We’re less than a week away from the 2024 MLB Draft, and it’s still anyone’s guess who the Mets will take. The Amazins will pick at No. 19 after finishing No. 9 in the lottery and being knocked down 10 spots due to Competitive Balance Tax penalties.
Let’s examine four mock drafts from four major outlets — ESPN, The Athletic, Baseball America and MLB Pipeline — and see who they have heading to Queens.
The Pick: Brody Brecht, RHP, Iowa
ESPN Rank: 23
The Athletic Rank: 16
Baseball America Rank: 28
MLB Pipeline Rank: 21
As the No. 16 prospect on Keith Law’s list for The Athletic and a top 30 prospect on ESPN, Baseball America, and MLB Pipeline, Brecht is one of the highest-ranked pitchers in this year’s draft. Kiley McDaniel of ESPN said he has triple-digit velo and a good slider in a wide receiver’s body. Oh yeah — Brecht, standing at 6-foot-4, was a wide receiver for the Iowa football team. He had nine receptions for 87 yards in the 2022-23 season before focusing solely on baseball for his final year.
As a junior on the diamond, Brecht made 15 starts with a 3.33 ERA in 78 and ⅓ innings. He struck out 128 and walked 49. MLB Pipeline gives him a 70-grade fastball and a 70-grade slider with a 50-grade splitter and 40-grade control. Law said he’ll need to make some adjustments to his motion, but his athleticism should help him do so. The Mets, who have had a lot of success in the pitching development department recently (Christian Scott, Brandon Sproat, Blade Tidwell, Jonah Tong, etc.), could be a good fit for him.
He would also certainly fit the Mets type as an athletic, hard-throwing college arm — they drafted Sproat twice.
This mock draft also has the Mets taking Slade Caldwell in the second round at No. 46, but more on him later.
Carson Benge, Photo by The Oklahoman
The Pick: Carson Benge, OF/RHP, Oklahoma State
ESPN Rank: 18
The Athletic Rank: 18
Baseball America Rank: 15
MLB Pipeline Rank: 18
Benge is listed as a two-way player, which is sure to make eyes light up, but he is very likely to be a hitter only once he turns pro. A left-hand hitting outfielder, Benge is more hit-over-power but still has some pop, hitting 18 home runs this season for the Cowboys. Law said Benge has great bat speed, makes great swing decisions and hits the ball hard. He said his swing path is more slap style, leading to lower launch angles. On the mound, Benge had a 3.16 ERA in 37 innings this season, mostly in relief. Law said that his fastball would sit in the low-to-mid 90s, and he had a plus curveball. He also says the Mets have been linked to Benge for a while.
MLB Pipeline gave Benge both a 55-grade hit and power tool and wrote that few hitters in this class have his combination of bat-to-ball skills. They’re also more bullish on his future as a pitcher, giving him first-round potential as a hitter and third-round potential as a pitcher. Benge comes from Oklahoma State, the same school as current Mets two-way prospect Nolan McLean, so maybe this program produces two-way players.
Seaver King, Photo by Cory Knowlton-USA TODAY Sports
The Pick: Seaver King, SS/OF, Wake Forest
ESPN Rank: 16
The Athletic Rank: 17
Baseball America Rank: 17
MLB Pipeline Rank: 17
The first thing BA’s Carlos Collazo says in his article is King could very well be gone by the time the Mets are on the clock. It would make sense, all four publications have him ranked No. 17 or better, and the Mets pick at No. 19. Collazo also says the Mets have been linked to Benge, and names Tommy White, Billy Amick, Dakota Jordan and Vance Honeycutt as other players who could make sense. King hit .308 with a .954 OPS in his only year at Wake Forest after two years at Wingate University, a DII school.
The Athletic has the right-hand-hitting King as an aggressive hitter who rarely swings and misses, and he can hit for power too. He struck out just 34 times in 284 plate appearances this year, which was again his first year playing Division I baseball. MLB Pipeline gives him a 55 hit tool, 45 power tool and 65 run tool. He is also a very strong and versatile fielder, playing 36 games at third base, 21 games in center field, 10 games at shortstop and two games at second base.
The Pick: Slade Caldwell, OF, Valley View HS, Ark.
ESPN Rank: 41
The Athletic Rank: 12
Baseball America Rank: 19
MLB Pipeline Rank: 27
Caldwell is simultaneously the highest-ranked and lowest-ranked player any of these mocks have the Mets selecting. Pipeline, which gives Caldwell a 55-grade hit tool, 45-grade power tool and 65-grade run tool, compares him to the outfield version of Jett Williams. Jonathan Mayo, who created this mock, said there’s buzz the Mets could be leaning towards taking a high school bat. If the Mets do go the prep route, contrary to what most people expect, Caldwell could be the pick.
A left-hand hitter, Caldwell, is listed as 5-foot-6 on The Athletic and 5-foot-9 on MLB Pipeline. Regardless of which one is correct, he is undoubtedly on the shorter side — contributing to the comparison to 5-foot-7 Williams. Mayo also links the Mets to prep bats Theo Gillen or Kellon Lindsey and college bats Dakota Jordan and Kaelen Culpepper.
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