller 2,  RHP Robert Tyler 2, RHP Zach Jackson 2, RHP Kyle Funkhouser 1,  3B/RHP David Lowe 1,  RHP Alex Speas 1, RHP Zach Bergner 1, LHP Braxton Garrett 1, OF Heath Quinn 1, RHP Ian Anderson 1,  RHP Zack Burdi 1, RHP Jordan Sheffield 1,  RHP Justin Dunn 1, C Sean Murphy 1, RHP Cody Sedlock 1, RHP Cal Quantrill 1

#64:

OF Heath Quinn 6, SS Luis Curbelo 4, C Ben Rortvedt 2, RHP Drake Fellows 2,  SS Grant Bodison 1, RHP Wil Crowe 1, SS Errol Robinson 1, RHP Ian Hamilton 1, RHP Nick Banks 1, LHP Matt Krook 1

We have Draft Reports from Metsminors.net here:

• OF Will Benson, 3B/RHP Josh Lowe, SS/3B Nolan Jones, 3B Carter Kieboom, OF Akill Baddoo – Kevin Lauro
• OF Blake Rutherford and LHP Anthony Kay – Teddy Klein
• 3B Will Craig, C Matt Thaiss, OF Bryan Reynolds, C Zack Collins, SS CJ Chatham – Kevin Lauro
• 3B Will Craig – Kevin Lauro
• 3B Will Craig, C Matt Thaiss, OF Taylor Trammell, RHP Kevin Gowdy, SS Luis Curbelo – Teddy Klein
• Outfielders Buddy Reed, Bryan Reynolds, Taylor Trammell – Teddy Klein
• SS C.J. Chatham – Ernest Dove
• 3B/1B Will Craig, LHP Eric Lauer – Teddy Klein
• 3B Josh Lowe – Teddy Klein
• C Zack Collins, LHP Jesus Luzardo, and SS Luis Curbelo – Teddy Klein
• OF/1B Will Benson – Teddy Klein
• OF Bryan Reynolds, OF Nick Banks, RHP Austin Bergner, RHP Ian Anderson – Steve Perez
• RHP Daulton Jefferies, 3B/1B Will Craig – Kevin Lauro
• 3B Nick Senzel – Teddy Klein
• RHP Alex Speas – Teddy Klein
• OF Alex Kirilloff, RHP Robert Tyler – Kevin Lauro
• RHP Connor Jones, C Zack Collins, RHP Cal Quantrill, SS Luis Curbelo – Kevin Lauro
• 3B Nick Senzel, 3B Bobby Dalbec, RHP Kevin Gowdy, OF Avery Tuck, RHP Alex Speas – Steve Perez

We will be giving reports for the players as soon as they are selected, so be sure to refresh!

Round 1, No. 19 – RHP Justin Dunn, Boston College

Baseball America #22 out of 500

In 2015, Chris Shaw became the fifth first-rounder drafted out of Boston College. This year, Dunn could be the sixth. The athletic righthander began the season pitching out of the bullpen, but his lightning quick arm and promising offspeed pitches forced him into the Eagles’ rotation. Dunn is slight in stature, with some scouts questioning his listed 6-foot-2, 184-pound frame. While he is short physically, his stuff isn’t. He pitches consistently at 92-95 and touching as high as 97 at times with his fastball. His best secondary pitch is his slider, thrown with tight spin, vertical shape and mid-80s velocity. He throws a curveball that has similar shape to his slider, but breaks more loosely and grades out as a below-average pitch, though its presence can disrupt hitters’ timing. Dunn has shown feel for a changeup at times, showing the ability to locate the pitch at hitters’ knees. His performance as a starter has encouraged teams that he can start long term, as he has held velocity well deep into his outings.

MLB.com #29

At the start of the spring, Dunn was an interesting college reliever with arm strength, albeit one with a four-pitch mix many scouts were intrigued to see as a starter. They got their wish as Dunn became a part of Boston College’s weekend rotation in April and saw his Draft stock take off.

