​Reframing my thoughts on Carson Wiggins, Aiden Robbins, and Shane Sdao, you may not recall these names five years from now, but there’s always a chance that one of these newly drafted Mets could emerge as the next David Wright, Jacob deGrom, Pete Alonso, or Pete Crow-Armstrong—though perhaps not that last one, for the sake of fans’ sanity. Sorting through projections of raw power and potential, listening to stories about players’ mature mindsets, and weighing whether a slight difference between a 60-grade tool and a 65-grade tool truly matters on the complex 20-80 scouting scale can feel like chasing romance more than practicality, especially when the players are years away from contributing at the major league level. Yet if this season has offered any beacon of hope, it’s that homegrown talent can still spark a team in dark times. Maybe one of these Mets prospects will at least represent a fresh surge of youth on the horizon, if not the next franchise legend.
With that thread of optimistic sentiment in mind, we embark on a nostalgic tour through the Mets’ top 10 drafted and signed players according to bWAR. Note that this ranking accounts for total career bWAR, not just bWAR accrued while with the Mets, and it excludes players who were drafted by the Mets but failed to sign. Without further ado, here is the list…
10. Pete Alonso (25.2 bWAR) – 2016, 2nd round, 64th overall. Alonso was the Mets’ third pick in the 2016 draft, following first-round pitchers Justin Dunn and Anthony Kay. Dunn was traded to the Mariners in the Edwin Díaz deal, while Kay went to the Blue Jays the next summer in a Deadline deal for Marcus Stroman. Alonso, however, stayed with the organization through 2025 and blossomed into a five-time All-Star, two-time Home Run Derby champion, Rookie of the Year, Silver Slugger, and the franchise’s all-time home run leader with 264.9 bWAR.
Brandon Nimmo (27.7 bWAR) – 2011, 1st round, 13th overall. Sandy Alderson kicked off his tenure as Mets GM with a bold choice, selecting an 18-year-old from Wyoming with his first draft pick. Five years later, Nimmo reached the majors, and a decade on he remains a valuable veteran as he patrols the roster. Nimmo stands as one of just three players since 2000 to spend a full decade in orange and blue, alongside David Wright and José Reyes. He is also the all-time leader in games played, home runs, runs, RBIs, and walks among players born in Wyoming.
8. A.J. Burnett (28.8 bWAR) – 1995, 8th round, 217th overall. Burnett never actually played for the Mets, as he was traded to the Marlins as a minor leaguer in 1998 in the Al Leiter deal. He went on to a 17-year big-league career, earning a single All-Star selection in 2015, his 17th season. His 164 career wins rank fourth among eighth-rounders, a testament to how a later-round pick can still carve out a remarkable career.