Tuesday rounded out day three of the 2023 MLB Draft. With their last six picks of the draft, the Mets went pitcher heavy. They drafted four pitchers, an infielder, and an outfielder with their last six picks.
Over the course of the last day they drafted eight pitchers, and an infielder and an outfielder.
RHP Justin Lawson – Round 15, Pick No. 456
With their 15th round pick, the New York Mets selected RHP Justin Lawson from NC State. Lawson is a 6’3”, 201lb junior, communication major from winnfield, LA.
In his 2023 junior season he tied a team-high record with 27 appearances out of the bullpen. He led all NC State pitchers with a 3.27 ERA. and finished with a perfect 5-0 record. He ranked first among all NC State relievers with 52.1 innings pitched and recorded 67 strikeouts. He had a 67-to-17 strikeout-to-walk ratio and allowed two walks or fewer in 26 of 27 relief appearances.
With their 15th round pick, the Mets selected right-handed reliever Justin Lawson from NC State.
The 22-year-old had a 3.27 ERA, 3 saves, and 67 strikeouts compared to only 17 walks in 52 1/3 innings this year.
— Mike Mayer (@mikemayer22) July 11, 2023
One of his career best outings came on April 28 against The Citadel. He set a career-high six strikeouts in 4.2 innings pitched. On May 25 against Miami he again struck out six in 3.1 innings pitched.
Lawson in 2023 also had 15 scoreless outings and did not allow an earned run in 17 appearances.
3B Jake Zitella – Round 16 Pick No. 486
Jake Zitella is a senior third baseman from St. Charles East High School in Illinois. The 5’11”, 195lb senior can play both shortstop and third base, feeling comfortable on the left side of the diamond. He has a medium frame with a strong, physical build.
He ran a 60 yard dash in 6.84 seconds.
According to Perfect Game, he has a relaxed batting stance with legitimate speed and strength behind his swing. He is fast to get the barrel to ball and has pull-side power that stands out to scouts. He is known for his ability to hit home runs to his pull-side. He has good hitting tools with big power upside.
In the field he has solid hand actions out front, moves well laterally, and has clocked an 86 mph throw from the left side of the infield.
With their 16th round pick, the Mets selected third baseman Jake Zitella from St Charles High School. He’s committed to Illinois.
He hit .484 with 9 home runs this year.
— Mike Mayer (@mikemayer22) July 11, 2023
Zitella hit .484 with nine home runs this season for St. Charles East HS. He has an exit velocity on his swing that averages 80 mph and has touched upwards of 99 mph. He ranks in the 99.55 percentile for exit velocity.
Zitella is ranked No. 351 nationally by Perfect Game and the No. 18 third baseman. He is ranked No. 12 overall in the state of Illinois and the No. 2 second baseman in his state.
Per Taylor Blake Ward of ESPN, he is a power-hungry prep corner with a “Whippy right-handed swing.” He has present strength and intent to get plus, raw power with ease. He needs some refinement to his swing, but his strong arm and feet should keep him at third base.
He is currently committed to Illinois and will now decide if he wants to go to college and fulfill his commitment, or head to play pro ball.
RHP Bryce Jenkins – Round 17, Pick No. 516
With pick No. 516, the New York Mets went to the SEC and selected right-handed pitcher Bryce Jenkins from the University of Tennessee. Jenkins is a 5’11”, 175lbs relief pitcher from Knoxville, Tenn.
Jenkins spent the 2020-2022 seasons at Cleveland State CC (Juco) before transferring to Tennessee for the 2023 season. He spent just this one season with Tennessee.
In 2023 he was 1-0 with a 5.51 ERA. He gave up 19 earned runs on 13 hits in 16 1/3 innings pitched this season. He walked seven and struck out 24.
With the 516th pick the Mets select RHP Bryce Jenkins from Tennessee
5-10 and 180 pounds. Posted a 5.51 ERA in 18 games this year but struck out 24 in 16.1 innings. He threw 5.2 scoreless innings at the Cape. Sat 92-94 with a high spin SL at the Capepic.twitter.com/AjuSkVeiTN
— Joe DeMayo (@PSLToFlushing) July 11, 2023
Some of his season highs included a five strikeout performance against the University of Florida on April 7, and on May 20 he did give up a walk or hit against South Carolina on the road.
Jenkins joins seven other volunteers to be drafted and the sixth pitcher from Tennessee.
With his selection to the Mets, he will join former Tennessee pitcher Blade Tidwell in the Mets’ farm system.
