With pick of prep star, Mets don’t seem
EARLY June somehow felt like late September at Citi Field, as two of the four lowest-scoring teams in the majors played fast but far from furiously, as if they couldn’t wait to be somewhere else on Tuesday night. And so it goes for the Mets, who put up little resistance in losing 2-1 to the dreadful Orioles, the team with the worst record in the majors.
At least they broke their scoreless streak at 21 innings, but more to the point, they lost for the 10th time in 12 games, falling four games below .500 and again forcing anyone paying attention to wonder where this is all headed.
Which, in truth, prompts a more rel- evant question: Did they get the guy they really wanted in the first round? As always you can’t be certain of who to believe when there are varying accounts on the matter, but one thing for sure: by selecting a high school outfielder, they set themselves up for another long wait for the type of dynamic young talent they need at the big-league level.
And that’s not to say they were wrong for taking Jarred Kelenic with the sixth pick on Monday night.
If they saw him as the best available player and they love his potential as much as they say, then I can’t argue with the pick.
But that doesn’t mean they weren’t hoping for the chance to grab the SEC Player of the Year, Florida third baseman Jonathan India, only to see him taken by the Reds at No. 5. The Mets are saying Kelenic was their guy all along, but others were convinced the Mets were crossing their fingers that India would be there for them at No. 6, believing he had the ability and advanced approach to reach the big leagues quickly, a la Michael Conforto.
“Some of their people loved him, I know that,” one scout said on Tuesday. “And it looked like he’d be there.” On Monday, however, word started to circulate that Florida starting pitcher Brady Singer, once projected as a lock to be a top three pick, might slip due to “sign-ability” concerns.
And so Singer wound up falling out of the top five, all the way to the Royals at No. 18, which meant that India moved up a spot, putting him just out of reach for the Mets.
“If Singer goes to the Reds at No. 5, then I believe the Mets would have taken India,” the scout said. “They’re not going to say that now — and the consensus is that Kelenic has great potential, but I think they did want India.
“The big difference, obviously, is the development time. You don’t let that dictate your decision-making as to what’s best for the organization long-term — it’s just a fact. Some college hitters can move quickly, where even the most advanced high school players need four or five years to reach the big leagues.”
For Brandon Nimmo, the first pick of the Sandy Alderson regime in 2011, it has taken longer than that, but at least he is finally establishing himself as a valuable big-league player.
And though Kelenic is also from a baseball outpost, Wisconsin to Nimmo’s Wyoming, the Mets believe he is more advanced, playing an important role at age 16 and then 17 for Team USA’s under-18 team in the Pan American Games and then the World Cup championship.
All of which would sound more enticing if not for the sense the Mets are approaching a crossroads where only an infusion of young talent may be able to save them from the reality that they’re not equipped to contend for a championship in the immediate future.
I wrote last week, after getting industry opinions, that the Mets do have some impressive talent in the lower levels of their farm system, offering hope by, say 2020. And with that in mind,