Major League Baseball’s first-year participant draft kicked off on Sunday night time, and the Big Apple’s groups made three picks.
The Mets owned the eleventh and 14th picks. The former got here from failing to signal Vanderbilt pitcher Kumar Rocker — who went third to the Rangers this time round—after taking him within the 2021 draft. With that decide, the Mets chosen Kevin Parada, a catcher from Georgia Tech University.
Considered one of the polished collegiate hitters within the draft, Parada set Georgia Tech’s single-season house run report in 2022, an enormous accomplishment contemplating that the college’s alumni embody Nomar Garciaparra and Mark Teixeira. He additionally was a member of the All-ACC first workforce.
Parada, drafted after his sophomore season, slashed .338/.417/.643 (1.060 OPS) in his two seasons as a Yellow Jacket. Listed at 6′1″ and 197 kilos, the 20-year-old hit 35 house runs throughout his 108 collegiate video games. He is a right-handed hitter who grew up in Pasadena, CA.
“I can’t be more excited right now,” Parada mentioned on MLB Network’s broadcast of the draft. “I’m ready to go help the Mets win more.”
After his incredible 2022 season, Parada acquired the Buster Posey Award, given to the nation’s most excellent catcher. He was additionally a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award, faculty baseball’s equal of the Heisman Trophy. Parada joins Joey Bart (2018), Matt Wieters (2007) and Jason Varitek (1994) as notable Georgia Tech catchers to get picked within the first spherical.
With the 14th decide, the Mets grabbed Jett Williams, a shortstop from Rockwall-Heath High School in Heath, TX. At solely 5′8″ and 175 kilos, Williams will draw unceasing comparisons to Jose Altuve. Williams, who in response to MLB Network hit .411 with 24 stolen bases throughout his senior 12 months of highschool, had a dedication to Mississippi State University.
There’s not as a lot info or video on highschool gamers, however Williams is thought in prospect circles for his velocity. He grew to become the fifth excessive schooler to return off the board within the first 14 picks.
The Yankees went twenty fifth and took Spencer Jones, a 6′7″ outfielder. Sound acquainted?
While it will likely be at the least a number of years earlier than he’s sharing a lineup with Aaron Judge, Jones is a 21-year-old from the baseball powerhouse at Vanderbilt University, making him nearer to MLB-ready than most. He hit an informal .370 final season with 12 house runs and a .643 slugging proportion.
Jones improved his slugging proportion in every of his three years at Vanderbilt, the place he helped the Commodores attain the finals of the College World Series in 2021. Before focusing solely on being a place participant, Jones had Tommy John surgical procedure following a UCL tear he skilled whereas pitching.
At the MLB Draft mix in June, Jones recorded the toughest hit ball of all the day (112.2 miles per hour) and had the third-fastest time within the 30-yard sprint at 3.60 seconds. That velocity helped Jones swipe 14 bases in 61 video games for Vanderbilt in 2022. Evaluators imagine he may additionally play heart discipline if wanted.
This marks the third straight 12 months that the Yankees have used their first decide on a school place participant. In 2021 they drafted Trey Sweeney, a shortstop from Eastern Illinois. In 2020 their first-round man was Austin Wells, the catcher out of Arizona.
Monday will convey rounds three by means of ten, with rounds 11-20 approaching Tuesday.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com