Ht: 6’1” Wt: 180 DOB: 8/29/01 (18)

Bats/Throws: L/L

School: Corona High School, Corona, California

Background

Zack Wheeler’s departure for Philadelphia hurts the Mets in the immediate future, but it could provide a blessing in disguise for the organization. Because they offered Wheeler a qualifying offer, the Mets recouped a Compensation Round B pick, which turned out to be the 69th selection in the 2020 draft. Every indication says the Mets used it wisely.

After using their first selection on toolsy, SoCal prep outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, the Mets went in nearly the exact same direction with this pick, as well. The selection, Isaiah Greene from the apropos Corona, California, is dripping with exciting athleticism.

Baseball America had Greene ranked 49^th, so the Mets got some nice value by sniping him 20 spots lower. Despite an inconsistent junior year, Greene catapulted into top-100 lists after an impressive showcase at the Area Code Games in which he slashed .429/.438/.714.

The Mets have reportedly signed the Mizzou commit for $850K, which is below the pick’s slot value at $929,800.

Scouting Report

The most instantly eye-popping part of Greene’s game is his blazing speed and quickness. He was in the 98th percentile of all players in this draft class for 60-yard dash, running his in 6.48 seconds. And that speed doesn’t just benefit him on the basepaths; the Mets seem to think Greene can stick in center field long-term.

However, scouts seem mixed on Greene’s future up the middle. His reads and routes on fly balls leave plenty of room for growth, and his arm is average at best. Add in the fact that he may be forced to compete for time in center with Crow-Armstrong, who many considered to be the best defensive outfielder in this class, and Greene will likely find himself developing as a left fielder when all is said and done.

https://twitter.com/Jacob_Resnick/status/1271214564529537027

Greene’s best asset is his sweet swing from the left side. He drives the baseball from line-to-line with a flat, level stroke. Greene’s swing is simple and mechanically sound, allowing him to find the barrel consistently and produce above-average exit velocities. One thing he lacks right now is over-the-fence power. But as a youngster with a strong, athletic frame, there is plenty of room to project average power.

https://twitter.com/eccentricladdie/status/1267857594971910144

Development

The fact of the matter is that no one knows when this year’s draft class is going to get on the field. And to add insult to injury, the Mets affiliate in Kingsport is among those likely being slashed by MLB’s plan to reduce the size of minor league baseball. Though the Mets usually start their high-level prep picks with the Gulf Coast League Mets, they’ve been quick to promote players like Jarred Kelenic and Brett Baty to Kingsport after minimal at bats in the GCL. It’s anyone’s guess how the ongoing pandemic and minor league shake-up will affect the development of players like Greene, so on that front it’s more of a wait-and-see approach.

Once that is ironed out, the biggest question is figuring out the trade-off between Greene and Pete Crow-Armstrong. The Mets publicly view Greene as a center fielder, but the issue is that Crow-Armstrong is already exceptional in center so he takes precedence. If both players develop at the same rate and are manning the same outfield, the Mets will need to make a decision on how to progress. The likely result is Crow-Armstrong locking down center with Greene in left. With the athleticism these two possess, no hits might ever drop between them. There are worse problems to have. The Mets’ pipeline is also fairly barren in regards to high-level outfield prospects. These two help the depth of the system quite a bit.

Isaiah Greene was ranked the 62nd best prospect according to the @MLBPipeline board. #LGM pic.twitter.com/7lMUN5Imtw

— GENY Mets Report (@genymets) June 11, 2020

The Garret Anderson comp that people have been putting on Greene is a solid comp. Anderson was left-handed hitting, left-handed throwing left fielder who primarily worked gap-to-gap in the beginning of his career and hit for average over power. Anderson would go on to hit 35 homers in his prime. Although I would not put it past Greene to develop some power, hitting for that much power would likely mean trading off some of his natural hit tool and messing with his level swing.

I personally love the Michael Brantley comp for Greene. Brantley has one of the sweetest left-handed strokes in the sport, has hit above .280 in every healthy season he’s ever had with serviceably average home run power, and plays a strong left field. In his best season, 2014, Brantley his .327 with 20 homers, 45 doubles, and 23 stolen bases and placed third in MVP voting. If Greene becomes a player anywhere remotely close to Michael Brantley, the Mets got a steal. The tools are there, and there is a lot to be excited about with Isaiah Greene.