LHP Gavyn Jones – Round 18, Pick No. 546
As the draft comes down to the wire, the Mets continued their pitching-heavy trend at round 18 by selecting a left-handed prep pitcher in Gavyn Jones from White Oak High School in Texas. He is a 6’2”, 200lb Senior. He is also known for his ability to play first base and play in the outfield. However, he was drafted as a pitcher and will likely stay a pitcher professionally.
Per Perfect Game, Jones is ranked as the No. 141 overall pitcher and the No. 21 left-handed pitcher nationally. He is ranked in the state of Texas as the No. 12 overall pitcher in the state and the No. 2 left-handed pitcher in Texas.
The 6’2”, 205lb, 18-year old is a Texas Tech commit who will decide if he wants to pursue college or head to the pros.
Jones has a fastball that averages 78 mph and has topped at 95 mph.
Future Stars Series ranked Jones as the No. 155 prospect coming into the draft, saying there was a big jump in his stuff in the spring. Along with his fastball that touches 95 with great “life late in the zone,” he also has two breaking balls that he mixes in. He has a short slider that averages in the low-80’s and an upper 70’s downer curveball with a considerable amount of depth and life.
RHP Christian Little – Round 19, Pick No. 576
The Mets went back to the LSU in round 19 drafting RHP Chrsitian Little with the 576th overall pick of the draft. Little is a 6’4”, 225lbs junior from St. Louis, Missouri. Previously he was with Vanderbilt before transferring to LSU. He was with Vanderbilt for the 2021-2022 seasons and played the 2023 season with LSU.
Little was both a weekend starter and a reliever for LSU in 2023. He pitched in five of the 12 shutouts that LSU produced during the 2023 season.
Over the course of the season with LSU in 2023, he was 202 with a 7.79 ERA and he had two saves. He gave up 30 earned runs on 32 hits, walked 29, and struck out 42 over the course of 34 2/3 innings pitched for the Tigers.
His season highs included 5 1/3 innings pitched against Ole Miss on April 23 and a six-strikeout performance against Southern University on February 21.
He has a fastball that can get up into the high-90’s, but averages 92-95 mph. He also has a promising curveball with good spin rate and a changeup that is used on primarily left-handed pitchers.
With his draft selection, Little represents the 13th LSU player to be drafted this week, a program record for the Tigers.
Little has two seasons of collegiate eligibility left and will have to decide on whether he returns to the college world series champion LSU Tigers or head pro.
OF Kellum Clark – Round 20, Pick No. 606
Rounding out the 2023 MLB Draft for the Mets, with the No. 606 pick in round 20 of the 2023 MLB Draft, the New York Mets drafted outfielder Kellum Clark from Mississippi State University.
Clark is a 6’4”, 205lb senior who bats left and throws right.
In 2021 he earned first-year SEC academic honor roll and then in 2022 and 2023 he earned SEC Spring Academic Honor Roll.
Kellum batted .299 in 2023 with a .545 slugging percentage. He had 56 total hits: 11 doubles, one triple, and 11 home runs. He drove in 29 RBI’s and had 46 runs scored.
Over the course of three seasons as Mississippi State, he batted a total .270, with a .540 slugging percentage. He had 126 hits: 30 doubles, three triples, and 30 home runs. He drove in 88 RBI’s and 109 total runs scored over the course of his three-season collegiate career.
RECAPPING DAY 3, ROUNDS 11-20
The Mets were pitching heavy on day three and the final day of the 2023 MLB Draft. The players selected by the Mets on Tuesday included:
- 11, Pick No. 336: RHP Brett Banks – UNC Wilmington (NC)
- 12, Pick No. 366: RHP Brady Kirtner – Viriginia Tech (VA)
- 13, Pick No. 396: RHP Ben Simon – Elon University (NC)
- 14, Pick No. 426: RHP John Valle – Jefferson High School (FL)
- 15, Pick No. 456: RHP Justin Lawson – NC State (NC)
- 16, Pick No. 486: 3B Jake Zitella – St. Charles East High School (IL)
- 17, Pick No. 516: RHP Bryce Jenkins – Tennessee (TN)
- 18, Pick No. 546: LHP Gavyn Jones – White Oak High School (TX)
- 19, Pick No. 576: RHP Christian Little – LSU (LA)
- 20, Pick No. 606: OF Kellum Clark – Mississippi State (MS)
It was a pitching heavy day and overall a pitching heavy draft for the Mets this year, giving the Mets’ farm system a plethora of new arms to develop and bring up over the course of the next few year to come.
