Kevin Parada: 3 things to know about the Mets' No. 11 overall pick

The Mets have another talented backstop in their ranks following the opening round of the 2022 MLB Draft.

With the 11th overall pick, the Mets selected Georgia Tech sophomore catcher Kevin Parada. The 20-year-old Pasadena, Calif., native was ranked by MLB.com as the No. 6 prospect in this season's draft.

"I'm just happy that the Mets are picking me and they believe in me and I believe in them now because they've put in this situation," Parada said. "I'm excited to take full advantage of the opportunity they've given me."

The Mets already have catcher Francisco Alvarez, MLB.com's No. 2 overall prospect, playing at Class AAA Syracuse this season.

Parada comes with the compensatory pick that the Mets received after not signing right-handed pitcher Kumar Rocker after drafting him with the 10th overall pick in 2021. Rocker was taken with the third overall selection by the Rangers in this year's draft.

Here are some things to know about Parada after the Mets' selection:

Offense first

Parada was the first catcher off the board and is viewed as one of the top hitters in this draft class.

This season at Georgia Tech, the right-handed hitter ripped a program record 26 home runs and added 88 RBI and 79 runs on his way to winning the Johnny Bench and Buster Posey Awards, which are given to the nation's best catcher each season. He slashed .360/.452/.715 for the Yellow Jackets as a sophomore.

He also made an immediate impact as a freshman when he made 48 starts and was named a consensus freshman All-American after knocking nine home runs, driving in 42 runs and scoring 42 times.

While he posted a 99.2 fielding percentage this season, it is believed that his fielding is lagging behind his offensive skillset so far.

Another Jackets backstop

They call Georgia Tech "Catcher U" for a reason.

Parada is the fourth Georgia Tech catcher to be selected in the first round of the MLB Draft, joining Joey Bart (2018, second overall), Matt Wieters (2007, fifth) and Jason Varitek (1994, 14th; 1993, 21st).

“A lot of catchers have come back and I’m a part of that lineage now," Parada said. "We get to be a part of the pipeline of Georgia Tech catchers. We’re here for each other. It’s a brotherhood like no other. I know if I ever need anything I can definitely reach out to any of them and get some advice."

The 20-year-old is also joining an organization with a strong history of high-caliber catchers with Hall of Famers Gary Carter and Mike Piazza playing in Queens. That fact was not lost on Parada either.

"I know the No. 2 position is really important to them. If it wasn’t, they wouldn’t be picking me," Parada said. "They see something in me, and I’m excited to go to New York."

Chip on his shoulder

When Parada was coming out of Loyola High School in Los Angeles in 2020, he was ranked as the No. 6 catcher in the country.

But Parada made a strong commitment to Georgia Tech and went undrafted. He was confident that he could continue to find success at the college level and proved to be up to the challenge on his way to a first-round selection.

"I obviously didn’t get drafted out of the 2020 Draft," Parada said. "Part of that is betting on yourself that you can do better and put yourself in the best situation possible. At Georgia Tech, they gave me the tools to become an even better baseball player. I’m excited to see where the Mets take me from there."

During MLB Network's broadcast, Georgia Tech head coach Danny Hall said that Parada has made great strides in the "catching and receiving" part of the position to add to his tremendous power to all fields and has gotten comfortable catching on one knee.

Those extra two years in college helped Parada continue to develop into a well-rounded player.

"Some guys are great catchers and hit OK. Some guys can really hit but maybe aren't the best catchers," Hall said on the broadcast. "He can do it all."