NY Mets first-round pick Mitch Voit is showing an unexpected talent

The New York Mets made a significant addition to their farm system in the 2025 MLB Draft by selecting infielder Mitch Voit with the 38th overall pick. Voit, a former two-way player from the University of Michigan, has quickly become a notable prospect for the organization.

While at the University of Michigan, Voit was a standout, posting impressive numbers in his final collegiate season. He hit .346 with a .471 on-base percentage and a .668 slugging percentage, leading the Wolverines in multiple offensive categories, including home runs, walks, and stolen bases. His ability to hit for both average and power, combined with his versatility on the infield, made him an attractive target for the Mets. However, despite his strong collegiate resume, his early professional performance is showcasing a skill that wasn't necessarily expected to be a primary tool.

Mets first round pick Mitch Voit is show great speed on the basepaths

Voit's early professional career with the St. Lucie Mets has been marked by an unexpected and prolific display of speed on the basepaths. While his collegiate stats included a respectable 14 stolen bases in his last season at Michigan, his performance in a limited number of games with St. Lucie has been particularly striking. Voit has already tallied the same stolen bases as games played, including a recent three-steal performance. This rapid accumulation of stolen bases suggests a more aggressive and successful approach on the basepaths than what was anticipated.

Looking at his scouting grades from MLB Pipeline coming to the draft, Voit's speed was graded as a 55 on the 20-80 scale, which is considered "solid-to-plus." However, his Fangraphs scouting report gave him a higher grade of 60 for speed, which indicates a full "plus" tool. This current output of stolen bases seems to align more with the higher end of his scouting reports, even surpassing what might be expected from a player with his profile, particularly given that his primary strengths were considered to be his hit and power tools.

Beyond his stolen base numbers, Voit's overall performance with St. Lucie is a mixed bag, as is common for players making the transition to professional baseball. While his batting average has not been particulary good, his walk rate (BB%) is over 12.0% and his strikeout rate (K%) is around 15.0%, both of which are encouraging signs of plate discipline. These rates compare favorably to his college numbers, where he had a 15.3% walk rate and a 13.0% strikeout rate in his final season.

The disparity between his stolen base production and his other offensive stats is the most interesting storyline of his early career. While his bat is still adjusting to professional pitching, his ability to affect the game in other ways is already clear. The fact that his speed is translating into such a high volume of stolen bases so early in his career is a promising sign for the Mets.