How will Mets approach this year's Draft? Here's a rundown

NEW YORK -- The downside of spending hundreds of millions in free agency each offseason is that it tends to leave teams devoid of top Draft picks.

So it is with the Mets, who (for the third year in a row) had their first-round selection docked 10 spots. That penalty, which Major League Baseball administers to clubs that exceed the Competitive Balance Tax threshold by more than $40 million, lowered New York’s top pick from No. 28 to No. 38 overall. For the second time in three years, they have no true first-round selection.

In addition, the Mets forfeited their second-rounder as a penalty for signing Juan Soto, who had a qualifying offer attached to him last offseason. They own just two of the top 132 picks in this year’s Draft.

Still, where their Draft board looks thin, the Mets see opportunity.

“This is a very deep class, we feel like,” vice president of amateur scouting Kris Gross said. “I feel like college pitching and high school hitting is exceptionally deep this year. So I think what we’re going to be looking at, at 38, is going to be fairly exciting. There’s a lot of talent on the board.”

Now in his second year leading the Mets’ Draft, Gross remarked on the increased familiarity that exists between him and his staff members, many of whom didn’t know him before his Nov. 2023 hiring. The entire group arrived earlier this week at the team’s Spring Training complex in Florida, which doubles as Mets Draft headquarters. President of baseball operations David Stearns will join the assembled staffers this weekend.

Another difference from 2024 is that this year’s Draft only spans two days, instead of the usual three. As a result, Gross and his crew have worked to construct a more comprehensive Draft board than ever heading into the event, knowing they won’t be able to regroup after Day 2.

“It’s going to be a change, and I think the prep work we put into it will have us prepared and ready to go,” Gross said. “But chaos will probably ensue, and it’s going to go fast.”

• Day 1 picks: 38, 102
• Bonus pool allotment: $5,465,900, 29th in MLB
• Last year’s top pick: Carson Benge, OF, pick 19 -- A two-way player at Oklahoma State, Benge retired as a pitcher upon signing with the Mets. So far, the transition to become a full-time position player has agreed with Benge, who slashed .302/.417/.480 over 60 games at High-A Brooklyn to earn a quick promotion to Double-A Binghamton. Currently the Mets’ No. 3 prospect, Benge has demonstrated elite plate discipline and will look to add more power as he matures.

• Breakout 2024 pick: Will Watson, SP, pick 203 -- The Mets selected several pitchers high in last year’s Draft, including second-rounder Jonathan Santucci and third-rounder Nate Dohm. Their early success has been less surprising than that of Watson, a seventh-rounder from USC whose velocity has ticked up to the mid-90s as a pro. Watson recently earned a promotion to High-A Brooklyn and a spot on Pipeline’s Top 30 Mets prospect list, at No. 29.

If all goes well, the Mets will come away with a class similar to the one they did last July, which has garnered strong early reviews both internally and from third-party critics.

In Gross’ first Draft, the Mets selected college players with 16 of their first 17 picks -- a trend that was partially a product of how the Draft unfolded, but also something he considers typical in today’s game. Because top high school players can always attend college and making money through the NIL system, they have more leverage than ever before. They are also riskier assets in general. As such, the Mets will only draft high schoolers if the player checks every box in terms of talent, upside and signability.

High school or college, position player or pitcher, the mission begins with No. 38 overall -- the Mets’ lowest top selection since they took Desmond Lindsay at No. 53 overall in 2015.

“Obviously, we’re casting a wider net for the first pick, but … the prep is pretty similar,” Gross said of picking that low. “It’s going to be a little more of a guessing game trying to figure out who might still be around to pick 38.”