WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- While it’s commonplace for prospects from Minor League camp to see an at-bat or two late in Grapefruit League games, it’s rare for one to log significant time on the Major League diamond. It’s rarer still for one to start.
Yet there was Mitch Voit, batting ninth Saturday night in the Mets' 8-2 loss to the Astros at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches, less than a year removed from New York selecting him in the first round of the Draft. Voit, the Mets’ No. 8 prospect (per MLB Pipeline), singled in his second at-bat and played seven innings at second base, soaking in every bit of the experience.
“Definitely a huge honor,” Voit said.
Voit’s appearance on the lineup card came about after fellow infielder Jackson Cluff was scratched with a stiff neck. When the Mets delivered the news to Voit on Friday evening, he immediately texted his parents, who drove across the state from their home in Naples, Fla.
“It’s always fun and exciting when you get to see these guys come up here and get an opportunity,” said Mets manager Carlos Mendoza, who complimented Voit’s plate approach in the game. “You get to watch them not only on video, but in person. You get to know them, interact with them, get to know their personalities, whether it’s pregame or during the game. It’s just fun to watch those guys get an opportunity up here, especially that early in their career.”
This was technically not Voit’s first taste of the big leagues, as he twice appeared as a substitute earlier in Grapefruit League play. Being a college draftee makes Voit a more likely fill-in than younger prospects. He is, for example, just one month younger than A.J. Ewing, who batted leadoff on Saturday and has been in the system for years.
But Voit is still very much a wide-eyed rookie, with only 22 games of professional experience. All of those came late last summer with Single-A St. Lucie, where Voit played after signing a $1.75 million deal as the 38th overall selection.
While Voit isn’t technically part of Major League camp, he’s spent enough time in the dugout to have had interactions with many older players, including Carson Benge, the team’s first-rounder one year before him. From Benge, Voit has absorbed “little bits of advice here and there” on how to adapt to life as a professional.
“Everybody’s just a good person,” Voit said. “Guys you want to hang out around and just good people to be around.”
Not every part of Saturday’s experience, however, was positive. In the seventh inning, Voit came up with the bases loaded and no outs, running the count full before striking out on seven pitches. The Mets wound up scoring only one run that inning, but Voit at least came away with a souvenir: the baseball from his first Spring Training big league hit.
“I’ve had a great time,” Voit said of his first spring. “I came into it with an open mind, and I’m really happy about the way it’s going.”