MLB Draft Primer: Mets' picks, TV schedule, player profiles

Major League Baseball's Rule 4 draft begins tonight. The New York Mets have the 10th pick in the first round. They do not have a second pick—the team forfeited it when it signed Curtis Granderson over the offseason—but pick next in the third round with the 84th overall pick.

Schedule

The first round of the draft begins at 7:00 PM EDT tonight, June 5. The first round, which includes the picks gained by teams who lost players to whom they gave qualifying offers last November, first competitive balance round, second round, and second competitive balance round will be broadcast on the MLB Network and MLB.com.

On Friday, June 6, the draft resumes at 1:00 PM EDT, beginning with the 3rd round and ending with the 10th. That portion of the draft will air on MLB.com. And on Saturday, June 7, the draft wraps up with the 11th through 40th rounds. Those, too, will be covered on MLB.com. Once teams have drafted all of those players, they have until July 18 to sign them.

Players

It's not easy to predict picks in the draft, but we've covered a group of players who the Mets might pick in the first round. Click on a name below for that player's profile.

Tyler Beede, RHP, Age: 21

With a plus fastball and two legitimate secondary pitches, Beede remains a first round pick, likely to be selected somewhere in the middle of the round.

Michael Conforto, OF, Age: 21

Some other prep or collegiate players in this draft might have better individual tools or significantly higher ceilings, but Conforto just might be the best overall hitter right now who will be available in the draft.

Eric Fedde, RHP, Age: 21

Tommy John surgery has a high rate of recovery, so Fedde should still go before round two, though if the Mets need to choose between two college pitchers recovering from Tommy John surgery, Jeff Hoffman is the clear choice.

Brandon Finnegan, LHP, Age: 21

Already a talent many believed could be drafted early, Finnegan's stock has risen considerably since his high school days, and the former 45th-round draft pick will all but certainly be selected near the beginning of the first round in the 2014 draft.

Kyle Freeland, LHP, Age: 21

Freeland is a testament to the belief in projection.

Jacob Gatewood, SS, Age: 17

It's easy to look on Gatewood and dream a little. He has the most power in this draft and a non-zero chance of sticking at shortstop.

Jeff Hoffman, RHP, Age: 21

It's unusual for a player as talented as Hoffman to still be available with the tenth pick, but due to the injury, there's a very real chance that Hoffman will still be there when the Mets make their selection. It might be hard to say no.

Kodi Medeiros, LHP, Age: 18

There is a lot of potential in Medeiros, but there is also a lot of risk, one of the reasons he might be the most polarizing player in the 2014 draft.

Sean Newcomb, LHP, Age: 21

Newcomb stands out among his teammates and opponents in the American East as a dude that just looks like a professional pitcher.

Max Pentecost, C, Age: 21

But while he's an unspectacular defender, he really looks great at the plate, thanks to outstanding balance, above-average bat speed, and a very smooth stroke. He does a great job driving the barrel of his bat through the zone, and he sprays line drives all over the field.

Kyle Schwarber, C, Age: 21

Schwarber's a little divisive as a prospect, in large part because many scouts don't believe he'll stick behind the plate.

Touki Toussaint, RHP, Age: 17

He won't have a speedy path to the majors, but the upside is so high that he still figures to go inside the first 20 picks.

Trea Turner, SS, Age: 21

Turner principally has two things going for him: speed and defense.

Bradley Zimmer, OF, Age: 21

Zimmer will go to a team that thinks they can clean up his mechanical issues, and there's star potential if he can.