The Mets came into the draft needing more than just another name on the board. They needed a jolt for a pitching pipeline that has thinned out after AJ Ewing, Carson Benge and Nolan McLean moved on, and with the 27th pick they went straight to the mound, grabbing Arkansas right-hander Carson Wiggins.
That choice fits the moment in Queens. The Mets were originally slotted at No. 17, but last season’s Competitive Balance Tax overage pushed them down 10 spots to No. 27 overall. So instead of picking in the middle of the first round, they had to work from the back end - and they used that spot on a pitcher with real upside.
Wiggins gives them a potential future starter who can light up the radar gun. The 6-foot-5 righty has a fastball that has reached 102 mph and pairs it with a high-spin slider in the upper 80s that has plenty of depth. At the MLB Draft Combine in late June, he threw 15 pitches, with his fastball topping out at 97.4 mph and his slider averaging 85 mph.
There’s also the obvious caution flag. Wiggins, 21, did not pitch in 2026 while recovering from Tommy John surgery, which he had in May 2025. Before the injury, he made 14 appearances and allowed five earned runs on seven hits, with nine walks and 20 strikeouts.
He also comes from a pitching family. Wiggins is the brother of Cubs No. 3 prospect Jaxon Wiggins, a right-handed arm Chicago took in the second round of the 2023 draft out of Arkansas. Jaxon, too, missed his entire third college season while recovering from Tommy John surgery.
For Mets vice president of amateur scouting Kris Gross, this is the third first-round pick of his tenure, following Mitch Voit in 2025 and Carson Benge in 2024.
The pick also makes financial sense. The No. 27 slot carries a value of $3,466,500, and because Wiggins didn’t pitch in the 2026 college season, the Mets can work to sign him below that figure and free up more money for later picks.
That flexibility matters because New York has options with Wiggins. He could start his pro career in the bullpen as he gets back on track after the elbow injury, and his power stuff could eventually make him a closer. Devin Williams is currently in that role on a three-year deal, but Wiggins gives the Mets a possible future lockdown arm.
If the organization decides to develop him as a starter, he would join a group that includes Jonah Tong and Jack Wenninger, both of whom could reach the Mets as soon as this season.
Wiggins’ draft stock reflected both the upside and the uncertainty. While he was in high school in Oklahoma, Perfect Game ranked him No. 35 overall and the No. 10 right-handed pitching prospect in the 2024 high school class. ESPN listed him as the No. 90 prospect ahead of the 2026 draft.
The Mets still have more work ahead on Sunday, with the No. 92 pick and the No. 120 pick still to come on the first day of the draft.
In Other News...
Mets Just Sent Ronny Mauricio A Message Fans Can't Ignore
Ronny Mauricios path back to the Mets took another hit when the club needed infield help after Mark Vientos landed on the injured list. Instead of giving Mauricio the opening, New York turned elsewhere, a decision that speaks to where the organization sees him right now and how crowded the infield picture has become.
Mauricios major league stint has not matched the promise he has shown in the minors, and his production at the top level has been too light to force the issue. He has been sent back to Triple-A, where he can keep playing every day, but for now the message is clear: the Mets are not handing him a job, and the next step in his season will have to be earned the hard way. [Read more 🡒]
Mets 2027 Rotation Looks Closer Than Fans Think But One Need Looms
The Mets can already sketch a plausible 2027 rotation without squinting too hard, which is not something that has always been true for this franchise. Sean Manaea, Nolan McLean, Christian Scott and Clay Holmes give the club a mix of established arms and younger pieces to imagine around, while Freddy Peralta sits out there as the kind of proven starter who could change the whole conversation if the price ever lines up.
Still, the picture is not complete, and that is what makes the next couple of seasons so interesting in Queens. The organization has internal depth to consider, including Jonah Tong as a possible long-term answer, but the real issue is finding the kind of frontline starter that can anchor a postseason-caliber staff. However the Mets go about it, whether through the trade market or a bigger swing in free agency, the need for a true ace is the part of the rotation puzzle that remains unsolved. [Read more 🡒]
Former Mets Draft Pick Is Suddenly Back In The Spotlight
Gavyn Jones has quietly worked his way back into the conversation since the Mets took the left-hander in the 18th round of the 2023 MLB Draft and he opted for college instead of signing. After beginning at McLennan Community College, he moved on to Oklahoma and settled into a bigger role with the Sooners, giving him a chance to keep developing rather than jumping straight into pro ball. He also got valuable summer work in the Cape Cod Baseball League, the kind of stage that tends to put a pitcher back on scouts radar.
Now draft eligible again, Jones is once more the sort of name teams will have to sort through carefully because the path has already taken a few turns. He was the only one of the Mets 2023 high school draftees not to sign, and his rise through junior college and Oklahoma has only added to the intrigue around what comes next. For the Mets, it is another reminder that a late-round pick can leave the organization, grow elsewhere and still circle back into the spotlight. [Read more 🡒]