New York Mets fans love a later round draft pick who makes it to the majors. The appeal of an underdog excelling in the show is one of the reasons that made Jacob deGrom even more enthralling. We gave Tylor Megill the benefit of the doubt for rising up so quickly. Jonah Tong, as a 7th rank pick, fits this model, too.
Even deeper, in the 13th round in 2024, the Mets took R.J. Gordon out of the University of Oregon. Give credit to the Mets scouting department who did more than look at his college results. A 5.