; ;

Mets Draft Picks 31-40: Mets Go With Some Upside

By Dilip Sridhar

June 6, 2018 No comments

Jake Magnum/Kelly Price MSU Athletics

Round 31

Brendan Hardy

Position: RHP

Date of Birth: 12/15/1999

Height/Weight: 6’4″, 190

Hardy played the infield in shortstop in high school but the Mets announced him as a pitcher. Hardy struck out 69 out of the 240 guys he faced on the mound. The Mets will likely need to go over slot to get a deal done with him.

Round 32

Jake Mangum

Position: LHP

Date of Birth: 3/08/1996

Height/Weight: 6’1″, 185 LBS

Baseball America

Rank: 134

Mangum burst onto the scene as a freshman in 2016, when he hit .408 and helped Mississippi State to a Southeastern Conference title. Mangum, the son of former Chicago Bears and Alabama defensive back John Mangum, played through a broken left hand—his throwing hand—as a sophomore. He missed just two games all season and hit .324. A draft-eligible sophomore, he was a difficult sign and chose to return to school after being taken in the 30th round by the Yankees. After a solid summer in the Cape Cod League, Mangum is back to full health and has returned to his freshman form. His game is based around his contact ability and well above-average speed. The switch-hitter has exceptional bat-to-ball skills and takes full advantage of his speed at the plate, though to the detriment of hitting for power. He is an aggressive hitter and rarely walks as a result. Mangum’s speed also plays well in center field, where he is an above-average defender with a solid arm. His game is something of a throwback, but his feel for hitting, speed and defensive ability give him some sought-after tools.

MLB Pipeline

Rank: 180

The Southeastern Conference freshman of the year and batting champion (.408) in 2016, Mangum hasn’t quite matched that production since but has continued to catalyze Mississippi State’s lineup the last two years. Draft-eligible as a 21-year-old sophomore in 2017, he turned down the Yankees as a 30th-round pick, lasting that long only because of questionable signability. He may have the best football family in this year’s Draft, as his grandfather John Sr., father John Jr. and uncle Kris all played professionally.

Mangum’s best tool is his speed, which grades as plus-plus out of the batter’s box but doesn’t play quite that fast and hasn’t translated into elite basestealing or defensive ability. A switch-hitter, he concentrates on making contact and getting on base, an approach that leaves him with almost no power. He’s doing a better job of working counts and drawing walks as a junior, though he still needs more patience to become a true tablesetter.

Mangum also has improved his jumps and reads this year, making him a solid defender in center field. He has a stronger arm than most players at his position, having reached 93 mph with his fastball when he started five games on the mound as a sophomore. He proved his grit by playing through a broken left hand for much of last season.

The Mets took Mangum as a pitcher and the question will obviously be his sign-ability. He is 22 but is still just a junior. Someone ranked this high who also falls this far is unlikely to sign.

Round 33

Michael Picollo 

Position: RHP 

Date of Birth: 9/22/1999

Height/Weight: 6’2″, 170 LBS

Picollo’s velocity has been steadily improving so the Mets are likely trying to grab a player who they hope to mold while also not overpaying a ton. His dad is an executive for the Kansas City Royals.

Round 34

Duke Kinamon

Position: 2B

Bats/Throws: Right/Right

Date of Birth: 9/04/1996

Height/Weight: 5’10, 190 LBS

Kinamon missed 2018 with an injury. He has not hit for much power as a collegiate player and has some holes in his swing. His best asset is speed. He’s a junior so he might re-enter the draft next year and bump up his stock.

