New York Mets Sign First-Round Pick And Two-Way Player Mitch Voit

The New York Mets have signed first-round pick Mitch Voit, a two-way player out of the University of Michigan. The 20-year-old second baseman/pitcher got $1.75 million to sign.

Voit immediately said playing second comes first and pitching is second for him. He had arm surgery last July and did not pitch this year.

“I’ve said this before, if it comes down to it, and the only opportunity is to be a pitcher in the big leagues for the New York Mets, yeah,” he told reporters Friday. “But our plan going forward will be as a position player.”

That’s just fine with the Mets.

“We were able to add a dynamic player to the organization as we continue to build our farm system,” vice president of amateur scouting Kris Gross said in a news release. “I want to congratulate Mitch and his family on this momentous occasion. They have put a lot of hard work and sacrifice into getting to this point. Mitch has shown the ability to play at a high-level at several positions and make an impact at the plate. He has great makeup and a tremendous amount of potential.”

The six-foot right-hander’s signing bonus is below what the slot value for the 38th overall pick was designated before this week’s draft at $2,569,400. MLB.com had him ranked No. 63 overall entering the draft.

Asked for a scouting report on himself by Anthony DiComo of MLB.com after the draft, Voit said: “I’m a winner, plainly put.”

Voit enhanced his status this spring, hitting.346 with 14 homers,14 stolen bases and 60 RBI in 56 games for the Wolverines. In his three-year college career, he batted .303 in 169 games.

“He made a lot of strides, this being his first year to focus on hitting,” Gross said. “The plate discipline improved. The contact and the ability to impact – it’s a short, compact, explosive swing. We really think he can affect the game in numerous ways. It’s a plus run tool. So, when you’re scouting him, you sit there and you start to check all the boxes. He checked them all.”

Voit checked a few boxes on the mound with a 9-4 record in 29 games at Michigan. He threw in the low to mid-90s until hurting his elbow in the spring of 2024 and had internal brace surgery last July.

He’s strictly a second baseman as he will begin his Mets pro career at Class A Port Lucie of the Florida State League.

Michigan Legacy

The MLB.com scouting report compared Voit to former Michigan two-way player Jake Cronenworth, now with the San Diego Padres. The sixth-year infielder was a seventh round choice by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2015. The two-time All-Star pitched briefly in the minors and two-thirds of an inning in a blowout game for San Diego in 2021.

Voit is the 175th Wolverines player drafted; 44 have played in the majors. The most notable is Hall of Fame shortstop Barry Larkin, picked No. 4 overall by the Cincinnati Reds in 1985.

Three other Hall of Famers attended Michigan, including catcher Ted Simmons after he had been drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals. More than 100 years ago, second baseman Charlie Gehringer and first baseman George Sisler were students there before becoming pro players.

Other notable first-round picks from the school were lefty Jim Abbott, No. 8 by the Los Angeles Angels in 1988, right-hander Steve Howe, the 1980 NL Rookie of the Year by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1978 and former Michigan star quarterback Rick Leach as an outfielder by the Detroit Tigers in 1979.

Voit’s signing bonus beats the previous best given a Michigan player, $1.425 million to catcher Dave Parrish by the New York Yankees in 2000. Parrish hit only .241 with 35 homers in nine years in the minors.

Making Draft History

Voit’s selection made Michigan the first college to have a first-round pick in the four major U.S. sports leagues in the same year:

NFL: Mason Graham, pick No. 5, Cleveland Browns, defensive tackle.

NHL: Will Horcoff, pick No. 24, Pittsburgh Penguins, forward.

NBA: Danny Wolf, pick No. 27, Brooklyn Nets, forward.

MLB: Mitch Voit, pick No. 38, New York Mets, second baseman/pitcher.

Baseball Hall of Famer Dave Winfield was picked five times in three sports, once out of high school the other times from the University of Minnesota:

1969 MLB: 40th round by Baltimore Orioles, pitcher.

1973 MLB: 1st round (No. 4) by San Diego Padres, outfielder.

1973 NBA: 5th round by Atlanta Hawks, forward.

1973 ABA: 6th round by Utah Stats, forward

1973 NFL: 17th round by Minnesota Vikings, tight end.

Mets’ First-Round History

Since the MLB draft began in 1965, the New York Mets have made 75 first-round selections; 54 have played in the majors.

They have had some great first-round picks: Daryl Strawberry, No. 1 overall in 1980; Dwight Gooden, fifth overall in 1982; Jon Matlack, fourth overall, 1967; David Wright, 38th overall, 2001. Wright, at the same draft slot as Voit, hit .296 with 242 homers as a seven-time all-star over 14 seasons.

Unfortunately, the franchise will always be remembered for their unwise No. 1 overall pick in 1966, Steve Chilcott. As I wrote after the 2024 Draft:

The Mets’ pick is the greatest “what could have been” scenario in draft history. That’s because the No. 2 selection overall by the Kansas City Athletics that year became one of the most legendary players ever – Hall of Fame slugger Reggie Jackson.

Chilcott, picked out of high school, was tried at catcher, first base and outfield, played 337 games in the minors and put up such batting averages as .155 at Auburn, .189 at Visalia, .209 at Memphis and .146 at Fort Lauderdale. He retired at age 23.

The New York Mets should get more out of Mitch Voit, selected much lower and with very little fanfare.