The most recent NY Mets first round draft picks who didn’t make it to MLB

Drafting in the first round hasn’t been a specialty of the New York Mets. However, they do have a pretty good recent history of guys at least making it to the major leagues. Carson Benge in 2024 is the most recent to cross over. What about the most recent who didn’t?

Allowing leeway for those who were drafted more recently and still have a chance to make it, we need to go all the way back to 2008 for an answer. In fact, we have to stay for two picks because two of the three selections the Mets had in the first round never made it out of the minor leagues.

In this particular year, the Mets got to pick three times in the first 46 picks of the first round. With the 18th overall selection, they took Ike Davis. This was one of two picks awarded for losing Tom Glavine in free agency to the Atlanta Braves. After that, what we can consider a successful pick, things fell apart.

Reese Havens and Bradley Holt were taken in the first round by the Mets in 2008 and never made it to MLB

Reese Havens was a shortstop out of the University of South Carolina. Bradley Holt was a pitcher from the University of North Carolina. The Mets had the Carolinas covered, apparently. It wouldn’t make a difference for them in this ill-fated draft.

Selected 22nd overall, Havens played 38 games in Triple-A in 2013. Frequent injuries which limited him to only one season of topping 400 plate appearances was one of the causes. While he hit .252/.355/.423, slow progress through the minors likely played a factor as well. His final year was his age 26 campaign.

Holt only got into 6 games in Triple-A. A 5.01 ERA overall in the minors, his failure to reach the majors was less largely due to underperformance. He played his last game for the Mets organization in 2012. In 2014, he resurfaced with 4 games for the Long Island Ducks. Holt was the second compensatory pick the Mets received for letting Glavine return to the Braves.

Fortunately, no MLB star was taken shortly after either of these selections that suggests Mets history could have been completely altered. Lance Lynn, at 39th overall, had the best career WAR of anyone taken after either player who actually signed.

This isn’t good enough compensation for the Mets. 46 players were taken and the Mets picked three times. Only 8 didn’t play a major league game. The Mets had 2 of them.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow