In an interesting move, the Mets selected two position players with their first two picks of the 2012 draft. This probably speaks to the high amount of arms in the system, but limited amount of bats. In a not surprising move, with the 35th pick the Mets went with a player from college, someone who will need less time in the minors and is more sure to sign.
In this draft the Mets have gone for positions of high need in the system like SS earlier and now C, which is a thin, thin position in the system. Kevin Plawecki is a solid defensive catcher. Here are some stats for Plawecki:
2012: .348 BA, 223 AB, 80 H, 54 R, 20 2B, 4 3B, 7 HR, 47 RBI
2011: .341 BA, 211 AB, 72 H, 46 R, 14 2B, 2 HR, 39 RBI
2010: .343 BA, 204 AB, 70 H, 36 R, 12 2B, 3B, 8 HR, 53 RBI
From the numbers, its obvious that Kevin has not shown to be a power threat, but he makes good contact and hits for average. His profile reminds me a lot of Josh Thole in a way.
So far he doesn’t project to be a star catcher, but these things are difficult to tell from college numbers anyway. We should know in 2-3 seasons the caliber of player Plawecki is, and he fits into the long term plans. The nice thing about Kevin is he could be with the Mets for a while, get to know the pitchers and develop into a strong battery mate to help the pitchers become dominant in the majors.
