Next Stop: Mets Make Selections As Part Of 2024 Draft Class
CONEY ISLAND, BROOKLYN, N.Y. (July 17, 2024) — With the 2024 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft held this week at the MLB All-Star Game in Arlington, Texas, the New York Mets added 20 new players and future Brooklyn Cyclones to the organization headlined by Oklahoma State OF Carson Benge
CONEY ISLAND, BROOKLYN, N.Y. (July 17, 2024) — With the 2024 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft held this week at the MLB All-Star Game in Arlington, Texas, the New York Mets added 20 new players and future Brooklyn Cyclones to the organization headlined by Oklahoma State OF Carson Benge and Duke LHP Jonathan Santucci.
Benge, selected by the Mets in the first round (19th overall), was 2024 Cyclones TWP Nolan McLean’s college roommate during their time together at Oklahoma State University. While drafted as an outfielder, like McLean, the 21-year-old was a two-way player at the collegiate level. In 2024, Benge posted a .335/.444/.665 line at the plate with a 1.109 OPS, 18 home runs, and 64 RBI in 61 games at the plate. On the mound, the Oklahoma native was 3-2 with a 3.16 ERA (13 ER in 37.0 IP), three saves, 11 walks, and 44 strikeouts.
With their 1st selection (19th Overall) in the 2024 MLB Draft the Mets have selected Carson Benge from Oklahoma State. Welcome to the family!
— Brooklyn Cyclones (@BKCyclones) July 15, 2024
He hit .335 with 18 home runs and 64 RBI. He also had a 3.16 ERA with 44 strikeouts in 37.0 innings. #AmazinStartsHere I #LGM pic.twitter.com/SGHZMeLB9n
Santucci was the 46th overall pick and New York’s second-round selection from Duke University. The 21-year-old was named to the All-ACC First Team after posting an impressive 6-1 record with a 3.41 ERA (22 ER in 58.0 IP), 36 walks, and 90 strikeouts, in 13 starts as the Friday night starter for the Blue Devils. The Leominster, Mass. native was a college teammate at Duke with RHP Jimmy Loper.
RHP Nate Dohm came to the Mets in the third round (82nd overall) from Mississippi State University. Despite missing some time with an arm injury in 2024, the 21-year-old, when healthy, accumulated a sparkling 4-0 record with a 1.23 ERA (4 ER in 29.1 IP), just four walks, and 37 strikeouts in eight appearances (six starts) for the Bulldogs.
With their 2nd selection (46th Overall) in the '24 MLB Draft the Mets have selected Jonathan Santucci from Duke University. Welcome to the family!
— Brooklyn Cyclones (@BKCyclones) July 15, 2024
The lefty went 6-1 in 13 starts with 90 strikeouts in 58.0 innings pitched. That'll work...#AmazinStartsHere I #LGM pic.twitter.com/Fzj1zxQagF
In the fourth round, New York used the 111th pick in the draft to take North Carolina State University outfielder Eli Serrano III. The 21-year-old was outstanding for the Wolfpack in 2024, delivering a .285/.380/.431 line with a .811 OPS, nine home runs, and 39 RBI in 61 games. Serrano was a high school teammate of 2023-24 Cyclones 1B/OF Ryan Clifford at the Pro5 Baseball Academy. He also hails from Fuquay-Varina, N.C., the same hometown as 2023 Brooklyn RHP Paul Gervase.
New York added University of Tennessee commit INF Trey Snyder (5th round) out of Liberty (Mo.) North High School and the 2024 Division I leader in on-base percentage (.574) INF Corey Collins (6th) out of the University of Georgia. Rounding out the day-two selections were: RHP Will Watson (7th) from the University of Southern California, RHP Ryan Lambert (8th) from the University of Oklahoma, RHP Jaxon Jelkin (9th) out of the University of Houston, and RHP Brandon Girton (10th), also from Oklahoma.
In the final day of the draft, the Mets started local with Levittown, N.Y. native INF Nick Roselli (11th) out of Binghamton University. RHP R.J. Gordon (13th), whose father, Jason, was a member of the PGA Tour, was selected from the University of Oregon, along with RHP Tanner Witt (14th), whose dad, Kevin, appeared in 146 Major League games with the Toronto Blue Jays, San Diego Padres, Detroit Tigers, and Tampa Bay Devil Rays, between 1998 and 2006, from the University of Texas.
RHP Ethan Lanthier (12th) out of Kansas University, RHP Owen Woodard (15th) from the University of Houston, RHP Josh Blum (16th) out of the University of Southern California, OF Jacoby Long (17th) from the University of Miami (Fla), RHP Jace Hampson (18th) out of Lynwood High School (Bothell, Wash.), RHP Frank Elissalt (19th) from Nova Southeastern University (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), and INF Adam Haight (20th) out of Cedar Park Christian School (Bothell, Wash.) rounded out the team’s selections.
11 of the Mets’ 23 selections in the 2023 draft have already appeared in at least one game with the Cyclones, while 16 of New York’s 22 draftees in 2022 have played for Brooklyn.
Following the All-Star break, the Brooklyn Cyclones return home for a nine-game homestand, starting with three games against the Jersey Shore BlueClaws, the High-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies, on Friday, July 19. Neither team has announced a probable starter for the series opener. The first pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.