Once upon a time, Kevin Parada was one of the bright lights of the New York Mets farm system. The catcher out of Georgia Tech was drafted 11th overall by the Mets in 2022 and given a massive $5,019,735 signing bonus thanks to his potential to blend an elite offensive profile with a chance to stick behind the plate.
It wasn't just the Mets who were excited about Parada's future. Baseball America had him ranked as the sixth-best prospect in the 2022 draft, and MLB Pipeline had him ranked at No. 36 on their 2023 top-100 list.