The New York Mets first pick in the July 2023 Major League Draft will be 32nd overall. As a reminder, the Mets first pick dropped to 32 because they exceeded the competitive balance tax threshold by more than $40 million. As a result, while the Mets still technically have their first round pick, they will be selecting in the Competitive Balance Round A portion of the first round.

Jonathan Mayo of MLB Pipeline released a mock draft, and he has the Mets linked to high school bats. For this draft, Mayo believes the Mets are going to select Walker Martin, a shortstop out of Eaton High School (Colorado). On the pick, Mayo says:

There are several bats who could be around for the Mets to consider and if Martin goes earlier, they might prefer someone like McGonigle over other high school middle infielders like Stafura or Adrian Santana.

Martin is currently rated as the 28th best draft prospect by MLB Pipeline, which would mean the Mets would be getting good value for their pick. In their pre-draft scouting report, MLB Pipeline says of Martin:

Now scouts think he has the chance to hit, with plenty of power, from the left side of the plate. He has a good swing with excellent rhythm at the plate, showing no difficulty in squaring up balls against elite competition, albeit in a very small sample size. The 6-foot-2 infielder has a lean build with plenty of room to add more strength and power.

It should be noted Kevin McGongie, Sammy Stafura, and Adrian Santana, the other prospects linked to the Mets are all high school shortstops. We have seen the Mets draft high school shortstops with good bats in the past.

Notably, Mark Vientos was a second round pick, and he is in the majors. Last year, the Mets drafted Jett Williams with the 14th overall pick. Notably, Vientos is a corner infielder, and we have seen the Mets look at Williams in center. That’s just a reminder that while you may be drafted as a shortstop, it does not mean you will necessarily stick at the position.

With the MLB Draft one month away, we should see some new mock drafts released with the Mets linked to different names. Seeing the Mets linked to Martin right now seems to make sense as he fits the organization pattern for drafting. Of course, the Mets drafting him depends on who is available.