As of right now, we don’t know what this summer will look like. It appears unlikely that we will be unable to congregate in beaches and parks, let alone at Major League Baseball stadiums. Another rite of June of which the format is still to be determined is the MLB Amateur Draft.

From the eligible player pool to the physical length of any draft that does happen, the logistics are still very much up in the air. But of course, that won’t stop the internet baseball community from coming together to walk through what the proceedings might look like. Last Friday, the good folks at Prospects Live organized a live three-round mock draft.

The exciting part? Each team was being “run” by someone who is well-versed in that organization’s minor league system and the particulars of the amateur baseball scene. I was fortunate enough to be asked to draft for the Mets, who have four selections in the first three rounds, including the compensation pick from the departure of Zack Wheeler.

Below, I’ll detail the selections I made and why I made them. We were asked not to worry about financial considerations such as signability and, of course, it’s impossible to know which teams are actually targeting which players. The entire event was livestreamed here and the draft board can be seen here.

Round 1, Pick 19

RHP C.J. Van Eyk, Florida State; Stats Video

With four picks, my goal was to hit a few “types,” including a safe first-rounder, a high-upside prep bat, a college performer, and a fun dart throw. I feel satisfied with my ability to cover those bases, beginning with Van Eyk at pick 19.

If that name sounds familiar, it’s likely because the Mets took him out of high school in the 19th round in 2017. He didn’t sign and ended up in Tallahassee, but I’ve followed him since then and believe that the Mets wouldn’t hesitate to take someone they are familiar with, even if it might be a slight reach at this spot — some online mocks have Van Eyk in the 20-25 range while others project him as a second-to-third-round pick.

I would feel pretty comfortable with this selection. In addition to excellent numbers in the ACC — he posted a 3.21 ERA and 11.5 K/9 in 176.2 IP — Van Eyk shows the potential for three plus pitches and fastball velocity that has crept into the upper 90s in the past.

There will never be a player available at the 19th pick who is seen as a guaranteed star pre-draft. It would be worth taking a shot on someone like Van Eyk, who has the potential of a number two starter but the solid floor of a back-end guy.

Round 2, Pick 52

OF Chase Davis, Franklin HS (CA); Video

There is likely no greater weakness of the Mets’ minor league system than its outfield depth. Now, you should never draft for need, but the ability to add a young, athletic outfielder was too tantalizing here.

Davis’ best tool might be his arm, which received a future 70 grade from MLB Pipeline. They also offered this blurb about his offense:

“He has plus raw power from the left side of the plate and while his stock increased over the summer when he showed the ability to make consistent hard contact against top-level competition at multiple events with very quick hands and bat speed, concerns about his ability to hit enough to get to that power resurfaced early this spring. He can get out of sync at times and he’ll have to show he can be consistently on time with his swing at the next level.”

That last line wouldn’t scare me away from making this pick. Plate approaches can be tinkered with, inherent raw power can’t. Davis is committed to the University of Arizona and would easily become a top-15 prospect in the Mets system.

Compensation Round, Pick 69

1B/OF Alec Burleson, East Carolina; Stats Video

Admittedly, I don’t get to see many college players in person outside of the Quinnipiac University Bobcats, who play steps from my dorm room window. I did, however, attend the Greenville Regional to cover the Bobcats as they went up against the East Carolina Pirates last summer, and Burleson managed to significantly stand out amongst a team — the No. 10 program in the country — that sent a remarkable seven players to the pros in 2019.

All Burleson does is hit. He was named a first-team All-American by five different publications as a sophomore following a year in which he hit .370 and was up to .375 through 17 games before COVID-19 claimed the rest of his junior season. Burleson is no slouch on the mound as well, posting a 3.46 ERA in 137.2 IP (scouts agree his future is in the batter’s box, though it doesn’t hurt to have a fallback option).

Since he doesn’t have a ton of power, it remains to be seen how Burleson’s bat will translate to pro ball. It doesn’t hurt to take a shot on college performers, though, and Burleson’s makeup is such that he should be able to hang around for a while.

Round 3, Pick 91

RHP Franco Aleman, St. Johns River State CC (FL); Stats Video

Remember when I mentioned a dart throw earlier? This would be it. Aleman has a unique background, coming to the United States from Cuba as a young child on his father’s work visa, attending the same high school as the late Jose Fernandez, attending Florida International University for one year before transferring to SJRS, and signing a NLI to play in 2021 at the University of Florida.

Aleman might not even get there, though, if he’s able to pique scouts’ interest. Why would he? First, he’s absolutely massive, standing at 6’7″ and 220 pounds. He’s very raw, and just 19 years old, but the tools are there. Aleman put on a strong performance against the best bats in the country last summer in the Cape Cod League, and though his fastball was sitting 89-91 mph then, he’s flashed 95-96 mph within recent months. His control is nothing to scoff at either, as he recorded 78 strikeouts and only eight walks between his stint on the Cape and this past spring.

Though he’s the type of arm that could go during a wide range of rounds, Aleman is likely to get picked well before the 38th round, where the Braves took him out of high school in 2018. I wanted to have some fun with my final pick, but Aleman is definitely a guy that could pop onto an organization’s top 20 in two or three years.