The New York Mets take a high schooler yet again. This time it’s a bet on speed and defense rather than power. Welcome, Pete Crow-Armstrong.
With the 19th pick in the 2020 MLB Draft, the New York Mets select… Pete Crow-Armstrong, CF, Harvard-Westlake HS (CA).
The Mets are adding one of the best prep bats in the class. A year ago Crow-Armstrong was expected to be the first pick int his draft. A poor summer circuit and the lack of a 2020 season due to COVID-19 knocked him down boards.
Crow-Armstrong is carried by his defense. He is the best defensive center fielder in the draft and looks like a future Gold Glove winner. He’s aided by plus-plus speed that plays in the field and on the basepaths.
Offensively, he’s carried by his plus hit tool. He makes strong contact to all fields with ease. There are questions about pitch selection and strikeouts, but he has a long track record of being a dominant hitter.
The biggest question with Crow-Armstrong is the power. He’s got fringe-average power that mostly manifests as gap power to this point. It’s unlikely he’ll ever hit more than 15 home runs in a season.
Crow-Armstrong reminds me of guys like Lorenzo Cain and Ender Inciarte. He should be a future leadoff hitter with elite defense in center field. The Mets haven’t had a player like that come out of their farm system since Mookie Wilson.
This is an exciting pickup for a New York Mets system that was desperate for a high-upside outfielder.