Note: MLB Draft is Today at 2 PM
The MLB’s 2008 First-Year Player Draft will begin today at 2 pm EDT, and will be televised on ESPN 2 and MLB.com.
The Mets have three of the first 33 picks, including the No. 18 and No. 22 overall picks.
I will start up a Live Blog of the Draft just before 2 pm.
ESPN’s Keith Law predicts that the Mets will select C Jason Castro from Stanford with their first pick, while taking C-2B Brett Lawrie from Brookswood with their second pick.
According to ESPN, “Lawrie has a great swing, keeps his weight back well, and aside from a slight back-side collapse and a tendency to get a little too power-happy, he does everything right at the plate. He should make plenty of contact and hit for average to above-average power.”
Regarding Castro, ESPN writes, “His upside is as an average regular catcher in the big leagues, unless he develops more power. He has a very high probability of making it as a backup.”
Meanwhile, in his most recent Mock Draft for Baseball America, Jim Callis also predicts that the Mets will select Castro with their first pick, writing, “The Mets need a catcher for the near future, and Castro has convinced scouts he can handle the defensive responsibilities and produce at the plate.”
However, at MiLB.com, minor-league guru Jonathan Mayo believes the Mets will use their first pick to select OF Ike Davis from Arizona State, 2B Jemile Weeks from Miami or the hard-throwing RHP Ryan Perry from Arizona.
By the way, to watch a video interview between Mayo and SNY’s Ted Berg, click here.
According to ESPN, “When Davis connects, he has plus raw power and would easily hit 30-plus homers in the majors if he can make enough contact.”
Either way, consensus across the Internet appears to be that the Mets will target college bats, since their farm system is void of young hitters.
Again, I will start up a Live Blog of the Draft just before 2 pm.
