Mets Rule 5 Draft Broken Down
The Rule 5 Draft is often overlooked by most fans as the players coming out of the draft usually don’t become stars. However, there have been a few exceptions over the years. Former players such as Johan Santana and José Bautista were Rule 5 picks at one time, and they went on to be successful major league players. For those who are wondering, here are some rules regarding the Rule 5 Draft.
This year, the New York Mets used the Rule 5 Draft to add minor league depth. Here is a look at what the organization did.
Mets Additions
During the minor league part of the draft, the Mets selected center fielder Drew Ferguson. The 28-year-old has a career .293 average in four seasons. He batted .281 with the Triple-A Round Rock Express in 2019. Next, the Mets selected 27-year-old right-hander Justin Dillon. Dillon most recently played with the Toronto Blue Jays High-A affiliate in 2019, posting a 3.90 ERA in 13 games.
Additionally, the Mets added some infield depth with shortstop Drew Jackson. Jackson had a brief stint in the big leagues in 2019, playing three games with the Baltimore Orioles. In the same year, he batted .209 in Triple-A. Right-hander Jesus Reyes was the next addition. The 27-year-old from the Cincinnati Reds organization also had a brief stint in the major leagues. He has a lifetime 3.67 ERA in the minors. The last addition was left-hander Jose Zorrilla who has a lifetime 5.00 ERA over 62 games in the minors.
Mets Losses
During the major league part of the draft, the Mets selected Luis Oviedo, a 21-year-old right-hander out of the Cleveland Indians farm system. They traded him to the Pittsburgh Pirates for cash considerations. Oviedo has been pitching since 2016 and has a lifetime 4.66 ERA. He hasn’t pitched above Single-A in his career. The team also lost a former top-20 prospect in the organization, right-hander Dedniel Nunez. Nunez has a career 4.47 ERA in 37 games in the minors.
In addition, second baseman Sebastian Espino was lost in the draft. The 20-year-old has a career .259 average in the minors. Catcher/first baseman Wilfred Astudillo was the fourth player the team lost. Astudillo is 20 years old and has a career .274 average in the minors. Right-hander Ezequiel Zabaleta departed through the draft. Zabaleta has a lifetime 3.97 ERA in the minors. The final player that was lost is a second baseman, Mitchell Tolman who has a lifetime .266 average in the minors.
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