The initial draft grades are in for the New York Mets’ 2025 draft class, and some of the insights the report contained are very revealing. Baseball America has been doing these reports for a long time, and Matt Eddy did a breakdown that featured some entertaining and intriguing categories. They’re also a great way to get a snapshot look at some of the college prospects the Mets drafted, as these players usually take a while to turn up in the low minors.
Best Pure Hitter and Closest to the Majors
The same player won in both of these categories, and second baseman Mitch Voit of Michigan has been on the prospect radar for some time. The Mets top pick is second in the history of Michigan’s program in total bases with 356 compared to other three-year players, according to Eddy, and his slash rate was .346/.471/.668 with 14 homers and 14 steals in 56 games. His college strengths included a plus contact right on pitches in the strike zone, plus solid swing decisions and hard contact at ideal angles.
That typically changes at the pro level due to the shift from aluminum to wood bats, but Voit was still rated closest to making it to the majors. He played in 22 games for Low-A St. Lucie and hit .235 with three extra base hits, but Voit also impressed with his secondary skills, stealing 20 bases in 21 attempts to go with 13 walks. Voit played all across the infield in the Florida State League, and he has a bright future if he can make the bat adjustment and benefit from pro training methods.
Best Pro Debut
The winner in this category was outfielder John Bay from Austin Peay State. He switched over from center field to right in his pro debut, which encompasses stretches at Low-A St. Lucie and High-A Brooklyn Cyclones. Bay hit four home runs in 27 games to go with a .253/.417/.458 slash line, according to Eddy, and he ended up being the starting left fielder for the Cyclones as they wont South Atlantic League championship.
Best Fastball and Best Secondary Pitch
Nate Hall hit the mid-90s with his fastball for Division II Central Missouri, and Auburn right-hander Cam Tilly features a stellar splitter that helped him strikeout 58 hitters in 46 innings at the college level. Tilly is considered a candidate to start at the next level when he moves up this year.