2008 MILB Draft Report

With the 2008 MLB Draft nearing, Omar Minaya has promised Metropolitan nation that he plans on changing his drafting ways. On the tail end of two borderline miserable drafts, Mets fans are expecting their General Manager to pick up the slack and rebuild a farm system that is often ranked 30th in the league. In trading for Johan Santana, Minaya has created an enormous lack of depth within the Mets farm system, as the talent falls off after the “Teenage Hitting Machine”, Fernando Martinez. The Mets have many needs to address including middle-infield and outfield with youngsters Lastings Milledge and Carlos Gomez now out of the picture. With three top-thirty five picks, Minaya can quickly transform the Mets in to one of the elite minor league organizations.

Speaking of middle-infielders, the Mets need not look further than Jemile Weeks. Younger brother to once “Super-Prospect” Rickie, Jemile has all the tools and experience to be a star in the MLB. The slick-fielding Weeks has pushed Miami to the top of the College Baseball Rankings, hitting an astonishing .400 with seven home runs and twelve stolen bases in only one-hundred at bats. Jemile is challenging the All-Time batting average record, as he has raked in his four years as a Hurricane. He is projected to be picked in the twenties, where the Mets have two picks and a lack of depth at second base. With the often-injured Luis Castillo signed for a few more years, it is unlikely that he will play out the rest of his contract. Weeks should be ready for the Major Leagues by 2010 and is the clear choice for the Mets eighteenth pick in the draft.

Outside of the phenomenal young Martinez, the Mets have an enormous lack of outfield talent. With high-school outfielders abundant, Minaya has the ability to wait on one. A standout prospect for the last three years, Isaac Galloway is a solid five-tool prospect with a very high ceiling. Equipped with the strong arm, good speed, and a promising swing, there is a lot of projection included with Galloway. He has been a member of the AFLAC All-American team, which has produced players such as Justin Upton and Cameron Maybin. Although it would take three to four years for Galloway to fully develop, tremendous upside comes along with the stud from Illinois.