O Mets will have the No. 19 pick in the first round of the 2024 MLB Draft on Sunday, and the player chosen could be ready for his major league debut in two years. Or maybe he’s a high school pitcher who takes five years to develop. He may never make it to the majors.
The thing is, like any other draft, the MLB Draft is a crapshoot. For each Bryce Harper (ranked first overall in 2010, current superstar), there is a Christian Cohlon (ranked 4th overall in 2010, career .318 hitting percentage).
For each Darryl Strawberry (drafted No. 1 overall by the Mets in 1980), there is a Steve Chilcott (drafted first overall by the Mets in 1966).
When ranking the Mets’ top 10 first-round picks, we will take into consideration how these players performed with the Mets and any team they played with after leaving the Mets.
If New York made a good pick, that pick won’t be penalized because the same front office (or a different front office) eventually moved on from that player.
Picks also won’t hurt much if their success is fleeting due to injuries or non-baseball reasons. In other words, if the Mets drafted a player who was once on a potential Hall of Fame track, he’ll be on this list…
10. Lee Mazzilli, #14 in 1973
A native of Brooklyn, Mazzilli carved out a 14-year major league career, including a three-year stint from 1978 to 1980 when he was a star with the Mets (he made the National League All-Star team in 1979) by hitting .286. /.374/.437 with 47 homers.
After stints with the Rangers, Yankees and Pirates from 1982 to mid-1986, the Mets signed Mazzilli during the 1986 season – with him becoming a key piece on the bench during their championship run. He then hit .306/.399/.460 for the Mets in 1987.
9. Scott Kazmir, #15 in 2002
Before the Jarred Kelenic trade, there was Scott Kazmir replacement. And one could argue that the Kazmir trade was even worse, since the 2004 Mets were non-contenders – and because they traded Kazmir for Victor Zambranowho exploded in spectacular fashion after a decent season in Queens.
Meanwhile, Kazmir spent four years with the Tampa Bay Rays from 2005 to 2008, where he was one of the best pitchers in the American League. He ended up playing 12 years in the major leagues, although his early promise was derailed by injury.
8. Gregg Jefferies, #20 in 1985
Jefferies didn’t fit in with the ’80s Mets, meaning his tenure in Flushing only lasted from 1988 to 1991. He was traded to the Royals before the 1992 season and blossomed with the Cardinals, where he made the All-Star roster. team in 1993 and 1994.
During his 14-year career, which ended after the 2000 season, Jefferies hit .289/.344/.421. with 126 home runs and 196 stolen bases.
7. Jeromy Burnitz, #17 in 1990
Burnitz struck out a lot. But when he wasn’t hitting, he was throwing balls over the fence. During a 14-year career (including stints with the Mets from 1993-94 and 2002-03), Burnitz hit .253/.345/.481 with 315 home runs.
6. Matt Harvey#7 in 2010
That thing we said above about being in the Hall of Fame before being derailed for non-baseball reasons? That was Harvey, who had a 2.53 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP with 449 strikeouts in 427 innings pitched with the Mets from 2012-15.
Harvey missed the end of the 2013 season and the entire 2014 season due to Tommy John surgery, came back with a vengeance in 2015 and had thoracic outlet surgery in 2016. It was downhill from there.
Harvey’s tenure with the Mets ended during the 2018 season, and he went on to play for the Reds, Angels, Royals and Orioles before retiring in May 2023 at just 34 years old.
5. Michael Conforto#10 in 2014
Despite going through a sophomore slump in 2016 and struggling in 2021 in his walk year, Conforto was a very good player for the Mets over seven seasons after making his major league debut in 2015 at 22. years – when he skipped Triple-A.
In 757 games, Conforto hit .255/.356/.468 with 132 home runs and 141 doubles. That included a 2017 season that ended early due to a shoulder injury that required surgery and lasted until 2018 when he returned too early. Conforto was on a roll in 2019 and had an All-Star worthy 2020 before a slump in 2021.
Conforto missed the 2022 season due to injury and has been a solid player for the Giants the past two seasons.
4. Jon Matlack, #4 in 1967
I lost a little in the shine of Tom Seaver and his companion Jerry Koosman, Matlack was very good in his own right. He won Rookie of the Year honors in 1972, when he had a 2.32 ERA in 244 innings pitched, and didn’t really slow down from there.
Over 1,448 innings pitched in 203 games with the Mets (199 starts), Matlack had a brilliant 3.03 ERA and 1.19 WHIP while reaching the All-Star Game three times (1974, 1975, 1976).
Matlack pitched for the Rangers after his time with the Mets ended, posting a 3.41 ERA in six seasons before retiring after the 1983 campaign.
3. David WrightNo. 38 in 2001
The Mets received a compensatory pick when Mike Hampton signed with the Rockies after the 2000 season, and they turned him into Wright, who became the face of the franchise and the best offensive player the team has produced since Darryl Strawberry.
The captain hit .296/.376/.491 with 242 home runs, 390 doubles and 970 RBI over 14 seasons in Queens. To put those numbers into perspective, Wright hit 204 of those home runs before his age-30 season in 2013 when the injuries struck. He played in just 323 games over the last six years of his career.
2. Darryl Strawberry, #1 in 1980
Strawberry entered the league in 1983 after being compared to Ted Williamsand all he did in his eight seasons with the Mets was win the Rookie of the Year award, make seven All-Star teams, and finish in the top six in MVP voting three times (he should have won in 1988, but somehow lost to Kirk Gibson).
After leaving the Mets for the Dodgers before the 1991 season, Strawberry — who struggled with substance abuse, leading to three MLB suspensions in the 1990s — had just three more seasons with double-digit home runs.
Strawberry retired after the 1999 season, finishing his career with 335 home runs and 1,000 RBI. His number 18 was retired by the Mets in 2024.
1. Dwight Gooden, #5 in 1982
Like Strawberry, Gooden was a generational talent. And it can be argued that Gooden not only had a chance to be a Hall of Famer, but also one of the top 10 pitchers in baseball history.
As a 19-year-old in 1984, Gooden had a 2.60 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP while striking out 276 batters in 218 innings.
As a 20-year-old in 1985, Gooden had one of the best seasons of all time with a 1.53 ERA and a 0.96 WHIP while striking out 268 batters in 276.2 innings.
In 1986, Gooden — who had a 2.84 ERA and struck out 200 batters that season — was struggling with substance abuse and missed the Mets’ World Series parade because of those struggles. He was suspended to begin the 1987 season after testing positive for cocaine.
If not for his off-the-field issues, Gooden — who had a 3.10 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP with 1,875 strikeouts in his age-29 season — could have been one of the best of all time.
His number 16 was retired by the Mets in 2024.
