3 Players Mets Can Target With Their First-Round Pick

It's safe to say that the New York Mets season has not exactly gone according to plan. They are currently 23-25, sitting behind the first-place Philadelphia Phillies. The Mets don't exactly have a lot of help waiting in the minors, as Andres Gimenez and Anthony Kay are the prospects closest to making their MLB debuts, and both are sitting in Double-A. With the team they have put together, they need some players that they can fast track to the majors to help win a championship in Queens. With that said, here are two experienced players (and one wild card) the Mets could target with their 12th overall selection in the draft.

3. Jackson Rutledge

Jackson Rutledge is an interesting prospect who has skyrocketed into day one MLB draft conversations. Rutledge went to Arkansas, despite being projected to go within the first five rounds directly out of high school. After being left off the team's postseason roster as a freshman, he decided to transfer to San Jacinto, a junior college, where he has built himself into the prospect he is today. The right-hander stands at 6-foot-8, and is throwing his fastball in the upper 90's, maintaining that same speed deep into outings. All four of his pitches could be projected as plus, although his changeup still needs some work. His frame could definitely make up for that, however, as he is able to create angles when pitching that make it incredibly hard to hit anything he throws. It's safe to say he has some of the best stuff in the draft, but he's very raw, so the Mets could have to be patient with him in the beginning. He's very high-risk, high-reward.

2. Shea Langeliers

A junior out of Baylor, Shea Langeliers doesn't exactly come with the same kind of prospect pedigree as fellow catching prospect Adley Rutschman, but sadly, Rutschman will certainly not be available by the time the Mets make their selection. With a severe lack of talent at the catching position in the minors, they could use a catcher like Langeliers. He's not known for his bat, but he plays fantastic defense, has a cannon for an arm, and has the kind of leadership skills that you want from your backstop. MLB.com grades his contact/power out at a 50, but he's still batting .311 with six homers and 28 runs batted in, so there's reason to be optimistic. Catching is at such a premium in today's game, so Langeliers could be a good pickup here.

1. Kameron Misner

Kameron Misner probably has the best tools of any college position player in this draft. At 6-4 and 219 pounds, the Missouri product has huge raw power that he's still working on. His statistics took a dip this season largely in part to his poor performance in the SEC, as he's hitting just .222 in 133 plate appearances in conference play. However, he's still hitting .286 with 10 homers and 32 runs batted in overall. The left-hander has a solid swing and mature approach, and could ultimately be a 20 homers, 20 steals kind of player. He's got a great makeup, and despite the risk, he could be a solid center fielder for the Mets. They could certainly use that right now, as the outfield has not been a bright spot in 2019.