Mets' 2023 MLB Draft Guide and Top Prospects to Target

The New York Mets do not have a first-round pick in the 2023 draft, as their first selection was moved back 10 spots from No. 22 to No. 32 overall as a penalty for exceeding the luxury-tax threshold.

That is a significantly different situation from last year when they held the No. 11 and No. 14 overall selections, with the first coming as compensation for failing to sign Kumar Rocker the previous year.

However, that doesn't mean they can't still find an impact player. Guys like Pete Alonso (second round), Jacob deGrom (ninth round) and Jeff McNeil (12th round) were all taken outside the first round.

Ahead we've broken down three prospects who should be on their radar when their pick comes up in the 2023 MLB draft.

OF Chase Davis, Arizona

AP Photo/Michael Woods

Arizona batter Chase Davis (5) against TCU during an NCAA baseball game on Friday, June 2, 2023, in Fayetteville, Ark. (AP Photo/Michael Woods)

Productive college hitters tend to climb draft boards as the spring unfolds, and Chase Davis did just that during his junior season at the University of Arizona.

The 6'1", 216-pound outfielder hit .362/.489/.742 with 17 doubles, 21 home runs and 74 RBI in 57 games this spring while tallying more walks (43) than strikeouts (40), and that represented an important step forward after he struck out 66 times in 63 games as a sophomore.

He could get a shot at sticking in center field, but his power profile will fit cleanly at a corner spot if needed.

It might be wishful thinking that he will still be on the board when the Mets finally get to make their first selection, as he has shown up in mock drafts anywhere from the early teens to the comp round.

3B Jake Gelof, Virginia

AP Photo/Ben McKeown

Virginia's Jake Gelof (22) bats during an NCAA baseball game on Friday, March 10, 2023, in Chapel Hill, N.C. (AP Photo/Ben McKeown)

University of Virginia third baseman Jake Gelof is a popular name in the 30-40 range in mock drafts after he hit .321/.427/.710 with 23 doubles, 23 home runs and 90 RBI In 65 games this spring.

He has some of the best raw power in the draft class, and he rarely gets cheated at the plate with an aggressive approach. He will likely always have a power-over-contact profile, but he has shown the ability to work a walk with a 15.6 percent walk rate this spring.

A questionable defensive profile is the biggest reason he doesn't show up more in the first round of mock drafts, and while he has the arm to stick at the hot corner, a potential move across the diamond would give him the always risky right-handed-hitting, first-base-only profile.

He is the younger brother of Oakland Athletics prospect Zack Gelof.

3B Yohandy Morales, Miami

Samuel Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

CORAL GABLES, FL - JUNE 02: Miami infielder Yohandy Morales (35) rounds the bases after hitting a three-run home run in the second inning as the Miami Hurricanes faced the Maine Black Bears in the Coral Gables Regional on June 2, 2023, at Mark Light Field at Alex Rodriguez Park in Coral Gables, Florida. (Photo by Samuel Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The Mets have been linked to University of Miami third baseman Yohandy Morales in recent weeks.

"I mentioned two mocks ago that the buzz I was hearing is the Mets are hoping Yohandy Morales gets to their pick, as he did in that mock. That now looks unlikely, but he's exactly the kind of player they should be looking for -- one key adjustment from being a clear starter," wrote Kiley McDaniel of ESPN.

The Chicago White Sox have also been strongly linked to the University of Miami slugger, and they pick at No. 15 overall, but that could be viewed as a bit of a reach so there is still some hope for the Mets.

Morales hit .408/.475/.713 with 20 home runs and 70 RBI this spring, but he has some moving parts to his swing and can be enticed to chase outside the zone, making him something of a boom-or-bust prospect based on whether he can make the necessary adjustments.