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Mets First-Round Draft PicksThe Mets have had limited success in the MLB Draft's First RoundAs Mets fans look forward to what 2008 first-rounders Ike Davis and Reese Havens can do, it is a good time to look at how former Met first-round picks have done.
Out of the Mets’ past 10 first-round picks prior to drafting Davis and Havens, only Aaron Heilman has contributed significantly to the major league team. Many of these players ended up being traded. Some of them just never made it out of the minor leagues. This list does not include supplemental picks like David Wright, Bob Keppel, and Eddie Kunz. 1995. Ryan Jaroncyk 18th Overall PickJaroncyk, a high school shortstop from California, only lasted three years in the Mets’ organization. He quit the game of baseball after reaching the A-Level South Atlantic League. He played only 29 games at that level. It was later discovered that Jaroncyk never enjoyed playing baseball, but was forced into the game by his father. 1996. Robert Stratton 13th Overall PickStratton was a slugger in every sense of the word, but the problem was that he never had the plate discipline to reach the major league level. Stratton had over 200 career minor league home runs over 11 seasons. He won the minor league home run crown in 2003 with 32 homers for the Marlins’ Triple-A affiliate, Albuquerque. Stratton was a one-trick pony, and after seven years in the Mets’ farm system, he was dealt away with Jay Payton and Mark Corey to the Rockies for starter John Thomson. (Stratton was also dealt to Florida in the Al Leiter deal in 1998, only to be sent back to the Mets in another trade before the season ever started.) 1997. Geoff Goetz 6th Overall PickUnfortunately, Goetz will only be remembered by Mets fans as the answer to a trivia question: “Who did the Mets trade for Mike Piazza?” Goetz, a left-handed pitcher, spent two years in the Mets farm system before being dealt to the Marlins with Preston Wilson and Ed Yarnell in exchange for Piazza. 1998. Jason Tyner 21st Overall PickThe soft-hitting Tyner was a good defender and base runner, but just didn’t enough pop in his bat or a good enough throwing arm to succeed at the big league level. He falls under the category of a “quadruple-A player”—someone who excels in the minors, but just can’t hack it in the big leagues. He was dealt to Tampa Bay in 2000 for bullpen and bench help. The Mets received Rick White and Bubba Trammell in return. 2000. Billy Traber 16th Overall PickThe left-handed starter was a disappointment for the Mets. After investing the number 16 pick in the draft in Traber, the Mets learned that he had an arm injury. His injury prevented him from becoming the prospect the Mets envisioned. After one season in the minors, Traber was traded to Cleveland in the Roberto Alomar deal. 2001. Aaron Heilman 18th Overall PickHeilman was one of the better picks the Mets have made. He was an experienced college arm that did not take long to reach the big leagues. He did not become the starter they envisioned, but up until this season Heilman has been a dependable reliever for the Mets. The Mets took David Wright in the supplemental portion of the first round—a pick they received for losing Mike Hampton to free agency. 2002. Scott Kazmir 15th Overall PickKazmir is the by far the best pitcher the Mets have selected in the past 10 years. The Mets took the best player available in 2002 and paid over slot to sign him. Kazmir dominated the lower levels of the Mets’ minor leagues before the Mets panicked at the deadline in 2004 and shipped him to Tampa Bay for oft-injured Victor Zambrano. 2003. Lastings Milledge 12th Overall PickMilledge dominated throughout the minors, and he performed at a young age for every level he played at. He was destined to be a good player for the Mets, but his value took a hit when he was forced to move to the corner outfield spots with Carlos Beltran in center; and Willie Randolph’s insistence on playing Shawn Green in right field hurt Milledge’s development. He was traded for Ryan Church and Brian Schneider prior to the 2008 season. 2004. Philip Humber 3rd Overall PickThe Mets thought they were making a safe pick when they took Humber third overall in 2004. However, it turns out that Humber would struggle with injuries throughout his entire stay with the Mets, and he would never make much of an impact on the big league club. He would only have a couple of cups of coffee with the Mets before being traded in the Johan Santana deal. At the time of the draft, many Mets fans were disappointed that the front office decided to stick to slot value to sign Humber, instead of paying over slot and drafting Stephen Drew of Florida State or Jered Weaver of Long Beach State 2005. Mike Pelfrey 9th Overall PickPelfrey, the 6’7 flamethrower, is still looking to establish himself on the major league level. The Mets seem committed to Pelfrey, and believe he is ready to produce at the big league level. Through 12 starts this season, the 24-year-old is 2-6 with a 4.24 ERA. 2008 MLB First-Year Player Draft
The copyright of the article Mets First-Round Draft Picks in Major League Baseball is owned by Peter Spiewak. Permission to republish Mets First-Round Draft Picks in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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