3 best Mets decisions during the 2023 MLB Draft

The New York Mets entered the 2023 MLB Draft intending to continue to develop their farm system. On this occasion, and due to the new penalties for exceeding tier 4 of the luxury tax, the team could not select until pick No. 32.

However, the Mets had seven picks in the first five rounds, a plus in a draft considered by many experts to be one of the deepest in recent years. The Mets organization took a course of what they were looking for in this draft, where three decisions stand out from the rest.

The Mets used their first pick on a player who could be the "steal of the draft"

The Mets went with a clear idea with their first pick of this 2023 MLB Draft to select the best possible talent, and they did so. Despite being penalized ten spots in the first round for exceeding the competitive balance tax threshold by more than $40 million last season, the Mets got a first-round value on the first pick.

The Mets selected infielder Colin Houck, an 18-year-old from Parkview HS, with the 32nd pick. Houck was considered a consensus top 15 going into this draft by the nation's top scouts, including 12th for MLB Pipeline, 10th for Keith Law for The Athletic, and 12th for Prospect Live.

Houck is an athletic young man with a mature swing, good bat speed, and a frame that projects room for his body to grow. Houck's swing guarantees a high probability of contact and power with a good defensive range and an exceptional arm. He has stood out for being a three-star quarterback.

Gatorade's Georgia state player of the year, Colin Houck possesses undoubted athleticism. The Mets managed to enhance their pick No. 32 in the best possible way, turning it into a first-round top, something remarkable in the organization that means that the penalty did not punish the team too much.

The Mets went heavy on pitchers with the ability to move quickly through the minor league system

Fans were concerned that the Mets didn't draft pitching with the first pick with potential stars like Charlee Soto and Josh Knott available. However, starting with their second pick, the Mets went heavy on pitchers with potential.

With their second pick, the Mets selected Brandon Sproat, a familiar face to the organization, selected in the 2022 draft in the third round, but the team failed to sign. Sproat possesses one of the most consistent fastballs in the draft traveling between 96-98 mph and reaching 101.

Including Sproat and Nolan McLean (two-way player), the Mets selected 16 pitchers out of the total 23 picks in the draft. Of all these, only one pitcher was from high school, while the remaining 15 were already in their senior year of college, which guarantees the necessary maturity to travel quickly through the minors of the organization.

The Mets prioritized pitchers with high swing and miss potential and good command of their pitches, among which Wyatt Hudepohl and Jack Wenninger stand out, or like late-round picks, John Valle, who has a high spin fastball. The organization prioritized pitchers with great potential who, together with Eric Jagers, director of pitching development, can start testing the pitching lab created by Steve Cohen.

The Mets did the job correctly, boosting their first pick and managing to maximize pitching depth in the organization—something that was a major need. From these talents, we will be able to see how their development will be remarkable and accelerated within the system, being able to become major league-level starters and relievers, something that the Mets have not been able to develop in recent years.