On Monday, Metsmerized’s Michael Mayer dropped some draft juice on Twitter regarding one specific prominent high school player.

Mets draft info from source:

They had multiple scouts watching Indiana high school shortstop Colson Montgomery over the weekend.

MLB has him as their #48 prospect and Mets pick at #46.

Corey Seager’s build has been a comp. Montgomery set school scoring record in basketball.

— Michael Mayer (@mikemayer22) May 24, 2021

The interest in Montgomery, already 19 this past February, lines up on a couple of levels.

The one thing we keep hearing as a separator in this draft is how the lack of a full college season last spring, along with the continued exposure of some of the top high school prospects during some summer showcase circuits that were not cancelled, would give teams more confidence than typical in spending high draft picks on top prep talent.

Cue the power display Colson Montgomery put on last summer and fall in front of top evaluators.

Montgomery went 6 for 16 with a home run, two doubles and five walks against some of the top high school pitching in the country last October at the WWBA World Championships, following up a strong showing at the Area Code games in August.

While yes, his size at shortstop and some swing elements do evoke Corey Seager right away for the 6’4″ 200 lb. left-handed hitter out of South Ridge High School in Indiana, I think there is an instructive similarity for Montgomery that is closer to home for the Mets, especially when it comes to dissecting recent draft motifs: Brett Baty.

Both old-for-their-class prep bats with standout size, physicality (both excelled at high school basketball) and power projection, Baty and Montgomery draw immediate parallels.

Like Baty, Montgomery projects only fringe average foot speed and is not especially twitchy or rangy on the dirt. Montgomery also faces questions about whether he will have to move off of his original position, albeit the chance to stay on the middle infield is an advantage for Montgomery.

Though Montgomery has a chance to play a shortstop similar to the one Seager plays, solidified by solid actions, footwork and a solid arm, his ultimate home might be the highly crowded hot corner in the Mets system.

Make no mistake about it though. Like when the Mets drafted Baty 12th overall, the Mets would be drafting Montgomery for what he does especially well, and that is potential for an impact power/hit combo.

Montgomery draws praise for a made-for-battle lefty swing that should enable plenty of loft. Along with a frame that has room for added strength as he matures and what is considered above average bat speed, Montgomery’s calling card will be potential for plus game power.

As with most high school hitters, confidence in the hit tool will be the most crucial for Mets evaluators to dissect, hence the report of the organization honing in on Montgomery in game action recently. The public resources do seem to indicate confidence in a burgeoning ability to square up good pitching, though there is only so much track record at this experience level. While the Mets amateur scouting department will have to utilize their expertise in making that high-stakes determination, you can see below a taste of what they have found so tantalizing to date.

By no means does this indicate that Montgomery is likely to be drafted by the Mets this July of course. He is projected to be in play in the vicinity of when the Mets make their second pick at 46th overall, but he could be off the board by then. Buying out his commitment to play baseball for the Indiana Hoosiers would be no small price-tag against the pool either.

While Montgomery’s name is still but one of many options the Mets will have lined up on their draft board this July, his name has certainly been surrounded with plenty of industry buzz, and Mayer’s reporting is one of the earliest-breaking reports in the industry that is connecting the Mets to a specific player. Keep following along at MMN as the draft keeps getting closer for more Mets-related draft buzz and analysis.