With the 2023 MLB Amateur Draft just a few weeks away, the Mets are picking at number 32 overall for their first pick. The Mets picked twice in the first round last year, taking catcher Kevin Parada and then shortstop Jett Williams. The Mets have been tied to a handful of players early on in the 2023 draft process from multiple mock draft outlets. Let’s take a look at who the Mets have been tied to for their first overall pick.
ESPN: 3B Yohandy Morales, Miami
In his first mock draft, Kiley McDaniel of ESPN notes, “Multiple scouts told me the Mets are really in on Morales, who could go in the 20s but has a chance to get here — and does in this scenario. He has potential 30-homer upside and can play third base, but his long arms create some contact issues; there are some similarities to Mark Vientos.”
MLB.com June 15th: 3B Brock Wilken, Wake Forest
Jim Callis noted, “The Mets could opt for a slugging Atlantic Coast Conference third baseman, Morales, or Wake Forest’s Brock Wilken.”
Morales ranks as the 17th-best prospect in the draft, according to MLB Pipeline. Pipeline’s writeup on Morales includes that “he’s an aggressive hitter looking to do damage and he does consistently barrel up the baseball, showing an ability to drive the ball to all fields. While he’s still power-over-hit, he has ironed out some of the moving parts of his swing that hurt him as a prepster, giving him a better chance to hit and get to that power, though some scouts worried about his tendency to chase pitches, especially up and out of the zone.”
In his junior year, Yohandy Morales hit .408/.475/.713 with 20 homers, 70 RBI, and 7 stolen bases. The 21-year-old was one of the best bats in the ACC, finishing in the top-20 in the conference in homers and top-20 in the conference in OPS. Morales was said to be a fine defender at third this year, and there is some hope that he can pan out long-term as a third baseman, but he could end up shifting to third base or a corner outfield in due time.
As for Brock Wilken, the 30+ homer star at Wake Forest is the catalyst of one of the best lineups in college baseball this year. Wilken ranks as MLB Pipeline’s 24th overall prospect. Wilken just turned 21 on June 17th, making him one of the younger juniors in the MLB Amateur Draft. Wilken’s game is “geared to crush balls to left field with the strength and leverage in his 6-foot-4 frame and the bat speed and loft in his right-handed stroke”, according to MLB Pipeline.
He is said to project as a long-term third baseman, putting him in the same boat as Morales of Miami, showing that the Mets might have a specific type in the 2023 draft.
MLB.com June 22nd: SS Kevin McGonigle, Monsignor Bonner High School
In a recent update, MLB Pipeline believes the Mets are interested in Kevin McGonigle. McGonigle is a shortstop out of Monsignor Bonner High School in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania. McGonigle is MLB Pipeline’s 26th overall draft prospect. He is said to be “one of the best pure hitters in the class, at least in terms of bat-to-ball skills.” The theme of these mock drafts is the Mets are interested in another top hitter. More to the point, the Mets seem to be again pursuing the best player available, which is a reason why their drafts have been so effective.
The Mets have drafted a collegiate bat just twice since 2014: Michael Conforto in 2014, and Kevin Parada last year. Morales also fits a recent trend, since 2018, of taking one of the classes’ best bats, which they’ve done with the likes of Jarred Kelenic, Brett Baty, Pete Crow-Armstrong, and then Parada and Williams.
