It started last Monday, with the Yankees taking South Carolina right-hander Clarke Schmidt at No. 16. Three picks later, the Mets tabbed Oregon lefty David Peterson.
By two days later, 53 more pitchers would be added to the New York baseball teams’ haul.
The Yankees and Mets turned this year’s MLB First-Year Player Draft into their own arms race, the Yankees winding up with 28 hurlers and the Mets 27, fresh faces and fastballs to restock farm systems that are mostly plentiful in position players and needy on the rubber.
The Yankees chose pitchers with their first three selections and 10 in the first 11 rounds.