NEW YORK — Asked for a scouting report on himself, Mitch Voit did not hesitate: “I’m a winner,” he said, “plainly put.”
So Voit, a University of Michigan infielder whom the Mets selected with their top Draft pick Sunday night at No. 38 overall, likes the idea of an organization that has spent the past half-decade overhauling its infrastructure and pumping more than a billion dollars into player payroll. The Mets, under owner Steve Cohen, very clearly want to win as well.
“I love that,” Voit said. “They’re winners, and I think I fit in real good with that kind of program and organization. That’s where I like to be, and the competitiveness of the New York Mets just makes me that much more excited to come here.”
Whether this marriage results in years of winning at the Major League level remains to be seen, but the Mets have clearly identified Voit as the type of player they believe can help them reach that goal.
“We’re thrilled Mitch was still on the board there,” Mets vice president of amateur scouting Kris Gross said of the 38th overall pick. “Explosive. Athletic. We believe he stays on the dirt there and excels at multiple infield positions. But the bat really stood out.”
That Voit became the Mets’ top Draft pick was in itself a product of their desire to win. For the third consecutive year, New York had its first-round selection docked 10 spots as punishment for violating MLB’s Competitive Balance Tax threshold by more than $40 million. The Mets also forfeited their second-round pick as a penalty for signing Juan Soto, who had a qualifying offer attached to him. That left Gross and his team with just one of the Draft’s first 101 picks.
They spent it on Voit, a player that Upper Midwest area scout Chad Langley had been tracking closely since the fall. A Wisconsin native who went to the same high school as longtime big leaguer (and current Cubs manager) Craig Counsell, and who played alongside Counsell’s son Jack in both high school and college, Voit described himself as a versatile infielder who can do a little of everything — big hits, speed on the bases, solid defense at second base and other positions, even “the ability to slow my heart rate down in a big situation.”
Over his first two years in college, Voit was a two-way player, with a fastball that touched the mid-90s. The internal brace surgery he underwent on his right elbow in spring 2024 ended his pitching career for all intents and purposes, and while Voit refused to close the door completely on the mound — “I will do absolutely anything to make it to the big leagues as a New York Met,” he said — it’s clear both he and team officials envision his future on the infield dirt.
Upon becoming a full-time second baseman this season, Voit slashed a career-best .346/.471/.668 over 56 games with Michigan, leading the Wolverines in eight offensive categories.
“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. He can impact the ball. 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.”
For now, Voit remains a long way off from Flushing. He still must sign his first professional contract, report to the Minors and begin working his way up the organizational ladder. It’s a path that last year’s top pick, outfielder Carson Benge, has been following since the Mets selected him as a two-way player out of Oklahoma State last July.
Like Benge, who had never been to any of the five boroughs before Draft day, Voit has little experience with New York City — for now, anyway.
“I’ve been outside of it,” Voit said. “I’ve seen the skyline. But I can’t wait to learn a lot more.”
The Mets had one other pick on Draft Day 1, at No. 102 overall:
- Bats/throws: R/R
- School: University of Central Florida
- Calling Card: A Draft-eligible sophomore, Jimenez crushes fastballs with above-average power and possesses a strong shortstop arm. He slugged 11 homers in his sophomore season at UCF.
- Quote: “He’s a real exciting player. We think he’s got a chance to stay at shortstop, a chance to be an above-average defender. He has a couple pluses – plus power, raw power, plus arm strength. He really improved offensively this year, made a ton of improvements making contact and had a really good year overall.” – Mets director of amateur scouting Drew Toussaint
