Kevin

Parada

Acuña, Gilbert, Scott and Williams are the headline inclusions in the first round of spring cuts from Mets camp. Scott has looked extremely impressive this spring and figures to blossom into one of the top pitching prospects in baseball, if he’s not there already in dynasty circles. Gilbert and Williams are the closest to the big leagues among the position players and are among the top overall prospects in the game from a fantasy standpoint.

Parada was the 11th-overall selection in the 2022 MLB Draft and entered the 2023 season as a borderline top-50 overall prospect in the game. While Francisco Alvarez is the catcher of the present and future in New York, the 22-year-old backstop has already risen to Double-A Binghamton and could be ready for the majors at some point in the next year or two.

No word yet on how long he might be sidelined. Regarded as one of the top prospects in the Mets’ organization, Parada was selected 11th overall in last year’s draft. The 21-year-old is slashing .269/.347/.449 with 10 home runs over 82 games in High-A this season.

Parada inks a deal with the Mets and receives a $5.0 million signing bonus. The 20-year-old catcher smacked 26 homers this spring for Georgia Tech and was the 11th overall selection. He brings patience and excellent bat-to-ball skills to the plate but is considered a below-average defender behind the plate. Catchers are risky players to roster in dynasty leagues but Parada could move off catcher, and if he does, he would surely rise up the prospect ranks.

Parada is the lone (non-Cleveland) unsigned first-round selection from the 2022 MLB Draft and the two sides have until Monday afternoon’s signing deadline to finalize an actual agreement. The expectation is that the deal will get done, it just hasn’t been officially agreed to yet. Stay tuned.

Parada was far from an unknown coming into the draft, but a Georgia Tech-record 26 homers over the spring certainly helped improve his stock. The 20-year-old backstop has easy plus-pop in his right-handed bat, but he also has good feel and a swing that suggests he can be a contributor in the average category as well. There are no doubts about the bat -- or very little, anyway -- but one thing to keep in mind is that he’s considered a below-average defender with a mediocre throwing arm. That could lead to him playing at first base or the corner outfield, but he’ll get every chance to stick behind the plate. His fantasy potential is obviously considerably higher if he can play the position with the gear on.