New York Mets 2023 MLB Draft Review
See Also: 2023 MLB Draft Database
Draft Theme: Priority Old Guys.
The Mets got great value when they managed to select SS Colin Houck at No. 32, but they also stood out for targeting a few talented 22-year-olds with their next picks: After failing to sign RHP Brandon Sproat a year ago in the third round, the Mets took him once again in the second, then drafted another player who failed to sign in the third round in 2022 in two-way player Nolan McLean. New York later added a few more exciting 22-year-olds with RHP Noah Hall and his plus changeup in the seventh and one of the best run producers in college baseball in the ninth with 3B Nick Lorusso.
Most Interesting Day 2 Pick: SS Boston Baro, 8th round
Baro intrigued on the summer showcase circuit but was behind his peers physically and not considered a top draft prospect coming into the year. He spent the offseason getting stronger, transferred from a small, private school to Capistrano Valley (Mission Viejo, Calif.) High to face better competition and emerged as one of the spring’s biggest risers as he performed throughout the year. Baro is a lefthanded-hitting shortstop with solid tools across the board. He has a sound, line-drive swing and a natural feel for finding the barrel. He is still wiry and not overly physical, but he flashes the ability to loft to his pullside and has a chance to grow into average power as he fills out. Baro is a sound defensive shortstop with clean footwork, natural actions and above-average arm strength. He is a fringy runner with questionable footspeed and range, but his glove and instincts should allow him to remain at short and be an average defender. Baro requires a lot of physical projection, but he has a chance to be a lefthanded-hitting shortstop who is productive on both sides of the ball if everything clicks. He is committed to UCLA.
Most Interesting Day 3 Pick: RHP Brett Banks, 11th round
Banks played two seasons of junior college ball with Wake Tech (N.C.) JC and Catawba Valley (N.C.) JC before transferring to UNC Wilmington, where he appeared in 11 games in 2022. He had a career year in 2023 as a back-end reliever for the Seahawks, and he posted a 4.23 ERA over 38.1 innings, with a 25.9% strikeout rate and a 12.4% walk rate. A 6-foot-3, 210-pound righthander, Banks is a reliever only at the next level and primarily works with a two-pitch mix headlined by a plus-plus fastball. He sits in the 94-96 mph range and touches 98, and it’s both a high-spin and heavy-carry pitch, with 20 inches of induced vertical break. Banks’ main secondary is an 80-85 mph slider that could become an average pitch with more improvement, though some teams believe he could develop an above-average cutter. His strikes are only fair, but he keeps the ball around the zone enough to have success in a reliever role.