Round 35

Ian Mejia

Position: RHP

Date of Birth: 1/31/2000

Height/Weight: 6’4″, 175 LBS

Mejia is ranked as the 19th best prospect in the state of Arizona. There are not a lot of moving parts to his motion and can get it up to 93 MPH. The Mets will have to get him to forgo his commitment to the University of Arizona but they definitely like the upside here.

https://www.mlb.com/video/pdp-ian-mejia/c-1875086683

Round 36

Denzel Clarke 

Position: OF

Bats/Throws: Right/Right

Date of Birth: 5/01/2000

Height/Weight: 6’4″, 190 LBS

Baseball America

Rank: 384

An immensely athletic outfielder, Clarke gets his natural physical ability from his mother, Donna, who was an Olympic heptathlete. Likewise, Clarke has also competed in other sports, including track and field, soccer, basketball and tennis. He is also cousins with Josh and Noah Naylor. On the baseball field, Clarke’s athleticism is apparent in the outfield, where he has the speed and body control to be a plus defender. He will likely move from center field to one of the corner outfield spots as he continues to add muscle to his 6-foot-4, 190-pound frame. Clarke has a hit-over-power profile right now, although he has some timing issues and a lack of strength that prohibits him from finishing his swing with authority. He has the hand speed to develop into a solid hitter with more reps, but he is still raw with the bat. Those who know him compare him to fellow Canadian Tristan Pompey at the same age.

Clarke is from Canada and has some baseball blood to him. His cousins are Josh Naylor and Noah Naylor. He will be a tough sign but perhaps the Mets have a shot with all the college players they took earlier on in the draft.

Round 37

Zach Fascia

Position: Catcher

Bats/Throws: Left/Right

Date of Birth: 9/15/98

Height/Weight: 6’1, 225 LBS

From Perfect Game in 2016:

Zachary Fascia is a 2016 C/RHP with a 6-2 210 lb. frame from Brampton, ON who attends Turner Fenton. Medium frame with an athletic, strong build. Left handed hitter with a spread, open stance and compact hand set. Hands stay at a compact position while loading and launch to contact on a quick, inside path. Creates good shift from the lower half with a line drive swing plane primarily working the ball to the middle of the field. Produces some bat speed when working the ball to the gaps, barrel shows a quick in and out path through the hitting zone. Worked out defensively from behind the plate showing a low set with good hip flexion. Quick arm cirlce and exchange with a compact arm action at release. Creates good momentum while gaining ground and throws create downhill angle. Ball generates plus carry to the bag topping at 84 mph with a best pop of 1.95 in workouts. Fundamentally sound tools behind the plate. Will continue to develop with maturity. Commited to Indian Hills CC.

There is not a ton out there on Fascia but it sounds like he can stick at catcher. Fascia can always opt for a four year school if he wants.

Round 38

Nick Zona

Position: SS

Bats/Throws: Right/Right

Date of Birth: 7/09/1999

Height/Weight: 6’2″, 180 LBS

Zona has pitched but the Mets plan on having him be a shortstop. He will have the arm to play there for sure and has the athleticism to stick. There was not much more info on him but given his age, he will likely not be gaining much in terms of his frame.

Round 39

Kody Darcy

Position: SS

Bats/Throws: Right/Right

Date of Birth: 6/17/1999

Height/Weight: 6’1″, 175 LBS

From Perfect Game in 2017:

Kody Darcy is a 2018 SS/2B, 3B, MIF with a 6-2 175 lb. frame from Kent, WA who attends Kentridge. Large frame with long limbs and wiry strength. Frame projects to support additional size with strength. Ran a 6.97 sixty-yard dash. Primary shortstop with smooth, sound footwork while ranging for and surrounding the baseball. Clean glove actions while funneling the baseball out front and worked through exchange well. Primarily released from a low three-quarters arm slot, but also showed the ability to throw with accuracy on the run while changing arm slots, topped at 82 miles per hour. Right handed hitter with an upright, very open stance a simple front side trigger. Hands load to a deep position while lower half works to contact with rotational lower half actions. Loose path to contact and showed solid bat speed on a naturally leveraged plane through extension. Ball consistently jumped off the barrel creating hard, loud contact between the gaps throughout batting practice. Named to the 2017 National Academic Showcase Top Prospect List. Good student.

Round 40

Brian Metoyer

Position: RHP

Date of Birth: 11/13/1996

Height/Weight: 6’4″, 160 LBS

Here’s the run down on the lanky righty. He walks a lot of guys but he also gets his strikeouts. He posted a pretty high, 5.60 ERA in a tough league but clearly the Mets think they can work with his stuff. He is the last pick of the day.