JT Ginn was considered a first round talent, but when Day 2 of the MLB draft began Thursday, he remained on the board.
The Mets, transacting Ginn’s upside down after the spring in which he underwent Tommy John’s operation, chose the State of Mississippi right-hander with a 52nd overall pick in the second round of the draft, giving the organization a much-needed arm.
Ginn, a 21-year-old college student, is the seventh left-handed thrower who was assessed in conscription, according to Baseball America. The choice came a day after the Mets used their first round pick (19th overall) on high school outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong.
Ginn, as a sophomore, had a strong negotiating influence, suggesting that the Mets had to cross the line in signing him. The team might have supported Ginn because of concerns over such an ability to signify, but the Mets took the same tactic last year in designing Matt Allan’s pitcher (then considered the top 15 talent) in the third round and paid him an over-slot bonus. The Mets are compensated by then designing college seniors with little negotiating influence and giving them signing bonuses under the slots.
The Mets bonus slot for this year’s second round election is $ 1,403 million. College seniors have more influence this year, with the option to return to school for an additional season because the spring is shortened because of the COVID-19 outbreak.
JT GinnThe AP
“What we focus on, similar to what we did last year, is high-impact talent,” said general manager Brodie Van Wagenen. “This year we have another chance to be very aggressive in targeting the players who sit among the top players in our overall draft board.
“We are aware of that [Ginn] is premium talent and that will require real investment in dollars. “
As a high school student, Ginn was chosen by the Dodgers in the first round of the 2018 draft, but he refused the signing bonus of $ 2 million to receive a scholarship to the State of Mississippi, where he was named SEC Freshman of the Year after 8-4 with 3.13 ERA with 105 strikes and 19 running at 86 ¹ / ₃ innings. He appeared in only one match this season before undergoing Tommy John’s surgery. Ginn’s arsenal includes plus-fastball and plus-slider.
“We have liked Ginn for years now,” said Mets vice president of scouting Tommy Tanous. “This is a rare combination of turbo sink with hitting ability.”
In Thursday’s election rounds, the Mets chose outfielder Isaiah Greene from Corona High (California). Greene, the 69th overall pick, is compensating for Zack Wheeler’s departure through the last free agent offseason. The Mets used their third round pick (91st overall) to pick Anthony Walters shortstop from San Diego State. In the fourth round (120th overall) the Mets chose catcher Matthew Dyer from the University of Arizona. The Mets used their final selection in this truncated draft (overall 150) at New Orleans University Eric Orze.
Mets can use pitching depth. In the past 1½ years, the team has traded Justin Dunn, Anthony Kay and Simeon Woods-Richardson, depleting minor leagues from the top pitching prospects. Dunn went to the Mariners, along with Jarred Kelenic’s top prospects, as part of an agreement for Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz. Last summer, Kay and Woods-Richardson exchanged with Blue Jays for Marcus Stroman, who could become an offseason free agent. David Peterson, Mets top picks in the 2017 draft, and Allan has the highest positive side among pitchers in the system.
Outfielder Greene, who is committed to Missouri, is a left-handed hitter who swings compared to American Baseball with Garret Anderson or more recently Michael Brantley. He is projected as a corner winger.
Crow-Armstrong, the central midfielder, is famous for his strong gloves and throwing arms. The Mets chose seniors from Harvard-Westlake in Los Angeles to support a thin system of outfield talent.
