Analyzing Every New York Mets Day 2 Pick In 2026 MLB Draft

If you had the thought that the New York Mets had an eye on bolstering the system’s pitching depth after Day 1, that belief crystallized big-time on Day 2. The Mets’ first four picks Sunday were college pitchers, with 10 of their 16 overall on Day 2 being college pitchers. They selected just two high school players, a catcher and an outfielder, on Sunday.

That came after the Mets used two of their three picks Saturday on college pitchers, including taking Arkansas sophomore right-hander Carson Wiggins with their first-round pick. They also took Texas A&M senior left-hander Shane Sdao in the fourth round.

Of their 19 total draft picks, 12 were college pitchers.

Sunday began with the fifth round, where the Mets stayed the course and took Florida junior right-hander Luke McNeillie with the 152nd pick. The 6-foot-3, 200-pounder profiles as a key reliever, where his stuff plays up, but could also be a starter with some work. While his fastball sits in the upper-90s, he has a high-spin slider in the upper-80s that is his best pitch. The 21-year-old also has a changeup that needs improvement, especially if he is to remain a starter. He has some delivery issues that lead to his pitches being more hittable.

Auburn redshirt junior right-hander Alex Petrovic was the Mets’ choice in the sixth round (181st pick). A big frame at 6-5 and 235 pounds, the 22-year-old had 92 strikeouts in 92⅔ innings across 17 starts that helped make him a high selection after going undrafted a year ago when eligible. He added about 3 mph of velocity, touching 96 mph while sitting 92-93 mph. He also has a good changeup to go along with a sweeper and a cutter. He battled arm inflammation in high school and when he stepped onto the Auburn campus, then had a stress fracture in his elbow that first spring and had surgery. The same injury cropped up the next year, but he chose a different recovery path and has been healthy since.

In the seventh round (210th pick), the Mets went with Stanford junior right-hander Aidan Keenan, who was a starter and reliever throughout his college days. The 6-2, 200-pounder battled an oblique injury this season and has trouble with control and consistency. He has a very nice mid-90s fastball with life that has reached 99 mph. He also utilizes two types of changeups, one that is a high-spin traditional offering and another lower-spin split.

Mississippi junior right-hander Landon Koenig went in the ninth round (240th). The 6-6, 245-pounder started his career with two years at North Dakota State to little acclaim, but refined his performance at Ole Miss, where he posted a 29.7% strikeout rate and 6.3% walk rate. He picked up a couple ticks in velocity to sit 95-96 mph with his fastball. His fastball hasn’t missed a lot of bats, but he does throw it for a lot of strikes. He also has an upper-80s slider, which is pretty good, and a splitter.

The ninth round broke the pitcher trend as the Mets went with a college catcher. That was Cal Poly junior backstop Ryan Tayman with the 270th pick. He played two seasons at Cal before transferring to Cal Poly for this past season. The 6-2, 210-pounder slashed .349/.445/.672 with 15 homers and 43 RBIs in 50 games. It was a breakout season after hitting .254 and .274 at Cal. The right-handed hitter cracked three grand slams as a junior for good measure.

It was back to college pitching in the 10th round as the Mets picked Dartmouth junior right-hander Nate Isler, who could be a sleeper pick. The 6-6, 235-pounder has a dynamic fastball that led to 80 strikeouts in 65 innings, including two 11-strikeout games. He did have a 4.98 ERA by virtue of allowing 68 hits and 25 walks.

The second half of the draft began with the Mets selecting Arkansas junior outfielder Kuhio Aloy in the 11th round (330th pick), the second Razorback behind Wiggins selected by New York this year. A 6-1, 205-pound Hawaii native who began his career at BYU before spending the last two years with the Razorbacks, he slashed .293/.352/.486 this season, hitting nine home runs and driving in 41. He was the eighth player drafted from Arkansas in this year’s draft.

UC Santa Barbara junior right-hander AJ Krodel was scooped up in the 12th round (360th pick). The 6-4, 200-pounder is a reliever who can rack up strikeouts but has issues with walks. His stuff and traits show the potential that the stats don’t. He is the fifth member of the Gauchos’ pitching staff to be drafted this year, led by No. 4 overall pick Jackson Flora, who was taken by the San Francisco Giants. Krodel had a 5.66 ERA this year with 17 walks and 42 strikeouts in 35 innings. He also gave up 42 hits, including seven homers, so the Mets will look to do some fine-tuning with him.

It took until the 13th round for the Mets to finally select a high school player. Catcher Jacob Madrid was taken with the 390th selection out of Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, Calif., the same school that has produced Hunter Greene and Giancarlo Stanton. The 6-4, 215-pound right-handed hitter, who also pitched in high school, is a terrific defender, which will be his calling card and could take him all the way to the majors. An Oregon commit, Madrid has a very strong arm (65 on the 20-80 scouting scale) to highlight his elite defensive skills. He also has some raw power to tap into.

The Mets went back to college pitching in the 14th round (420th pick) with Troy (Ala.) senior left-hander Zach Crotchfelt. At 6-3, 215 pounds, Troy was the third school for Crotchfelt, who also attended Auburn and Texas Tech. He helped Troy make a surprising run to the College World Series by striking out 81 in 67 innings for a 3.47 ERA. His fastball sits 93-94 mph, reaching 97 mph and was the pitch he relied on a lot in college, using it 72% of the time. Crotchfelt also has a changeup and a curveball that misses bats even with less usage. He throws from a three-quarters slot with a crossfire delivery.

Missouri-St. Louis junior right-hander Dustin Hagens Jr. was taken in the 15th round (450th pick). The 6-1, 185-pounder was a starter in his first two college seasons, but converted to a reliever as a junior and experienced a ton of success. In 20 games and 39⅓ innings, Hagens struck out 57 and walked 18.

In the 16th round (480th pick), the Mets went with LSU junior right-hander Gavin Guidry. No, he is not related to former New York Yankees star left-hander Ron Guidry, also a Louisiana native. This Guidry, a 6-2, 184-pounder, missed all of 2025 as he redshirted with a back injury, but rebounded in 2026 to strike out 59 in 43⅔ innings while posting a 6.39 ERA. While his strikeouts spiked as a junior, he was more effective in his freshman and sophomore years, with ERAs of 3.77 and 2.59, respectively.

Cooper Dossett, a senior right-hander out of Arkansas and the third Razorback the Mets took in the draft, was the 17th-rounder (510th pick). A 6-0, 210-pounder, Dossett is another reliever that will need work. He had a 6.88 ERA in 17 innings over 16 appearances, striking out 18, while allowing 13 runs on 12 hits and 12 walks.

The 18th round (540th pick) saw the Mets take their second high school player. That was outfielder Marcus Ward out of King’s Ridge Christian School in Alpharetta, Ga. The 5-11, 172-pounder left-handed hitter has a commitment to Western Carolina.

In the 19th round (570th pick), the Mets again went back to college, selecting Central Florida senior outfielder John Smith III. At 6-1, 200 pounds, the right-handed hitter slashed .322/.383/.574 in starting 47 of the team’s 49 games, hitting 12 homers and driving in a team-high 49 runs. He showed a good ability to reach base, with a 23-game on-base streak. He played his junior year at South Alabama after two years at Pensacola (Fla.) State.

To wrap things up, the Mets used their final pick to pick their only infielder of the draft, Iowa senior shortstop Kooper Schulte. The 6-1, 198-pound right-handed hitter slashed .274/.344/.451 with nine homers and 39 RBIs with 11 steals and 50 runs scored in 56 games. 

Check out our 2026 MLB Draft tracker, with scouting reports, player information, total pool allotments, and much more!