If the Mets can pull it off _ again _ they just might have won another draft.
Like last year, the Mets began Day Two of the MLB Draft on Thursday with a big, bold move, this time using their second-round pick on Mississippi State righthander J.T. Ginn, who was considered a potential first-round talent before he had Tommy John surgery in March.
They followed up by selecting Southern California high school centerfielder Isaiah Greene with the 69th pick _ which they received as compensation for losing Zack Wheeler in free agency _ and San Diego State shortstop Anthony Walters in the third round (91st overall).
The Mets' next task is signing Ginn (and the others). Doing so is not a given. Two years ago, the Dodgers picked him 30th overall and offered him a reported $2.4 million signing bonus, but he said no thank you and went to college.
Now, as a draft-eligible sophomore, Ginn, 21, still has leverage. If the Mets don't meet his asking price, he can bet on himself again, go back to Mississippi State for his junior year and take his chances in the 2021 draft.
The recommended signing bonus for the No. 52 pick, Ginn's spot, is about $1.4 million. Per MLB rules, the Mets are allowed to spend $7.533 million combined on their six draft choices without losing future picks. If they give Ginn more than $1.4 million _ "over slot," in the draft jargon _ they will need to go "under slot" with one or more other players.
The Mets deployed that strategy last year, when they snagged Matthew Allan, another potential first-round talent, in the third round. They gave him a big bonus after saving money on the draftees behind him, a bunch of college seniors.
For Ginn, 6-2 and 200 pounds, the amateur pedigree is very much there. He throws his fastball in the low-to-mid 90s, which pairs well with an above-average slider and a slightly above-average changeup.
After denying the Dodgers in 2018, Ginn earned national freshman of the year honors last spring. He had a 3.13 ERA and 1.05 WHIP with 105 strikeouts (19 walks) in 86 1/3 innings.
Ginn pitched in one game this season before needing surgery.
Pre-draft Tommy John surgery has recent precedent, including the Yankees' Clarke Schmidt. He was the No. 16 overall pick in 2017 and now is among their top prospects _ and, in a normal 2020 season, likely would have reached the majors.
On the Mets' side, 2016 first-rounder Anthony Kay, a Ward Melville alumnus, injured his elbow around the time they drafted him and had Tommy John surgery shortly thereafter. And, famously, Jacob deGrom had the same operation in 2010 shortly after getting drafted.
Much like Pete Crow-Armstrong, the Mets' first-round choice Wednesday, Greene, 18, is a speedy and athletic true centerfielder from SoCal (Corona High in Corona). MLB Pipeline said he has "as impressive raw tools as anyone in Southern California." Listed at 6-1 and 180, Greene improved his draft stock last summer by playing well on a scout team against Team USA's 18-and-under club.
Walters bounced around in college, from California to a local community college to SDSU. He was not among MLB Pipeline's top 200 draft prospects. This could be a spot where the Mets save some money to put toward Ginn. The slot value is $647,300.
