The Mets used the 27th pick on Carson Wiggins, and it was the kind of selection that immediately raises eyebrows.
Wiggins is a right-handed pitcher out of Arkansas with just 14 innings of college experience, which already makes him a tough read. ESPN’s latest mock draft had him going 67th overall to the Boston Red Sox, so New York took him 30 picks earlier than that projection. ESPN also ranked him as the 88th best player in the draft, a gap that makes this look like a clear reach on paper.
With the 27th pick in the 2026 Draft, the @Mets select @RazorbackBSB right-handed pitcher Carson Wiggins, No. 88 on the Top 250 Draft prospects list.
Watch live: https://t.co/XWNTXiKgPC pic.twitter.com/eyFT1MM9fx
- MLB Draft (@MLBDraft) July 11, 2026
There are traits here that explain why the Mets were interested. Wiggins posted a huge 12.9 K/9 at Arkansas, but he also walked 5.8 per nine, so the power stuff comes with obvious control problems. The college numbers only tell part of the story anyway, because the bigger issue is health.
Joe DeMayo of SNY pointed to the hard-throwing profile and the command concerns, and Wiggins also fits another familiar Mets draft pattern: he’s a Tommy John recipient trying to work his way back. The Mets also took multiple pitchers last season who were coming off Tommy John surgery or other major arm issues, which makes this another high-risk swing.
That kind of approach can pay off in a big way, but it can also blow up fast. The Mets have the money to keep building around the draft rather than depending on it for everything, but repeatedly gambling on injured arms is still a dangerous way to spend premium picks.
And the concern is not just theoretical. Last year, the Mets’ picks in rounds 4, 5 and 6 were all pitchers, and those three combined for just five innings because of injury. With the Matt Allan miss still fresh, it’s fair to ask whether this is a path worth staying on.
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