ATLANTA -- Mets outfielder Curtis Granderson remembers his Draft night experience. He was dealing with pulled wisdom teeth when he got the call that he was going to be drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the third round of the 2002 MLB Draft.
"I had no clue that the Tigers were going to draft me, as they only talked to me [for] an hour maybe two or three days before the draft," Granderson said. "I didn't really get a chance to speak to them too much because I had my wisdom teeth pulled."
Granderson signed with the Tigers and made his professional debut in 2002 with the Oneonta Tigers in Class A Short-Season. On Monday, a group of Draft-eligible players will go through the same process.
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"My advice I would give to guys is to not worry about what is happening to everyone else and get yourself ready to play every day," Granderson said. "Also stay focused, but have an outlet whether it's family, friends or teammates."
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Michael Conforto is the most recent Mets player to go through the Draft process. He was the 10th overall pick in 2014 and made his MLB debut in '15. He says his Draft process was filled with a lot of anticipation.
"The Draft process was awesome and a dream come true for me," Conforto said. "Being picked 10th overall was pretty awesome, and it was an honor to be picked by the Mets."
The Draft is the first stop for many players, and outfielder Jay Bruce also noted that it's important to stay grounded and work on your craft.
"One thing I learned in my career is that you are never as good or bad as you think that you are," Bruce said. "You have to show up, work hard and be a good teammate and be prepared every single day."
Bruce was in a similar boat as Conforto in 2005. He was drafted by the Reds in a class that included current MLB veterans like Troy Tulowitzki and Ryan Braun. He knows what the pressure is like to be a top Draft choice.
"Some days are harder than others," he said, "and I think you have to do your best to not listen to the outside noise."
The MLB Draft spans three days (Monday to Wednesday) as the sport welcomes the newest crop of professional athletes. The 2017 MLB Draft will start at 7 p.m. on Monday on MLB Network and will be streamed on MLB.com. The Mets have the 20th pick in the first round.