Dunn has always had a plus fastball and he maintained it in his early starts, lighting radar guns up to 98-99 mph and sitting in the 92-95 mph range. He utilizes two breaking balls, both of which are Major League average: a three-quarters curve and a solid hard slider. His changeup will also flash average, though he didn’t need it much as a reliever. His command is fringy at present, but his outstanding stuff helps make up for it.

Many teams feel Dunn has a very good chance to start as a Yordano Ventura type athletic, yet slightly undersized, right-hander. As a result, he was flying up boards, with some feeling he could be gone by the end of the first round.

Round 1 Comp, No. 31 – LHP Anthony Kay, Uconn

Baseball America #35 out of 500

A 29th round pick of the Mets out of high school, Kay was one of three promising Long Island prep arms, with Stephen Woods and Matt Vogel also showing promise. All three chose to go to college, and Kay has emerged as the best of the group. The ace of UConn’s staff, Kay throws three pitches for strikes. His fastball works in the low 90s and touches 95 early in his starts. Scouts see his changeup is an above-average or plus pitch; it shows both fade and tumble and generates swings and misses from righthanded hitters regularly. Kay has a tendency to throw his changeup from a slightly lower arm slot, giving scouts concerns that elite hitters will be able to see the pitch coming. He throws a breaking ball with slurvy shape. Kay usually throws the pitch against righthanded hitters, and has not thrown it with conviction this spring. Kay is on the shorter side, standing at 6-foot, but he has a wide, sturdy build.

MLB.com #43

The University of Connecticut has produced some excellent pro talent, headlined by George Springer, Nick Ahmed and Matt Barnes. Kay, the Huskies’ Friday night starter, could be the next in line.

Kay fits the mold of the advanced pitchability college lefty, one with a track record of success, not only at UConn, but also in the Cape Cod League in 2014 and with Team USA in 2015. Kay succeeds by filling the strike zone and keeping hitters guessing, albeit with the lack of a true out pitch. He’ll top out at 94-95 mph with his fastball, though he pitches more effectively at around 91 mph. He has a consistently reliable changeup, though he telegraphs it at times by lowering his arm slot. His breaking ball is fringy.

College performers like Kay tend to do well on Draft day. He could be seen as a poor man’s Mark Buehrle type, one who could perhaps add a cutter at the next level to give him a four-pitch mix, helping him to be a quick to the big leagues back-end starter.

Round 2, No. 64 – Peter Alonso, University Of Florida

MLB.com #64

As a high school third baseman at Plant High School in Tampa, Alonso went undrafted. After three years at the University of Florida, that won’t happen again, as he was swinging a hot bat at the right time as the Draft approached.

Alonso was making consistent, hard contact for the Gators as his junior season progressed. He’s always had raw power, but didn’t always look like he could tap into it consistently. Lately, however, he’s shortened his swing and begun to use the whole field more effectively, showing extra-base pop to the opposite field. Much of his success stems from a more open stance which has helped him get his hips through more consistently. He’s a first baseman only with well below-average speed, though his hands and footwork at the corner infield position should be adequate.

As a right-right first baseman, the bat is really going to have to play. Offensive college performers tend to do well in the Draft, and Alonso’s raw natural power was giving him some helium as the spring progressed.

BA #139 out of 500

Injuries have dogged Alonso the last two seasons–he missed 30 games in 2015 with a broken foot and later broke his nose, and in May 2016 he missed time with a broken left hand. He nevertheless has been the Gators’ most consistent power bat in that span and was leading the ’16 Gators in batting and homers when he got hurt. Alonso didn’t show much power in the Cape Cod League last summer with Bourne after hitting 18 the previous summer during an MVP turn in the Northwoods League. Alonso has plus raw power, hitting the first-ever home run to center field at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha during the 2015 College World Series. At 6-foot-3, 225 pounds, Alonso does it with strength rather than bat speed and is a poor runner who likely will be limited to first base, but his righthanded power is his carrying tool.