Mets 2024 Draft Outlook: College Prospects Galore at No. 19 Pick

The New York Mets are just over a month away from adding a new crop of prospects to their system through the 2024 MLB Draft. The Mets are set to make the 19^th overall pick in a draft that is loaded with talented college prospects ready to make their mark at the professional level.

The Mets had one pick in the first round of the 2023 Draft, selecting shortstop Colin Houck out of Parkview HS in Lilburn, GA. Houck has not had the best of starts to his Mets career, which could prompt the Mets to pivot to a college arm or bat this time around.

Here are some early names to look out for.

Carson Benge

The 19th-best prospect in MLB Pipeline’s prospect rankings is Carson Benge, a left-handed hitting outfielder who has also had success on the mound for Oklahoma State. Pipeline also mocks Benge to the Mets in their most recent mock draft.

He has a 1.109 OPS and 18 homers in 61 games this season to go with a 3.16 ERA and 44 strikeouts in 18 relief appearances. He profiles more as a hitter long-term than as a pitcher, and he already received Tommy John surgery during his freshman year at Oklahoma State. However, the Mets have shown through the recent emergence of fellow Cowboy Nolan McLean that they are willing and able to develop a two-way player.

Brody Brecht

ESPN’s most recent mock draft has the Mets taking Iowa pitcher Brody Brecht at pick No. 19.

Brecht, who also played football at Iowa, is a 6’4″ right-hander with an outstanding fastball-slider combo and excellent strikeout stuff. His fastball gets up to 101 mph, and his low 90s slider helps him put batters away at a phenomenal clip (128 strikeouts in 78.1 innings this season). However, he has notable troubles with his command, issuing 49 walks in those 78.1 innings and also hitting 12 batters. He also lacks a reliable third pitch, so there is still a lot of development that will need to be done to morph Brecht into a frontline starter, though the underlying stuff is already there.

Vance Honeycutt

Finally, Bleacher Report has the Mets taking North Carolina outfielder Vance Honeycutt with the No. 19 pick in their most recent mock draft.

Honeycutt is a power-first right-handed hitter at the plate who has slugged 61 homers in his college career, including 24 in his 57 games this season. He hit .309 this year and also stole 28 bases, although he did strike out 78 times in those 57 games. He has strong defense, arm, and run tools that all seem to project him as a centerfielder long-term, although a move to a corner outfield spot is not out of the question.

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