The Mets continued their draft-long push to get high-upside high school talent as the draft moved into its later stages Tuesday, snagging five more high school players from rounds 21-30. Those included Jeff Diehl, the top high school player in Rhode Island, according to Baseball America, and Josh Ake, a shortstop from Flemington, N.J.
Below are the Baseball America write-ups for each of the 10 players the Mets selected. If BA didn’t write one for a player, I tried to fill in the gaps myself.
21st round: John Gant, RHP, Wiregrass Ranch (Fla.) High School
There wasn’t a BA draft write-up on Gant, who wasn’t ranked by them in the state of Florida. But Gant did talk to TampaBay.com following his selection by the Mets. He said he wasn’t sure if he was going to sign with the Mets, or if he was going to honor his commitment to Long Island University instead. He went 6-0 with a 1.90 ERA this season.
You can read the story here:
22nd round: Casey Turgeon, SS, Dunedin (Fla.) High School
No BA write-up for Turgeon, who wasn’t ranked by them in the state of Florida. But his brother is Erik Turgeon, a reliever with the Double-A Binghamton Mets. Turgeon, who has committed to play in college at the University of Florida, hit. 400 with four home runs this year for Dunedin.
23rd round: Jeff Diehl, C, Cranston West (R.I.) High School
Cranston West HS produced Coastal Carolina’s sandwich-round talent Anthony Meo in 2008, and this year it has Jeff Diehl, the top prep prospect in Rhode Island. Diehl is a raw, athletic 6-foot-4, 195-pound backstop with good catch and throw skills, though he probably won’t stay behind the plate as his frame fills out and he gets stronger. As a catcher, Diehl is not polished and has stiff actions, so he profiles as a corner outfielder or first baseman. A broken finger kept him out of the Area Code Games, and he struggled during the summer but looked better in the fall and spring, showing good bat speed and raw power to the pull side. Diehl struggles with consistency but flashes potential, and he will likely be taken in the top 12 rounds. He has a commitment to Rhode Island, but scouts say he’s likely to sign.
24th round: Tant Shepherd, 1B, Texas
No BA draft write-up for Shepherd, who they ranked as the 77th overall prospect in Texas. So far this season for the Longhorns, the 5-foot-11 senior hit .300 with five homers and 40 RBIs in 63 games.
25th round: A.J. Reed, LHP, Terre Haute South (Ind.) High School
A.J. Reed set a Vigo County home run record with 18 as a junior, and when he came out throwing in the mid-80s this spring, some scouts wondered if he had a brighter future as a power-hitting first baseman. The 6-foot-4, 230-pound lefthander ended those thoughts when he started throwing 90-94 mph as the weather warmed up. Reed slings the ball from a low arm slot, and might find more velocity if he raises his arm angle. His slider also has added power, though it lacks consistency. He has committed to Kentucky.
26th round: Casey Hauptman, RHP, Nebraska
No BA draft write-up for Hauptman, who they ranked as the sixth-best prospect in the state of Nebraska. He went 6-3 with a 2.45 ERA and eight saves in 28 appearances as the Cornhuskers’ closer, with 57 strikeouts and only three walks in 62.1 innings.
27th round: Randy Fontanez, RHP, South Florida
No BA draft write-up for Fontanez, who wasn’t ranked on their list of Florida prospects. Here is the write-up from South Florida’s website on Fontanez, who has been South Florida’s top starting pitcher since he was a freshman.
Despite a 5-6 record, Fontanez recorded a career-low 2.92 holding opposing batters to a .242 batting average. He paced the Bulls with 74 strikeouts in 95.2 innings pitched. Last month he was named second team All-BIG EAST. It was the third time Fontanez picked up All-BIG EAST postseason honors. In his career, Fontanez was 18-9 in 35 BIG EAST starts. He ranks fourth in strikeouts with 294 and fourth in innings pitched (386.2). Fontanez is tied for fourth in starts with 55 and eighth in complete games with 10.
28th round: Jharel Cotton, RHP, Miami-Dade (Fla.) Junior College
Cotton has a stabbing arm action that can be difficult to repeat, but at his best he touches 93 mph, sitting 88-91, and has a plus changeup.
29th round: Josh Ake, SS, Hunterdon Central (N.J.) High School
No BA write-up for Ake, a shortstop from Flemington, N.J. They ranked Ake, who is committed to the University of North Carolina, as the ninth-ranked prospect in the state.
30th round: Jake Hansen, LHP, Walshe (Alberta, Canada)
No BA write-up for Hansen, either, the ninth-ranked prospect in Canada. The only thing I could find about him was a recent story in the Fort MacLeod Gazette (read more here) that said he went six innings in a recent playoff game, giving up three hits and striking out 15 in a 7-2 win. He also was stellar at the plate, going 3-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored.