Latest news with #MitchVoit
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Mets draft pick Mitch Voit shares career goals in SNY interview
On The Mets Pod presented by Tri-State Cadillac, Joe DeMayo talks with Mitch Voit, the Michigan infielder the Mets selected with the 38th pick in the 2025 MLB Draft. Voit delivers a self-scouting report, and shares his confidence in his career path ahead. Check out the full interview on this week's episode of The Mets Pod, posting Thursday 7/17.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Mets' top draft pick once mimicked snorting cocaine on field. 'This isn't an issue,' team says
Former Michigan player Mitch Voit was selected by the New York Mets in the first round of the MLB draft on Sunday. (John McCoy / Associated Press) Mitch Voit had plenty to celebrate on Sunday after being selected by the New York Mets in the first round of the 2025 MLB draft. Chances are, that celebration did not resemble the now-infamous one the former Michigan infielder performed during a game against USC on March 16 in Ann Arbor. Advertisement With two outs in the bottom of the second inning, Voit ripped a hit into center field for a three-run triple that gave the Wolverines a 5-0 lead. While still on the ground after diving into third base, Voit decided to celebrate the feat in a rather curious manner. He lowered his nose to the baseline chalk and appeared to mimic snorting cocaine. Video of the bizarre celebration went viral, and Voit issued an apology in a statement posted on social media the next day. Read more: Jacob Misiorowski is the talk of the All-Star Game. Why Dodgers are partially to thank 'I would like to apologize for my actions on third base yesterday,' Voit wrote. 'I made an immature decision in the heat of the moment. The gesture I made does not reflect my character, the household I was raised in, or the block M that I represent in any kind of way. I take full responsibility for what I did, and I am truly sorry to all those who I have negatively impacted by doing this.' Advertisement Voit was not punished by the Wolverines. 'Mitch is a great young man and immediately apologized for his actions in the heat of the moment," Michigan Athletics spokesperson David Ablauf told The Athletic in a March 18 email. "As an athletic department, we did not feel that it was necessary to issue any discipline.' Speaking to reporters on Monday, Mets vice president of amateur scouting Kris Gross said the organization did their due diligence on the matter leading up to the draft. Read more: Shohei Ohtani has top-selling MLB jersey so far this season. Two other Dodgers rank in top four 'We spoke to him earlier in the spring and at the combine about it," Gross said. "And basically, you know, he's a young guy, it's a heat of passion, it's a big game. He made a big play for his team and made a mistake. And he's made an apology for it and owned up to it, handled it with class. Advertisement "We did a ton of research after the fact with multiple sources about his makeup. We know this isn't an issue and we feel comfortable with Mitch moving forward.' Voit was a two-way player during his first two seasons at Michigan, before undergoing internal brace surgery on his right elbow in spring 2024. As the Wolverines' starting second baseman in all 56 games this season, Voit hit .346 with 14 home runs and 60 RBI, with more walks (40) than strikeouts (34). 'He made a lot of strides, this being his first year to focus on hitting,' Gross told reporters Sunday. 'When you're scouting him, you sit there and you start to check all the boxes. He checked them all.' Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Michigan baseball player who did viral 'cocaine' celebration gets drafted by New York Mets
The New York Mets, it seems, have a type. A team once synonymous with baseball's drug problems of the 1980s, the Mets have now drafted a University of Michigan star who went viral for a cocaine-inspired celebration on the base paths. Wolverines second baseman Mitch Voit was the 38th pick of this year's MLB Draft on Sunday night after hitting .346 during an impressive junior season in Ann Arbor. But aside from his hitting prowess and his ability to moonlight on the mound, Voit's final season with Michigan might be best remembered for his decision to snort the third-base line in Ann Arbor after hitting an RBI-triple in a win over USC. Initially it looked like he may have hurt his face by sliding face-first into the bag, but Voit quickly popped up to his knees and pretended to fix a straw to his nose while moving his head along the third-base line. Upon finishing, Voit rapidly lifted his head and gave a possessed gaze towards the crowd. The Wisconsin native later admitted his misstep in a statement: 'I would like to apologize for my actions on third base yesterday. I made an immature decision in the heat of the moment. 'The gesture I made does not reflect my character, the household I was raised in, or the block M that I represent in any kind of way. 'I take full responsibility for what I did, and I am truly sorry to all those who I have negatively impacted by doing this.' Despite his misguided celebration, Voit was still named Big Ten Player of the Week shortly thereafter. Mets fans were equally happy to overlook the incident, given the team's reputation for cocaine use decades earlier. 'An 86 Mets aficionado I see, the kid has a bright future already,' one fan wrote on X. Others were more concerned: 'Bad choice Mets, this kid has major character issues.' Voit is not the first to do the 'snorting cocaine' celebration. Liverpool soccer player Robbie Fowler got a four-game suspension and a fine in 1999 when he appeared to use that pantomime following a goal. Voit, 20, described himself as a 'winner' in an interview with SNY, and the team appears to view him the same way. 'We're thrilled Mitch was still on the board there,' Mets vice president of amateur scouting Kris Gross said. 'Explosive. Athletic. We believe he stays on the dirt there and excels at multiple infield positions. But the bat really stood out. 'He made a lot of strides, this being his first year to focus on hitting,' Gross continued. 'The plate discipline improved. The contact and the ability to impact – it's a short, compact, explosive swing. 'He can impact the ball. We really think he can affect the game in numerous ways. It's a plus run tool. So when you're scouting him, you sit there and you start to check all the boxes. He checked them all.' Voit's pantomimed drug use is dwarfed by the team's infamous indulgences of the 1980s. After winning the 1986 World Series, Mets ace Doc Gooden would test positive for cocaine the following spring and other Mets teammates such as Darryl Strawberry and Keith Hernandez have also faced their own drug issues. These days Strawberry and Gooden are both said to be sober, while Hernandez has spoken openly about his past troubles with drugs.
New York Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Mets draft two-way Michigan star Mitch Voit, Antonio Jimenez in 2025 MLB Draft
Idle until the 38th pick and without a second-round selection in MLB's amateur draft Sunday because of their heavy spending, the New York Mets needed to do more with less. They're hopeful they accomplished just that in choosing University of Michigan infielder Mitch Voit with their first turn and nabbing University of Central Florida infielder Antonio Jimenez at No. 102, during the third round. Advertisement The Mets' first pick was docked 10 spots from No. 28 to 38 because they exceeded the luxury tax threshold by more than $40 million last season. They did not have a second-round pick because they signed Juan Soto, who carried a qualifying offer. In Voit, Mets vice president for amateur scouting Kris Gross saw an explosive athlete who made significant strides focusing solely on hitting after previously starring as a two-way player. 'The bat really stood out,' Gross said in a video call with reporters from Port St. Lucie, Fla. 'It's a short, compact, explosive swing. We really think he can affect the game in numerous ways. It's a plus run tool. So when you're scouting him, you sit there and you start to check all the boxes. He checked them all.' Mitch Voit is the first @bigten name selected in the 2025 #MLBDraft. The former @umichbaseball star went 38th overall to the @Mets. Here's a look at some of his power 💥#B1GBaseball — Big Ten Baseball (@B1Gbaseball) July 14, 2025 In his first two seasons with Michigan, Voit pitched and hit until undergoing internal brace surgery in July 2024. This past season, he starred as a second baseman, slashing .346/.471/.668 with 14 home runs and 14 stolen bases in 56 games. A right-handed batter listed at 6 feet, 201 pounds, Voit stood out as one of the Big Ten's best hitters in 2025, racking up more walks (40) than strikeouts (34). The chances of Voit returning to the mound sound remote; Mets officials say they will explore all options with him, but the primary focus is making him the best hitter possible. Gross said he believes Voit 'stays on the dirt.' When asked to self-scout his game, Voit, a Wisconsin native, referred to himself as simply a winner. 'Plainly put,' Voit said, 'do anything it takes for the team to win.' Advertisement Rival scouts liked the pick because of Voit's strong batted-ball numbers, including consistent contact on pitches in the strike zone. Ahead of the draft, Baseball America highlighted him as one of its sleepers based on his knack for hitting balls hard and maintaining a solid chase rate. According to the prospect publication, Voit owned a 50 percent hard-hit rate with a 91.5-mph average exit velocity. The Athletic's Keith Law noted that Voit topped out at 111 mph (while also describing him as a 'plus runner.') Voit marked a third straight season for the Mets choosing a collegiate athlete with a two-way history. In the third round of the 2023 draft, the Mets picked Nolan McLean, who initially tried to do both before strictly focusing on pitching last year. Carson Benge, the Mets' first-round pick last year, dropped pitching upon joining the farm system. Both McLean and Benge attended Oklahoma State. Jimenez, the Mets' only other pick on the first day of the draft, doesn't pitch at all, but he is another athletic collegiate player. As a draft-eligible sophomore, Jimenez slashed .329/.407/.575 with 11 home runs in 55 games. Mets director of amateur scouting Drew Toussaint said he sees Jimenez sticking at shortstop as a distinct possibility. In his analysis on Sunday, Law wrote that Jimenez projects as someone who may end up moving to third base. 'Real exciting player,' Toussaint said. 'A chance to be an above-average defender. He has a couple pluses — plus power, raw power, plus arm strength.' Before the draft, Gross described the player pool availability as deep. Given their situation, the Mets needed it to be. When the draft resumes in the fourth round on Monday, the Mets will be the third-to-last team to pick. After Sunday, they are used to the wait. 'It was a long three hours — I'm not going to lie,' Gross said. 'We saw some talent go off the board, but I mean, it's a draft. We've been through this before. We've experienced it. As you get closer to your pick, you kind of make a plan A, B, C and D, and see where it takes you. You're constantly evaluating the market of what might be left and making the best decision you possibly can.'
New York Post
3 days ago
- Sport
- New York Post
Mets add Mitch Voit — with two-way potential — in first round of MLB Draft
Access the Mets beat like never before Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mike Puma about the inside buzz on the Mets. Try it free ATLANTA — Charged with doing more with less, the Mets hope they will maximize their draft haul beginning with a two-way player. In a draft haul weakened by past spending aggression, the Mets opted for Mitch Voit — announced as a second baseman and righty pitcher out of the University of Michigan, although the Mets' plans for Voit were not immediately known — with their late first-rounder on Sunday. Voit had given up pitching last season in his junior season, when he slugged 14 home runs and posted a 1.140 OPS in 56 games. The Mets have drafted several collegiate two-way players the past few seasons, although none has stuck: 2023 third-round pick Nolan McLean tried doing both professionally before focusing solely on hitting midseason last year, while last year's first-round pick, Carson Benge, gave up pitching as he turned pro. The Mets drafted Mitch Voit in the first round of the MLB Draft. AP The Mets' first pick was docked 10 spots — from No. 28 to 38 — because the Mets exceeded the CBT threshold by more than $40 million last season. They did not have a second-round pick because they signed Juan Soto, who had been tagged with a qualifying offer. They were set to select just one more time on Day One, at No. 102. Mitch Voit gave up pitching as a junior. AP The Mets will have $5,465,900 to shell out to their draft picks to lure them into signing, which trails every team except the Yankees. With the exception of Kumar Rocker — who did not sign in 2021, giving the club an extra first-rounder a year later — the Mets have not used a first-round pick on a sole pitcher since 2017. CHECK OUT THE LATEST MLB STANDINGS AND METS STATS Since then, the Mets have selected outfielder Jarred Kelenic (2018), infielder Brett Baty ('19), outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong ('20), Rocker, infielder/outfielder Jett Williams ('22), catcher Kevin Parada ('22), infielder Colin Houck ('23) and Benge ('24) in the first round. Benge has played well enough in his first full pro season that he earned a spot in Saturday's Futures Game. The lefty-swinging outfielder owns a .907 OPS in 73 games between High-A Brooklyn and Double-A Binghamton.
