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Prospects Live Mock Draft: Mets Land Two Huge Arms

By Doug M

January 5, 2022 No comments

It’s one of the first mock amateur drafts of the season on this frigid January day, and I have to tell you, I’ve got my blood pumping.

Prospects Live dropped their first mock draft today, and it’s hard not to feel that surge of excitement seeing them placing Florida prep left-hander, Brandon Barriera at 11th overall and Tennessee Volunteer right-hander Blade Tidwell at 14th overall into the ranks of blue and orange.

Matt Allan and J.T. Ginn aside, the Mets system is fairly devoid of high-end pitching prospects, and these two arms would immediately turn that situation on it’s head.

Brandon Barriera is known as one of the most polished high school pitchers in this class. Currently listed at 6’1 and 170 LBS, there is future physical projection on Barriera’s frame.

He already comfortably sits 92-94 mph with his fastball, touching 95 mph. But that’s only the start of his very diverse portfolio of talent on the mound, and you can absolutely see the Mets amateur team falling in love with what he brings.

Barriera has one of the most athletic and smooth mound operations in the class, and if there’s one thing we know the Mets amateur team under Tommy Tanous and Marc Tramuta stress, it’s the way pitchers move on the mound. Throw in the good velocity, impressive feel to spin, ability to and manipulate shape on both a hard slider in the low 80s, and a more vertical curveball, as well as precocious feel to locate a changeup, and Barriera is absolutely seen as one of the top high school arms in this impressive class.

Tidwell, meanwhile, is mentioned as having the type of ability to be seen as the top college pitcher in this draft class if he puts it all together this spring.

The 6’4 200 LB right-hander has a prototypical starter’s build and a big fastball that sits mid 90’s and comfortably gets into the upper 90s. His mound operation is considered to be repeatable and athletic to the point that scouts predict future improvements in ability to command and harness his big stuff.

To go with his big fastball, which Tidwell has only recently begun to maximize it’s shape to ride high in the zone, Tidwell shows a power slider in the mid 80s with big lateral break and some feel for a good changeup with solid fade. The analytical metrics on his pitches could end up being quite enticing, and a good harbinger of future big-league success.

Any way you slice it, the Mets are going to get big upside talent with those 11th and 14th overall picks. Prospect Live also mentions LSU corner infielder Jacob Berry as possibly enticing to the Mets in this territory. Berry is seen by many as the best college hitter in the draft.

Whether Mets go with high end arms like Barriera and Tidwell, or a big bat like Berry, we won’t have any inkling of that for a few more months. But it sure is fun to start imagining some of these names as real possibilities.

 

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Written by Doug M

My fate to bleed the blue and orange for life was laid out before me in 1997. My first Mets prospect I remember getting pumped up about was David Wright, as he just tore through the FSL and Eastern League with ease. Since then, my interest in minor league development has only grown. I hope to grow that interest further here at Mets Minors.

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