Amazin’s now 10 for ’11 on Alderson’s first draft

WHEN the Mets called up Travis Taijeron on Saturday, he represented the 10th player from their 2011 draft to play in the majors this year. That is three more than any other team (the Giants and Padres both had seven).

That was the first draft of the Alderson administration and that begins to take on greater and greater meaning because it usually takes 4-8 years to fairly assess drafts. The vast majority of drafted players in the majors currently came from the 2008-13 period, with the largest number of players who appeared in the majors in 2017 being the 118 from the 2011 draft.

Now, there is a difference between attendance and impact. If you are looking for why the Red Sox are in first place in the AL East, three of the five players they took in 2011 who have played in the majors this year are Matt Barnes, Jackie Brad- ley Jr. and Mookie Betts, plus they also selected Travis Shaw. The Indians picked Francisco Lindor and Cody Allen. The Pirates drafted Gerrit Cole first overall plus Josh Bell and Tyler Glasnow. The Yankees have only three players from that draft in the majors this year, the most prominent being Greg Bird.

The best player from that Mets draft was Michael Fulmer, a supplemental first-round selection, who was the key piece used to obtain Yoenis Cespedes from the Tigers. The true quality of the Mets draft will probably be determined by Alderson’s first ever pick, Brandon Nimmo (taken just before Jose Fernandez and five before Sonny Gray), plus Robert Gsellman and Seth Lugo proving to be depth pieces or more than that.

For what it is worth, eight players the Mets drafted in 2012 also have played in the majors this year — which is the most, as well.