Mets draft catcher Kevin Parada with 11th overall pick in MLB draft

With the eleventh pick in the 2022 draft, the Mets drafted catcher Kevin Parada, a 20-year-old catcher out of Georgia Tech.

In 305 plate appearances during the college season this year, Parada hit .361/.453/.709 with 26 home runs. The home run total was a significant increase from his freshman year, during which he hit nine home runs while batting .318/.379/.550.

Parada has a unique batting stance, as noted by Pat James at MLB.com:

With his batting stance slightly open and leaning slightly backward, Parada hangs his bat over his right shoulder and away from his body, almost parallel to his back. He also raises his left elbow to partially cover his face, a timing mechanism to initiate his swing.

Francisco Álvarez, the Mets’ current top prospect, is also a catcher, and the organization recently promoted him from Double-A Binghamton to Triple-A Syracuse following a very successful stint with the former that featured a lot of power and home runs.