Andrew B. Fielding – USATODAY Sports
After drafting exactly zero outfielders last year, the New York Mets made the outfield a point of emphasis on day two of the 2013 MLB Draft. The Mets used four of their nine picks during day two of the draft to take outfielders, a problem area for the current Mets team, and obviously a focal point for future Mets teams.
The Mets used their third round pick on Ivan Wilson, a high school player from Louisiana. Wilson is as big and physical as any high school outfielder available in this year’s draft. He’s toolsy and athletic, and while he remains years away from contributing at the big league level, he possesses a great combination of power and speed that the Mets think can be developed into a star.
In the fifth round, the Mets took college outfielder Jared King of Kansas State. King is a switch-hitter than can hit for both average and power. He was a Big 12 batting champion in college, and has a short stroke that allows him to cut down on strikeouts, something the Mets organization likes. He has a chance to move quickly through the farm system if he can be as productive in the minors as he was in college.
The Mets made a point to add speed and athleticism to their outfield by drafting Champ Stuart in the sixth round and Patrick Blondi in the ninth round. Stuart, who is originally from the Bahamas, was drafted out of a small division two college, and while he has a long way to go and a lot to learn about how to play baseball, he is an exceptional athlete with great raw tools. Meanwhile, Blondi is a more polished college player from Michigan, who brings speed, defense, and a high batting average to the table.
The Mets also added a couple pitchers and a couple middle infielders during day two of the draft, but the outfielders they added to the farm system is what stands out. Outside of Brandon Nimmo, their top draft pick in 2011, the Mets lack quality outfield prospects throughout much of their farm system. But today they added four promising outfielders, as they drafted players with high ceilings and a lot of athleticism, which is exactly what they needed.
Bryan Zarpentine is a New York Mets writer at www.RantSports.com. Follow him on twitter @BZarp and add him on Google+.
