The Mets' 17th-round pick, Stefan Sabol, is one of their most interesting picks in the entire draft class. Sabol was a very highly regarded player in high school, a catcher with a lot of promise in his bat and iffy receiving skills. He was drafted by the Braves in the 17th round in 2010, but he opted to attend Oregon instead. Unfortunately, injuries have really derailed his career, and while you could at least entertain the thought of putting him at catcher at one time, that fantasy has revealed itself for what it always was.
Sabol's freshman season at Oregon was a disaster. He didn't hit for average or power, striking out way too often. A broken hand was partially to blame, but he also had too many moving parts to his swing, causing him to frequently get out of whack. He transferred to Orange Coast College for his sophomore season, and broke his hamate bone, an injury that can really have severe ramifications for power hitters.
At the plate, he does look a little better than he has in the past. He still has plenty of batspeed, and he appears to have simplified his swing from his time at Oregon, eliminating a toe tap that was particularly giving him trouble. That doesn't mean the swing is now problem-free. It's still a little long in general, and there are times when it's just not rotational at all. He won't always rotate his hips and he brings his weight forward too quickly, giving him poor balance. It's a shame, because I like his approach at the plate, and scouts say he has strong pitch-recognition skills. With more consistency, it's easy to imagine him tapping into his raw power.
In the field, there is zero chance he ever catches. His arm strength is fine, but he has terrible throwing mechanics and slow feet. He has a very thick lower body, hampering his foot speed, and I'm just not sure if he has the agility to handle anything other than left field or first base. He has played some third at OCC, but I'm not confident that he has the feet to handle the position as a pro.
Sabol's already signed with the team and is playing with Brooklyn.